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Advice for Florence

Posted by (Edmonton, Canada) on

I am in a group of 3 who will be spending six days in Florence in August, and I am trying to break down the days. There are several day trips I want to do (by public transportation, no cars):

  • a day for Lucca & Pisa (train)

  • a day for San Gimignano (by bus is around 2 hours)

  • a day for Siena (by bus)

  • a day for Volterra (by bus is around 2 hours)

  • 2 days for seeing the sights within Florence

From Florence, I will be taking the train to Rome for the second part of my trip.

I've been reading Rick Steves and a few other guidebooks, but still had some questions...

  1. For some of those day trips above, would it be possible to squeeze in a museum in Florence before taking the bus/train? I'm not sure if some of those take the whole day, though most have a 2 hour transportation time.

Alternatively, I guess I could go on the daytrip early and hopefully come back in time to see some sights, though by then, many would already be closed.

  1. Is there a multi-person discount for train or bus rides within the region?

  2. Would a hotel without air conditioning be hugely uncomfortable in August in Florence?

  3. Do you feel Lucca is worth visiting?

  4. How long does it take to walk from one side of Florence to another... like Accademia to Pitti Palace?

  5. I was looking at the reservations for the Uffizi and Accademia online... in addition to the Admission fee, there's an "exhibition fee" plus the online fee, which is not charged per transaction but per each ticket bought. Is it cheaper if I ask the hotel to book it? Or if I do it by phone?

Thanks. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Posted by
411 posts
  1. It depends on the bus schedule. Personally I'm not sure it's worth the 4 hours travel time to see San G. It's charming but a bit touristy.2. Not when I was there in May 3 Oh yes it will--- check with your hotel and see if they at least have fans. 4. It's very interesting and walking the walls privides wonderful views.5. Not to be flippant but it depends on how fast you walk and how hot it is. 20 minutes should do it if you're a brisk walker.6. The price at the B Ticket site is the rock bottom price. You pay the special exhibit fee if you see the special exhibit or not.
Posted by
98 posts

Thanks for the info.

I was also considering seeing San Gimignano and Volterra on the same day, but with a 2 hr bus ride to San Gimignano and then another 2 hours to Volterra, it felt too long for transportation.

What is the best bus company for travelling to these sites? It seems like there are several to choose from.

I arrive at the Pisa airport at around noon, so I was also thinking of seeing Pisa that afternoon before going to Florence. Would there be enough time?

It looks like there is an exhibition at both the Uffizi and the Accademia. Can I book by phone over a month in advance? I was hoping that this would allow me to skip the "online booking" fee which adds up with 3 people.

Posted by
6898 posts

Jared, you can easily see Pisa in the afternoon. I assume that you want to see the leaning tower. There is also a nice church, baptistery and historical grounds next to the tower. There is an express train from the airport to the main Pisa train station (Galileo Express). The trip takes 5 minutes. Once at the Pisa train station, there is a staffed left-luggage office at the south end of the station between the last two buildings. Just note the operating hours. The walk in takes about 30 minutes with the same coming out. You could take the bus from across the street from the train station to the leaning tower to shorten the walking time.

There are two bus companies to consider for your Tuscan towns. First is SITA (www.sitabus.it). They travel frequently between Florence/Siena, Florence/San G. and Florence/Voltera. Another bus company to look at is San Gimignano Bus Lines. They go between Siena and San G.

Posted by
6898 posts

One suggestion might be to combine Siena and San G. on the same day trip. CAF Tours (Grayline) in Florence offers this tour. You only get about an hour in San G. but you get 4 hours in Siena. In Siena, you also get a guided tour. 52Euro. That could free up a bit of time.

Pisa/Lucca will take you most of the day. It is a bit of a walk from the Academia to the Pitti Palace. Maybe 20-25 minutes. If there is a special exhibition at the Academia, you will pay the exhibition fee.

Posted by
75 posts

Jared,
I would agree that 20 minutes is about right to go across town in Florence. Go for air conditioning! If I had to pick the hottest town I've been to in Italy in the summer, it would be Florence! San Gimagnano is charming but totally tourist, however, I enjoyed it; the duomo has some especially nice frescoes, and the views of the Tuscan countryside are particularly beautiful. As for Lucca....I was there for the first time two weeks ago, and I must say I was quite dissapointed. The road on top of the ramparts is a really unique feature, but IMO, that's all there is. (in other words, I would go for a day trip, rent a bike, ride the ramparts and have a picnic lunch, and then get out of Dodge) I found the town itself to be dirty and rather creepy at night. We stayed at "La Magnolia" and I would not recommend it. The impressive walls around the city and biking or walking them are worth the trip because they are so unique and intact. As far as Pisa goes, a half day is fine; I'd add the Camposanto to the list (duomo, baptistry, tower) it is interesting and quite beautiful with no crowds, and the restored frescoes almost destroyed in WWII are fascinating. And, yes, the tower is worth the 15 euro to go up!
Have a great trip!

Posted by
160 posts

Hi Jared,

You can take a 1 day escorted bus trip to Siena and San Gimi through expedia. It was well worth the price. You really only need 1 day for both.

Florence is a very walkable city. See if you can get a map before going and I am sure you will not have any problems. We walked the whole city in 1 day. If you plan to visit the Accademia I would purchase tickets on-line, August is a very busy tourist month.

I would definately get a hotel with air.

I hope some of these answers help. Have a great trip.

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