Daughter studying in Florence; parent visit itinerary help

Posted by IndianaJ (Indianapolis, IN) on 07/02/22 02:17 AM

Hello! Our daughter will be in Florence from September 1 through the beginning of May at the Florida State study center. We would like to visit her and I'd appreciate suggestions. I purchased RS book on Tuscany which I began reading this evening. It's extremely good so far. Over a decade ago I used one of his books for a trip to Germany almost exclusively, and it was the most amazing trip ever. I'm assuming the people on this forum will be super helpful and knowledgeable.

I've made this a bit difficult since I have accepted a new job in August making taking time off a bit tricky. I don't see us being able to go until the end of Oct. or beginning of November. We theoretically could go in 2023, but she will be in London from May through the beginning of August and we'd like to visit her there as well. My goal is to see her in the evenings, but use Florence as a jumping off point. She has class M-Th with a three day weekend. Any tips or suggestions are welcome!

Posted by Claudia

Land of La

07/02/22 03:38 AM

9290 posts

Are you asking for a travel Itinerary for exploration in Italy.

Posted by travel4fun

Bend, Oregon

07/02/22 05:30 AM

2580 posts

Yes, you’ll find lots of folks happy to share their experience and happy to help. But we need more specifics on what you’re looking for: where to stay, where to eat, what to see in Florence, possible day trips, what to do/where to go over a 3 day weekend, etc. What are you wanting suggestions about?

Some info about you would be helpful also: how long will you be there? Will any other children be traveling with you? What are you into: wine, food, museums, shopping, etc. Have you been to Europe before? What is your nightly hotel budget in euros? Will you be seeing other cities in Italy (ie flying into Venice, out of Rome, with your stay in Florence in between those flights)?

Posted by Kathy

Minnesota 🎒

07/02/22 12:25 PM

16661 posts

Hi and welcome to the RS forum!
travel4fun hit it on the head: You'll find all sorts of help here but we need more information to do that, such as how long you intend to be there, your personal interests, etc. As the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, Florence is wonderfully rich in artistic and architectural treasures of that era but if one isn't a fan of those things, spending a lot of time talking about them may not be helpful to you. Make sense?

As well, Florence makes a great base for day trips to any number of towns and cites. You could also, say, end your trip in Rome, spend a couple of days, and fly home from there. If desired, your daughter could go with you and take the train back to Firenze when you're ready to depart for the U.S. Again, it's up to the amount of time you''ll have and what's calling to you.

I'm thinking she will have gotten her bearings by the time you arrive and will likely want to play tour guide for some of her favorite discoveries?

End of Oct. or beginning of Nov. would be fine. IMHO, with the reports of oppressive summer crowds and heat we're seeing, being able to enjoy Florence with less of both would be preferable! :O)