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Florence - questions (which tower to climb and skip the line)

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Hi - We will be in Florence in June. We are 2 adults and 2 kids (9 & 13). We are fairly active. We will be spending 4 days in Florence. Had a few questions:

  1. Is Firenze card worth it? We plan to do the cathedral, Uffuzi gallery, Accademia, Boboli Gardens, Palazzao Pitti, Santa Croce. Tried to read up on the card but it seems very confusing to figure out if we can get timed access to Uffuzi and Accademia.
  2. Which one to climb? The dome or Giotto Bell Tower. We are leaning towards the Giotto Bell tower as we can see the dome from there. If we buy the timed access to the Giotto tower, does it give us direct access to the cathedral or do we have to go back in line? On the other hand, if we buy timed access to the dome climb does it give us skip the line access to enter the Cathedral? We can also do a guided tour of the dome and I think that skips the line. It's at 3:15pm so will need to probably do the climb after that if we choose to go that route.
  3. Pisa and Lucca - We are not wine drinkers so we are skipping Tuscany region. We want to do Pisa from Florence and are thinking of taking the train to Pisa and on our way back potentially stopping at Lucca. Is this doable and how much time should one allocate? We are thinking of doing all this via train vs. bus or a guided tour.
Posted by
1230 posts

I will only speak to the Dome v Tower. We chose the Dome and loved it. Yo have a 180 degree view of Florence and beyond (because you walk around the top of the Dome). Plus, the hike up there passes directly under the ceiling of the Dome and the painting. Of note though, there are a few moments of the climb up (and down) that can feel claustrophobic if you have any issues with that. Yes you get skip the line entry into the Cathedral. Cover your shoulders and knees

We bought tickets for everything separately, no Firenze pass. I added up everything and separate entry was cheaper. Your kids are free, if I remember correctly. If that affects your choice (my kids were 9, 13, and 15 when we went)

Posted by
16660 posts

Is Firenze card worth it?

Neel, the Firenzecard is inactive right now - meaning it doesn't cover ANY attractions - and hasn't since COVID raised its ugly head, and there's no indication when it might become active again. Read the text on the front page of the card's website:

http://www.firenzecard.it/en

The duomo (other than the dome) is free so no tickets needed, although the line to get in could be long. You can buy a ticket that covers multiple attractions that make up the duomo's complex, though. If you want to climb the bell tower, you'll want the Giotto Pass; if you want to climb the dome AND bell tower, you want the Brunelleschi Pass. That one does require you to choose a specific time for the dome from the slots available. Click on the text for either, and read the info carefully:

https://operaduomofirenze.skiperformance.com/en/store#/en/buy

No, the Giotto Pass (for the bell tower) does not give you priority entrance to the cathedral; it's a separate structure. It also doesn't appear that the belltower is timed-entry, only the dome. The dome climb starts from a separate entry outside of the church, and ends at the same place; there's no access to the rest of the ground floor. I'm happy to be corrected if in error!

There is a combo ticket that covers the Uffizi, Pitti and Boboli; it's called a "PassePartout 5 Days": read about it here:
https://www.uffizi.it/en/pages/combined-ticket

That one also mandates that you choose a specific day and time slot for the Uffizi, and you must do that one FIRST

Your children will be free at most attractions but you'll need to read up on what's required as far as "free" tickets or timed-entry reservations for each one individually. As far as trip research goes, many things have changed since the pre-COVID years so don't risk using outdated info, OK? Go directly to the websites for the attractions themselves for the most current info.

Posted by
9294 posts

Totally agree the pandemic has altered worldwide travel. Check for up to date information about all
sights: opening and closing times, are their mask requirements?

Also word of advice for the females in the family. To enter the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore ( the Duomo) shoulders and knees need to be covered. Bring scarves as well. Leave flip flops at home.

You do NOT have to be wine drinkers to enjoy the Tuscany region of Italy. Heavens, I haven’t had wine since the gallon finger ringed jug of Gallo Red Mountain was introduced in 1962. Been to Tuscany 3 times.

Consider climbing Torre Della Ore instead of the more popular Torre Guinigi. Stellar view.

Also you can rent bikes to ride around the Lucca walls.

Posted by
27 posts

Thank you for the wonderful replies.

@jessica - we will skip the Giotto and do the Domo climb.

@kathy - thanks for the info on the Firenze card. I seemed to have missed it. Based on your recommendation, I will look into the "PassePartout 5 Days" pass. That would be a good fit and we will buy a timed entry to the Accademia separately.

@claudia - riding bikes is probably our best family activity. Didn't realize we can do that in Lucca. Will research.

Posted by
128 posts

We have climbed the Duomo and Giotto tower. Seeing the view from the Duomo and marveling at Brunelleschi's workmanship is far superior to the tower. There are also interesting things to see during the climb. Don't miss the Opera Duomo museum in Florence, it has amazing works of art and you learn a lot about the Baptistery doors and the building of the Duomo. As for Pisa and Lucca, you can see the main sites of Pisa in a few hours and then spend the rest of the day in Lucca. Using the train for Pisa and Lucca is very doable. Your kids will love riding bikes around the top of Lucca's intact walls. We spent three nights in Lucca and wish we had more. It is a fun city to explore on foot and the food is fabulous! You might want to do a day trip to Siena from Florence. It is easiest by bus and well worth it. Whatever you choose you will have a great time.

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