Florence experts I need your help!

I think your first day has a bit much going on. If your train arrives at 10:30 it will take you some time to walk to your hotel, check in then become familar with your route. There will probably be a line up to get inside the Duomo and you will want a couple of hours for touring the Uffizi. Adding the trip to Piazza Michelangelo might be a bit much. (the bus going there leaves from a stop across the street from the train station) Why not leave this adventure for your 3rd day. Remember that walking around museums and churches takes up lots of time. (All worth it) I would also add the Church of Santa Maria Novella (also near train station). It's incredible inside. Florence is very easy to walk around to the key sights. You can walk alot each day but your time will be taken up inside the churches and museums.

Hi Gaby. It sounds like you already have a good idea of the layout of the city. Florence is very walkable but like the first poster said, things always take longer than you think. If you aren't sure about the order of your itinerary, I would suggest getting a map of Florence and mapping your route on it to make sure that your route is as efficient as possible. If you want some adventure (and are reasonably fit), you can walk to Piazzale Michelangelo from the other side of the Arno, either from Ponte delle Grazie or Ponte Vecchio. It's quite a hike - you climb a long, steep set of stairs from Via del Monte alle Croci (literally Street of the Mountain of Crosses) and you pass the 14 "Stations of the Cross" on your way up. Also, when will you be in Florence? Is this your first time there?

You'll want to see Piazzale Michelangelo during the day; no way you can do that after the Uffizi on the 1st day.

You won't finish at the Uffizi until about 7:00pm, so I'd suggest skipping Piazzale Michelangelo on day 1. The walk from the Duomo to the Uffizi is relatively short, so consider stopping to pick up your reserved tickets and then visiting the nearby Ponte Vecchio before you tour the Uffizi. And yes, Museo San Marco is only a couple of blocks from the Accademia (just walk to the right when you exit). Rather than eating in the Mercato Centrale, consider Trattoria Mario which is just a short distance behind it. IMO, their food is much better than the places in the market and it has a fun atmosphere. Best to get there early to minimize the wait to be seated.

We just got back from Italy and 4 days in Florence. Take the # 13 bus from the termini (right out on front at the corner bus stop). It is a musttake time to go up to San Miniato church past the Piazza. Gorgeous views When you get to Uffizi go to door # 3 -across the courtyard from the long lineturn in reservation and then go back to main line-to the front and go right in. Santa Croce is a fantastic place. They are restoring parts of the fresco in the altar area so it is interesting to watch how they are doing it. See the pixs of the flood. There are alot of side rooms off the main church Nave and lovely courtyard.
Anything is do-able if you have the stamina. We walked almost everywhereeasy except for Piazza Michelangelo

That first day does seem a little tight with the evening plans - unless you realize you will be up at the Piazzale in the dark. There are places to eat up there - sort of touristy though. If you walk down the steps to the San Niccolo area there are many more choices for dinner.

If you go to the Piazzale Michelangelo, I suggest also visiting the church of San Miniato al Monte, one of the loveliest churches in Florence, in my opinion (a short walk uphill from the Piazalle, and go up the wide staircase on the left to get to the church); the view is also remarkable. And the Accademia is fine if you really want to see the original David, but the Bargello is a great museum for Renaissance sculpure... less crowded, a much better collection, and in an interesting building.

Can I make a recommendation for lunch or dinner? Il Profeta http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187895-d1142806-Reviews-Il_Profeta-Florence_Tuscany.html Had the BEST food and service of all the places we went in Italy!!! It's moderately priced, and I showed up for dinner in a windbreaker and knit pants, and the waiter treated us like a million bucks. You must try the "John Travolta pasta" and the chocolate dessert - I literally had a dream about it when I came home!! :P Also, Al Nerbone at the Mercato Centrale is tops for a quick, delicious lunch! :)

Gaby, I would agree with Sherry that your first day is filled with too much. Instead of making the journey up the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo on Day 1, I suggest doing it some time in the afternoon of Day 3 and try to attend the Gregorian chant service at San Mineato Al Monte. This was a wonderful highlight of my trip to Florence in May. Also, I heartily agree with Frank in the referral to Trattoria Mario near the Mercato. The food was fabulous and the company fun. Enjoy your trip Gaby. I do so miss Italy. Ciao :)

Yes, always good to have a map to plan your trip. However, each large city you visit will have those free tourists maps that do a pretty good job of showing you the major attractions and routes. Relax and have fun. Part of the fun is getting lost and finding treasures.

Thanks guys! this is our first time in Italy and we will be there next week! I decided to make some changes but now I'm not sure how to get from one area to the other. I tried google map but I couldn't figure it out. this is what i changed: on the first day I will walk to Piazza Duomo, see the Baptistery and Campanile then Travel along the Via Calzaiuolo, heading for the Signoria Square. after spending some time there, now here is the change, I will walk to Santa Croce, how do I get there from Piazza della Signoria?? after that I will go to Uffizi Gallery how do I get from Santa Croce to Uffizi Gallery? so I will do Santa Croce on the first day instead of third, and on the third I will after mercato centrale, Take bus 12 or 13 to San Miniato al Monte and then Walk downhill to Piazzale Michelangelo Does this seems more doable?
Thanks!

Hi Gaby. You need to buy a map of Florence before your trip and study it while you work out your route, and on the plane. When you get there, you'll already feel like you know some of the city. I like the Knopf MapGuides - they aren't really pocket-sized but fit nicely in a day bag. They have fold-out sections of each part of the main city and also provide information about restaurants, shopping, and sights. You can find these and other maps at bookstores and travel stores.

Do you need to return from your day trip to Siena by 6pm? (I haven't looked at the bus schedule to see if there are later options.) If you're searching for a place to splurge on a great dinner and are in Siena already, I would recommend the Antica Osteria Da Divo. http://www.osteriadadivo.it/eng/menu.htm Perhaps you can work out an early supper there and return to Florence before bedtime.

San Mineato Al Monte. If you have the time, visit the cemetery also. Photos are not allowed in the cemetery. So you've probably never heard of it or seen anything from it. Walk through with reverence and humility and over 300 years of how people honored their dead in the fashion of the day's monuments by the richest families in Florence. Its a "Wow, I'll be thinking about this for a while," sort of experience.

Gaby, i think you are worrying to much about your visit to Florence. (as i did my first time )When you arrive there, you will see all your worries will have been for not. Some of the sights you are wanting to visit are steps away from each other. Florence is not like Paris where thinks are further apart and it's much smaller than Rome where some bus transportaion may be required. The residents travel around the city by bicycle and scooters. I'm sure your hotel will have a map for you and they will be able to answer all your questions. Relax. You've done a great job in researching your trip. Now enjoy it. One of the things i learned the hard way was if you take a table in a cafe, you will be charged extra. Having a coffee and pastry standing at the bar costs you much, much less. Also, don't buy a gelato at the Ponte vecchio. It will cost you 3 times as much as anywhere else. Have a great trip.