Best way to plan Uffizi, Academia, and SMN Church in Florence

I'm afraid I don't have a definitive answer . . . but according to an article in the NY Times a few weeks ago, neither does anyone else. The gist of the article was that the system of booking tickets is undergoing review, with different factions lobbying for different options. So you are not the only one in a quandary.

By the time the spring tourist season comes into bloom, maybe they will have come to agreement. And, before July other recent travelers will probably have specifics to tell you based on their experiences.

The Florence card is good for a 3 day pass for many sites and there is a way to squeeze out a fourth day. If you are going to be in Florence for 3 - 5 days, it is a good value. If you are only going to these three sites, you would be better off just paying for each site. For the statue of David, get a reserved ticket for 8 am - 8:30 am. You want to see David before the floodgates open and the hoards pile in (around 9 am). Perhaps, last hour of the day would be good as well. For Uffizi, get reserved tickets and plan about 2-3 hours. You can download for free the Rick Steve tour on a smartphone or iPad. It's a good travel guide for Uffizi. Uffizi is packed with amazing art. The RS download helps to organize a good visit. SMN church complex is a peaceful oasis. Check for hours. You can easily visit SMN during its open hours. No need to reserve tickets for SMN. Just show up and enjoy when it is convenient for you. There is a ticket stand at the entrance. Try to see the perfumeria while you are there. If you are going to purchase the Florence card, you can just buy it in Florence on your first day in Palazzo Vecchio. You can then enter the Uffizi and accademia without advanced reservations and enter through the reserved ticket line.

Sun-baked has good advice. Here's one more experience: Friend and I purchased Florence Passes, expecting to be able to "skip the line" for the Accademia and the Uffizi. Turns out that at the Accademia there is a separate, VERY long line for Florence Pass holders (at least at 10:00 am on a July morning). The line stretched down the block and around the corner. This was a different line that that for non-pass holders, but they were almost equal in length! HOWEVER, people who had made timed-entry reservations (and picked up their reservations at the Accademia ticket office across the street from the main Acc entrance) walked right in, and did NOT have to wait in any line. If I had to do it again, I would absolutely not get the Florence Pass, but would get timed entry tickets to the Uffizi and the Accademia.

While situation may have changed since I was there in 2014, I don't recall there was ever much of a line at Santa Maria Novella. Even the lines at the Duomo and Santa Croce moved along very quickly.

I would agree that the Firenze Card is not a good buy if you're only intending to see the three attractions listed. Others have already covered SM Novella (no reservation needed) and specific time slots for the Accademia and Uffizi - which will eliminate standing in long, long, high-season queues - may be booked here (official ticketing site):

http://www.b-ticket.com/b-ticket/uffizi/default.aspx

Normally in July the late hours start for Tuesdays and Saturdays (till 11 PM) for Uffizi and Accademia. These are lightly visited hours when no reservation is required. They won't announce these times though till the end of June so hard to plan effectively.

I'm fairly confident that there is no way to reserve tickets for SMN, this is not a top attraction with queues.

No comment on the Firenze Card (pass) because we've never found them useful since you have to cram stuff into a few days. But as far as schedule planning, you definitely should avoid visiting any of these on the same day. Although Rick's books (I think) make a suggested "length of tour" of 2 hours for each of the 2 museums, I spent close to 4 hours in each. Same with the church, especially if you include the Duomo Museum which is absolutely fantastic. You definitely do not want to miss that. For the Duomo, the combo ticket allows you 2 days to see all 4 parts of the complex.

If you're only planning to visit those three sites, I would not bother with the Firenze Card. Not worth the money in that case.

Definitely pre-book the Uffizi. The lines are staggering -- hours long -- otherwise.

As for the Accademia, I have gone early (right when they open, at 8:30), mid-day, and late. By far the best time to go is late. Some days during the week, they're open late (until 7pm), and it seems that many tourists don't realize that. These times are without a doubt the best times to go. We popped over there on our way to dinner one night and shared the space with maybe 20 other people, max, and definitely no line to get in. And this was in late-May -- prime tourist season. Check into a TI in Florence, or just on the Accademia's website, to find out which days it's open late, and plan for wandering in around 6/6:30pm. It will be well, well worth it.

SMN is not visited in even half the numbers that the Accademia, Uffizi, Bargello, etc. are visited, so I would not concern yourself even with pre-booking. Make sure to check times, because their open hours can sometimes be funky, but you will have a minimal wait to get in.

Hope this helps!

I just returned from Florence a week ago last Friday. I ran myself ragged in three full days (four nights) in Florence, and I would not have come close to breaking even on the Firenze card. It's a hassle but I suggest booking separately for the Uffizi and Academia. In Rick's book he says you would have to visit an extremely long list to make the Firenze Card worthwhile, and you can skip the line with a reservation booked a la carte. Personally I thought these museums were worth lingering in, especially the Uffizi where I must have spent four hours. It's not that huge (compared to say the Vatican Museums) but the quality it such that you really should take your time. I spent a couple of hours in the Academia, though admittedly I am a museum enthusiast and by this time my feet were tired and I took advantage of the ample space to sit down and rest. (I sound like I lack stamina but actually in my enthusiasm I just had been pushing myself too hard and hit the wall!) If you give attractions the time they deserve, the pass is not going to be worthwhile. Definitely book ahead but I would not advise getting the Firenze pass. The Duomo combo ticket is excellent value, I think it was 12 Euros and it covers activities that could take up the better part of a day if like me you like to linger.

Thank you for all the wonderful tips everyone. I will definitely take these into consideration. I plan on going to the Uffizi later in the day, the Academia bright and early in the morning, and I'll leave the Santa Maria Novella Church to where ever I fit it into my sightseeing. I;m looking forward to visiting Italy in July.

My husband and I are in Florence right now and have enjoyed the Firenze Card. By the time it expires this afternoon we will have used over 100 E worth of admissions each. For us - here are the advantages.

1. No lines. Of course, it is November, but we've walked into everything.
2. We get out early and walk until we are dead. A lot of places open before 9 or close after 6, allowing us to extend our day.
3. A LOT of sites are cash only. I don't think I realized that until I got here.
4. It has allowed us to pop into second and third tier sites I probably would have never paid for but really enjoyed after I saw them.
5. Most importantly, clean and free restrooms are available at almost every site. I need those frequently! :)
6. It comes with a decent map.

It isn't for everyone- we've been walking 8-10 miles per day and retire relatively early. I am a former museum curator and my husband has a deep interest in architecture, so those with a casual interest may not care much to see man y things. Or with only a few sites on your agenda or a limited schedule, it may not be worth it.

Now we're off to the Pitti Palace!

I agree with above poster about Florence Card. But again, it's only worth it for those with the time to fully use it. Another advantage of Firenze Card is for people traveling with teens. You can add a minor to a parent's card at no extra charge. This may actually save some money for families, by eliminating some entrance fees. We used that feature.
To maximize a FC - get a RS guide list on Florence attractions and a map. Then, make a schedule for yourself based on when things are open and where they are located. Finally, attack that plan in Florence. We did this and had a lot of success on our trip.