Florence - March

Hi Carolyn; I think it is best if you do a tour of Florence, especially if you want to see David, as the tours get you inside more quickly than without a tour. There are half day bus/walking tours that originate near the SMN train station. Then you can at leisure go back and see the things of interest. If I were going to one, I definitely would go to Sienna versus Pisa or Lucca. There is a package you can buy to see the Duomo, the Museum and Baptistry in Sienna. You can get these tickets at the back of the church by the Baptistry. There are no words to describe these buildings and what is inside them! The square in Sienna is not to be missed. It was built by the Romans. Lucca is a beautiful city, undamaged during the war, I think is less touristy than most other cities.
Pisa is very commercial and has a funny air about it. Outside the gates to the Field of Dreams are signs saying there is a large fine for buying knock off items, like watches etc, but there are many people selling then out of brief cases!!! The whole thing has a medieval fair feel to it. Enjoy Vic

Thank Vic, Think I will do Sienna, many people have been telling me this. There is also a Best of Tuscany Tour which is from 8:30a to 8:30 p. It is a bit expensive but I think I would see so much... There is also a tour: Florence in one day, includes 3 tours: Walking tour thru historical centre, The Academy Gallery and the Uffizi Gallery. I was thinking of this one for Florence. but there is also a Vasarian Corridor and the Uffozo Gallery which seems to be very extensive and goes places not usually available to person individually. I am not so sure about this one. thanks so much for your advice. c.

<You can get these tickets at the back of the church by the Baptistry. > at the Baptistry in Florence? Are there more than one Baptistry? Or would I go to Sienna and find the tour there at the Baptistry? It is obvious I am a clutz and a nerd with all this. but I am trying to learn and I really appreciate all the help...

Another thing to consider would be simply getting a tour for the Uffizi. I don't know that you would need anything more than a reservation for the Accademia, it's rather small. The Uffizi can be quite intimidating and large. I didn't have a guide and still enjoyed it however. The cafe in the Uffizi affords some great views and has pretty good coffee/sandwiches for a museum. If you are only going to Siena for the day from Florence, take a bus. It will save you a bus/cab ride into town. I second the sentiment on Lucca, pretty city withouth the throngs of tourists. Very laid-back. Rent a bike and enjoy the views :) We skipped Pisa as it were.

Yup, there is a ticket booth in Sienna close to the Baptistry to tour the Church in Sienna the Baptistry in Sienna, and a museum in Sienna, but I forget exactly where it is!

oh, ok, so I could just take a bus to Sienna and then in Sienna I can find a tour to see everything if I want. got it. thanks so much guys!

Every Tuscan Duomo that I am familiar with has a separate Baptistry. If you get to Pisa the one near the leaning tower is great. Of course, in Florence its one of the main attractions.

We were in Florence for 4 days Nov of 09, We had museum tickets. However while we were there there was almost no line. We quickly learned if we got there early ask if we could get in early. They usually did let us in. In March you may have similar experiences. We didn't take tours of the museums there but got stuck behind them a few times. And been on tours at other places. In tours you will be given a lot more information. And hear rather lengthy lectures in front of ed works of art. You'll miss that if you go solo. But solo, if you see a painting catches your eye; you'll be free to go for a closer look. Not have to wait during the lecture on a work or artist you're not that interested in. And if you have 4 or 5 tours. Have to hear basically the same lecture for the 3rd time. (That happened to me in Germany.) Some prefer tours. Some solo. Only you can decide which is for you. I'm one who makes fun of the umbrellas. The day tour to Tuscany? Is that the one available through Viators? To Siena, a vinyard, San Gimignano and Pisa? If so. We took it. (I followed the umbrella that day.) If my memory is correct it goes by a different name in Italy. Don't wait for an exact match of names. We enjoyed the tour. The vinyard lunch was nice but I would have preferred more time in Siena or San G. And though we all need to go to Pisa once. I paid the dues. No need to return. Other things we enjoyed. Took a cooking class in Florence one evening. Loved it. There's great balsamic and chianti everywhere. Medici chapel and Boboli Gardens were high points. With 7 days I'd take an extra day trip or two, Perhaps CT.
Have fun.

In Florence we took ArtViva's combined walking tour of the old city area around the piazza, the Uffizi tour and the David tour as a package and they were all fantastic, especially the city tour...they covered lots of nooks and crannies and explained how Florence worked way back when with guilds etc. The Uffizi and David tours were also terrific. I highly recommend them. Just google ArtViva. Buona giornata! Bob

Carolyn, I travelled with an RS tour and then on my own last May and loved both modes of travel. A tour will give you a lot of information in a short period of time but be prepared to stand and listen for long periods. That to me was the drawback of a tour. If your guide is good, he/she will take a clue when the subject is boring or is stretched too long. Another activity I did out of Florence was, I took a trip on my own to Greve in Chianti and enjoyed a lovely vineyard tour with lunch at Verrazzano winery. I went to the bus station (just to the left of the train station if you are facing it), booked a ticket to Greve. I met a wonderful couple from California and we shared a delicious lunch with wine pairings at the winery with three other couples. It was a great way to leave Florence - the next day I flew out - back to Seattle. Happy travels. Ciao Linda!

As you are going in March you don't need to worry about lines if that is your motivation for a tour. We were there in March 2009 and after arriving at our hotel around 3pm went to the Ufizzi without any reserved tickets and waited about 15 mins. to get in. The next day we went to Academia and the line was even shorter. We saw David and pretty much everything on our own. As others have suggested, a tour will give you lots of info, but solo will allow you to linger over what interests you and pass by what does not. We prefer solo. Do you plan to spend any nights away from Florence or only do day trips? Siena is a great place to spend a couple of nights as Il Campo, the Duomo, Duomo Museum, and Baptistry are all worth some time, and you can do a day trip to San Gimignano from there. Pisa is a good day trip from Florence, one which we passed on as we wanted to spend more time in Florence. While in Florence be sure to take the bus up to Piazzale Michelangelo for the great views of the city and you can also take a short walk and visit San Mineato Church from there. Enjoy your trip!