1st Timers, pls HELP!!....Florence and Accessibility for disabled.....

Taxis in Florence are so cheap, take the taxis, and the taxi drivers are the most honest I think in Italy! To check taxi fares to get a benchmark, Google world taxi fares Florence and practice using those online measures while you are still at home.

Also buses have plenty of space for chairs, and I've seen locals pitch in to place a chair inside the big middle doors. I think one time I saw a driver manually lift a ramp at the middle doors, but I've not seen elaborate ramps and lifts like here in Chicago or Urbana-Champaign, the Mecca of Access!

Does your hotel have an elevator? Remember that Italy configures Floors differently. Their First or Main floor is Zero or Piano Terra. So if they say First floor or Main floor or even Ground floor (even with the ground, not basement or garden) that actually is the Second floor in our world. If they say Second floor, that actually is the Third floor to us. And there may be outside or inside stairs going up to the Zero floor (First, Main, or Ground floor to us).

Do you have a lightweight folding roller chair you can take with you?

Along with hotels, I might add a caution about restaurants in Italy. Those which are in very old buildings may have their restroom facilities in the basement - down narrow flights of stairs - and not all will have lifts to reach them. I would be vigilant about seeing and using more accessible facilities whenever they present themselves, as in the museums. Churches, with the exception of the very largest ones, usually don't provide public facilities.

If you go to Google Maps, you should be able to "walk" some routes (say, from your hotel to the Duomo, the Uffizzi, or the Accademia). You can see in advance exactly what challenges these routes will present to your husband.

I agree that taxis are a good back-up plan if walking becomes too difficult. I don't know if renting a wheelchair or transport chair would be helpful or not (it's been too long since I was there, so I don't know how uneven the surfaces are).

Do heed the advice above about bathrooms! As your parents told you, never pass up a chance to use one, since you don't know when you'll get the chance again.

Be sure to get assistance at the airports (reserve this in advance on both arrival and departure). There's probaby assistance available at train stations as well. If you can't find how to reserve this, our frequent poster Roberto (a native Florentine) can tell you. If he doesn't respond in this thread, send him a private message.

If you post more details about your whole trip, such as your complete itinerary, whether or not you will have a car, your arrival and departure airports, etc, you can get more specific advice.

Trenitalia can give you info on which train stations have accessibility measures, and how to reserve assistance at most stations (some in small towns are unstaffed).

For the accommodations you need to check if the property where you are staying is appropriate for your husband. Some old buildings aren't disabled friendly and the law exempts buildings built in the past to comply with building codes enacted for new constructions in more recent times. That is true for some old sights you will be visiting as well. For example if you want to go on top of the Brunelleschi's dome, there are no elevators.

For traveling longer distances the taxi is best, and you can request special taxi cabs for the disabled. However the issue is that sights in Florence are concentrated in a small walkable area and distances are too short to bother with a taxi each time. The city center is however reasonably flat and you could be renting a wheelchair. Actually the city offers free wheelchair rentals for disabled tourists (but only up to 3 days). Info is below.

http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en/informazioni-utili-2/firenze-senza-barriere-2/servizi-2/2659-wheelchairs-rental-florence.html

Are you going to Rome? there is great sightseeing on golf carts with Walks inside Rome company- may sound ridiculous to you, but it was great for one couple I know.
I just googled and saw one golf cart tour thru Viatour in Florence, https://www.viator.com/tours/Florence/Florence-Eco-Tour-by-Electric-Golf-Cart/d519-7779P5 .. search more for the real operator, but it would be fun i think for you both.

You may find some helpful tips on this website which specializes in wheelchair accessible travel.

hi you guys, thanks so much for replying!!!Great info esp.about the bathrooms LOl (Go while you can!!) Does anyoneknow ifFlorence has horse and carriage rides and where to pick them up from?

There are carriage rides but little in the way of real information on them other than mentions of availability around the Duomo or Piazza Della Signoria. Carriage rides have sort of fallen out of favor with a lot of tourists as there are some strong feelings about the detrimental effects on the animals from long hours in conditions which are unhealthy for them. You might consider a tour in one of the electric carts mentioned earlier? I'm thinking they would be easier for your husband to climb in and out of, and they appear to be more economically priced.

We haven't done one of these but here's an example:
http://www.ecogreentours.eu/electrical-car-tour.html

Maybe someone can recommend a company from firsthand experience.

I agree with Kathy about the ease of getting into a golf cart versus a carriage. There are regulations for how long horses can work before getting a break for food, water, shade; enforcement may vary.

Thanks for adding that, Zoe, as I should have worded that last post differently. I didn't mean to imply that all or even some of the carriage horses in Florence are working under adverse conditions but it has been a problem in the industry 'round the world. I often see recommendations against these tours from informed individuals who are sensitive to the issue so I'm just respecting their feelings/knowledge.

we saw horse carriages today. only a couple. beautiful horses but honestly I think there may be a better option. I saw a couple being driven around by a guy pedaling a bike. the entire unit was covered from the weather and the two seats in back looked comfortable. for as crowded as it is fight now, it looked like a smart way to travel here. the roads are packed with pedestrians. we're going back intonflorence tomorrow if I see the name I'll post it but it was Eco-something. the sidewalks and streets are cobble stone and can be uneven. the newer museums have lifts or elevators.