36 hours in Florence- Please review my itinerary!

If your train arrives at 9:00am, I suggest that you will almost be out of the Bargello by 11:00. RS is really high on the Bargello but it didn't make the high spots on our list. The pizza place across the street did, however. From there, you are 3-4 short blocks to il Duomo and the Baptistery. One museum that was at the top of our list is the Duomo museum which is to the left rear of il Duomo and across the street. It's actually called the Opera del Duomo Museum. Great treasures from many centuries associated with the Duomo. Also, the original "Gates to Paradise" (carvings on the Baptistery doors) are in there. The ones on the Baptistery are copies. Other great art in there as well. Well worth the visit. No lines either.

You may find that many of the markets are closed on Sunday....same problem that we are running into with our schedule. Frommer's shows Santa Croce being open 1 to 5:30 pm on Sundays, but I thought my Rick Steves book said 3 to 5:30. Frommer's also shows the Medici Chapels being closed the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month and I remember my RS book having that same information in it.

For us the Bargello was a highlight. But the thing about Florence is there is so much to see and everything is so close and accessable. Just walking between sites will give you time for shopping/browsing and gelato. I think you'll be fine. I will say that we found the shops around Santa Croce to be nothing special.

Thanks for you thoughts. I am worried about shops and markets being closed on Sunday. We will be there on the third Sunday of October, so the Medici chapels should be open but the Bargello will be closed.

Any advice on shopping areas that will definitely be open on Sunday?

Susan we spent 3 weeks in Italy last May. Our focus was not so much on shopping, but we never really noticed any differences on Sunday's, especially in areas frequented by tourists. Sunday's are big market days, so they will all be opne for sure. Unless you have a very specific shop in mind for a high end item, you'll find all sorts of places as you're walking around. I really would just relax (I know its hard when planning such an exciting trip!). You'll also be able to juggle your schedule when you're there. Of all the cities in Italy, Florence is the most compact and pedestrian friendly (as long as you keep an eye out for Vespa's). It will all work out (you have the 2 reservations you need). Cheers

you might want to skip the Medici Chapels this time since it might still have some scaffolding up as it did in July which was quite a letdown. Instead, consider visiting the interior of the Palazzo Vecchio (you'll need about an hour and a half); it's similar to a scaled down version of the Doge's Palace in Venice (without the prisons!) or just skip both and spend more time eating gelato!! have a fantastic trip