Hello, I know seeing florence with a car is not ideal but we will have one regardless. My husband has never been to florence, would it be better to stay in the country and do a few day trips into the city or stay somewhere close to the city and do a few day trips to the country? Any recommended towns and/or car accessible hotels near the historic center.
Posted by
Tucson
4183 posts
This is a link to some information on parking in Florence: http://www.florenceparking.it/en/. Be sure to read the entire ZTL section(s). A quick glance indicated to me that even if you have permission, you only get a couple of hours to get in, get unloaded and get out unless you can park in a hotel garage or another one nearby, but I didn't read it thoroughly. The translation will be rough when you click on the sections, so be patient and creative in your reading.
Also be sure to take a look at the info on the Garage Station Area Santa Maria Novella. It is outside the ZTL and affiliated with a couple of hotels.
If I were you, I'd park the car in a garage that will allow it to stay overnight, stay in Florence itself, and walk everywhere. When you explore the countryside, you can take it out. By the way, it is highly unlikely that even a hotel will provide free parking. Having said that, our daughter stayed in a villa outside town on one trip. She drove the car to the closest train station and took the train into Florence. I'm sure parking at the villa was free. I don't know if she had to pay at the train station.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34342 posts
Don't take Lo's ZTL advice lightly - many people have posted on here after having gone home after driving in Florence to nasty surprises from the rental agency and then some time later from Florence. Very expensive surprises.
Driving in Florence can be quite difficult. I remember one night when I was using my GPS to return from the east I went all over the city avoiding wrong roads. It was quite a ride. I was lucky to have avoided the ZTLs then, and they have grown a lot since.
Perhaps stay out of town and bus or train in?
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16240 posts
If you want to stay in Florence proper and do day trips outside you could go to the Hotel Villa Liberty. Very close to the city center and yet outside the ZTL, also easy to reach and surrounded by trees (and rich people villas).
Free parking and they rent bicycles for you to ride to the city center, which is not far (20 min walk, 5 min bus or 5 min bicycle).
http://www.hotelvillaliberty.it/
Below is a posher option, along the river arno. A little farther however and not sure they have bicycles. It was closed for renovations last year, but maybe they open now.
http://www.hotelvillesullarno.com/