Florence in January itinerary ideas?

A couple of things to keep in mind- parking will be an issue, with almost no hotels in the historic center having on site parking facilities, there are ZTLs that need to be avoided, and parking fees, when you do find a 24/7 parking lot, will be expensive. You will need to buy an International Driver Permit (from your local AAA office) before leaving for Italy. And you will have some of the shortest daylight hours of the year, so may be faced with driving on rural roads and highways after dark unless you plan carefully.

So my advice would be to use the train or bus whenever possible for some of your day trips. And there may be some daytrips offered by local tour providers, even though this is the "offest" of the off season. In other words, only rent a car for those days when you really need one.

The weather will be cool (or cold, depending on what you are used to), so pack accordingly. Daylight hours will be short, with sunset between 4:30 and 5:30 depending on the dates. Seasonal sites will be closed, and others may have shorter hours.

I don't want to discourage you by all this. We've visited Italy a couple of times in winter, and really enjoyed ourselves, but found it better to stick to the cities and larger towns which offer more indoor opportunities. Like most places with a similar climate, the countryside will look pretty bleak in January.

Central Florence has extensive areas (ZTL’s) where it’s not allowed to bring cars, so I can’t picture having a car there. On the other hand, the city bus system is extensive, and the historical center is relatively small and very walkable. And of course the city is a major train hub.

This is great info! Thank you! We know the days will be short and it's offseason but your advice is super helpful.

Hi, Agreed, no need to have a car in Florence or even to drive unless necessary. I've been to Florence several times in winter, even hiked 4 days along the Chianti Classico while it snowed lightly the first day, chilly but do-able. Sites will be open in Florence & larger towns for sure. Smaller restaurants in the countryside will likely be closed. LOTS to do in Florence, and if the weather is dreadful, you could easily spend a week in Florence exploring. KB wrote a fantastic report on her recent trip to Venice & Florence. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/florence-with-a-side-of-venice. This person had only a day to spend in Florence, but the ideas on what to do are great (and could easily take up many days). https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/7-hours-in-florence.
Personally, I loved Siena (worth a day & easy to get there by bus) & Volterra, (Etruscan ruins & medieval wall) while others rave about Lucca (not been). January 6th is Epiphany, a national holiday so many restaurants will be closed, churches open, not sure about museums.

For the major museums (Uffizi and Accademia), it’s probably a good idea to reserve in advance even for that time of year. There are also lots of smaller places to see great art that don’t require reservations, e.g., the Museo San Marco (Fra Angelico lived and worked there), the Bargello (a former prison, now a sculpture museum), Santa Croce, etc.

Day trips: Lucca and Siena are both wonderful in their own way. Closer to hand, I’ve also heard good things about Pistoia and Prato. Very close: you could take the city bus up to Fiesole.

hey hey paige
florence is a walkable city, i would not have a car there at all. too many uglies (ZTL zones=no entrance, parking fees can be outrageous and will probably be a ways from your place/hotel/apt, no parking at your place,
does your mom have anything special she wants to see or do, or she's leaving it all up to you?
where are you staying at and are you in an apartment? room to move around, kitchenette/fridge to cook some, take out and buy food/ drinks to have, washer/maybe a dryer or clothes tree to dry.
you're staying more than a few days to enjoy even though it's winter/cold time. dress warm and have fun
you can take taxis, no flagging pick up at taxi stand, or call them for pickup. always carry address of you place with you. i had a bad knee last time we were there and did you the taxi, so worth it and not that much to me. we use whatsapp.com for free calls
make a list of places you want to see and if they need reservations, book them ASAP, they are time stamped. it's nice to just roam around, stop at cafe for a drink and appetizers, people watch, eat gelato, take a tour somewhere. go to the central market, mercatocentrale.com so many restaurants, shops, cafes, cooking kitchen, bakeries. food from all over the world and italy.
educated-traveller.com/ wine windows of florence
take a walk through this area with the history of what these were about. sit and enjoy
tasteatlas.com/ bomboloni
famous sugared donuts and pastries in florence. pasticceria cucciolo on via del corso 25R
comeandseeitaly.com
click daily tours and then florence. tours from florence to where and what you want to do and see, then email or send inquiry for more info
eatwith.com
florence/firenze in search bar. click event types or look at all, lunch/dinners in residents home, cooking classes, food tours, tasting.
walksofitaly.com
click on florence and if something interests you
getyourguide.com
florence, click all the headers your have interests. maybe a street food tour, eco-friendly golf cart city tour
take an early morning train to lucca, walk the walled village, stop at the tourist kiosk in a plaza and see what is offered or check the sites mention and place town in search bar.
i like to break up my days, don't want toooooo much museum, church, architecture overload. fun to walk around the city center, window shopping, spend time in cute shops. we all have our own ideas and i go off the beaten track at times
tuscan-wine-tours.com
everyone travels differently, there is no wrong way or right way to visit. many places listed in forums, all over the world and USA, want to see the same places and it gets crowded/busy, so many people all want to get out of their cocoons they have been in for 2 1/2 years+, some to cross of bucket list some to be on instagram and other social media. i like slow travel.
enjoy your holiday with your mom and she'll love it.
aloha