Any tips/Insights for solo trip to Ravenna and Florence

Hi Cindy, your mosaic class sounds like a lot of fun! Ravenna is flat and easy walking - perfect for mobility issues. You may want to buy a couple of the multi-site mosaic tickets to enjoy them more than once.

I’ve traveled with my husband and also did three solo trips to Italy. As a former travel forum participant told me when preparing for my first solo trip, “Italy wants to feed you!” Don’t feel self-conscious dining alone. I like to wear a dress or put on a nice scarf with an outfit for dinner. I also like to use the time between ordering my meal and the food arriving to review the photos I took that day….or bring a small booklet to read.

Traveling solo:
When traveling solo, it’s nice to connect with someone back home through FaceTime video or similar - free through your lodging wifi.

You might want to attend a concert in the evening at Florence. Since it’s one ticket instead of two, it’s a chance to select a nicer seat location.

Thank you for the moral support, Jean. Maybe that’s what I need most right now no matter how independent I think I am, haha. I love the concert idea! I hadn’t considered that so I’ll have to look at options.

Do you ride the buses in Florence? My second trip to Florence I mostly just rode an electric bus every weekday for 5 weeks from Piazza Beccaria to the British Institute in the Oltrarno ---so easy and fun. I just got back from another 5 weeks in Florence, staying in San Frediano, and rode all around the city a lot by myself, mostly on the electric buses, but also on the #6 and the buses that go to and from San Minato al Monte (#12 and #13, I think). My feet were not cooperating with my walking for more than about half an hour, so I was really happy that the buses worked out well.

There is a bus app, but what I WANTED was a real bus map (like there used to be) so that I could see the whole route each bus would take --- the app tells you how to get from one point to another and I never really figured out how to use it properly. Instead I used Google Maps and starred several of the most useful stops and their buses. The problem with Google Maps is that it tells you the fastest way to get somewhere instead of the most interesting or scenic or useful way, but it will tell you the way with the least amount of walking. What I probably should have done is to just ride all four electric buses on their circular routes and note what churches, museums, etc. they went by.

I saw quite a few people eating lunch in restaurants with a book or a phone for company --- it did not seem like an awkward thing to do. Eating lunch at the Sant'Ambrogio market, at Trattoria Sabatino, and at Alla Vecchia Bettola was interesting --- it seemed to be the norm to share a table with four or five strangers. I can rarely stay awake for a dinner out, so I don't know much about dinner.

Some of the new things I enjoyed on this trip were the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, La Specola, the Museo Horne, the archeology museum, the Pontormo in Santa Felicita, the cemetery at San Miniato al Monte, and tracking down several of the 1966 (and earlier) flood markers. Oh, and the Tracce di Firenze (Traces of Florence) museum for free on the ground floor of Palazzo Vecchio --- I love the huge map. I highly recommend the daily art history classes in the afternoon at the British Institute and also attending their Wednesday evening lectures (previous lectures are on Youtube if you want to check them out).

Nancy, thank you so much for all the wonderful ideas! I have lots of research to do! We’ve previously stayed in San Frediano and loved the area and the apartment we rented. This year they are doing some construction on the exterior and that, coupled with too many stairs, had me searching for another apartment not too far away. I’ve mainly walked everywhere in Florence but I think the buses will be key this visit. I did take the #4 bus (I believe) a couple of times because it stopped right in from on our apartment and got us close to the train station when we had luggage. I’ll be looking out for anything I can find that will help me with the buses.

CindyP:

The Citymapper app is good for bus travel around Florence, I’ve used it on a few visits.
Also: google maps.
I’ve been solo to Florence a number of times, and used the buses a lot.
The little “mini” ones are great when your feet hurt and you don’t want to walk anymore!
Florence is also my favourite city!
Every trip to Italy ends with a few days in Florence for me. :)

Thank you SJ. I guess I never really paid attention to the electric mini buses but I sure will now! So happy to hear from a fellow Florence lover….

I don't remember much about the restaurant but I definitely recommend buying a ticket in advance to go up to the dome before visiting the Florence cathedral because there are long queues during the busy season, I don't know how it is in winter.