Please sign in to post.

Florence—newbie questions

Posted by on

Hi, newbie Italy traveler here. I’m a solo female traveler going to Florence for the first time in August for a few days. I have a few quick questions:

  1. I’ll stay in an airb&b. Suggested neighborhoods that are safe and fun, with lots of character? If it’s helpful, I adore Le Marais in Paris.

  2. How do I get from the train station to my lodging? Taxi? How do I go about securing a taxi? And the same if I have an early (6:30 a.m.) flight? How do I get from my lodging to the Florence airport super early in the morning? How would I secure a taxi?

Thanks so much!

Posted by
308 posts

Ive been to Florence as a solo female, it's perfectly safe. I recommend Oltrarno area. It's got a more local feel and has some more traditional Italian stores such as jewelers and leather makers. For getting to your Airbnb, it's better to ask your host after you've booked. (Oltrarno btw is about 15 min brisk walk) Could be totally walkable from the station. Your host can also arrange taxi for you to the airport. Otherwise you can download the mytaxi app. It's similar to Uber but it's for licensed taxis. Uber is not so big here.

Posted by
639 posts

I traveled to Florence October 2018 as a solo female. I stayed in the Sant Ambrogio neighborhood, but I think most anywhere would be safe. It was close enough to the main tourist sites, but far enough away to be nice and quiet at night. From the train station, just go to the taxi stand, get in line and wait for the next available one. There can be a line that seems daunting, but it moves pretty fast. Sorry, I haven't traveled to/from the Florence airport, so can't help you there. When I have to be at an airport early in the morning for a flight, I usually stay at a hotel near the airport the night before. I believe there's a tram now between the train station and the airport.

Posted by
16187 posts

Florence City Center is safe anywhere. Oltrarno (south of river) is a bit quieter.
Taxi cabs can be secured by going to a taxi stand or by calling one. Hailing taxi cabs is not a practice in Italy, if you see one drive by its because they are going to pick up someone.
To and from airport take a taxi. It’s only about 15-20 min from anywhere downtown. The airport is so close you can hear the planes from your room, so no need to move closer.
For a 6:30am flight you can be there at 5:30. The airport is ridiculously small for a city that size visited by 12 million people a year.

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.