Family of 8 adults planning to spend 3 nights in or near Florence, no Car.
Should we rent a flat in Florence? Or stay at a nearby town? Hoping to have a day trip to Pisa.
Generally not fussy but prefer not to stay in a big city. Haven't been to Italy in 21 years so I've no idea!
Thank you!
Denise in Colorado
Denise,
I'd suggest staying in Florence, as that will provide a lot more to do, especially in the evenings. There are also lots of nice restaurants there, and being in town you'll be able to maximize your sightseeing opportunities in the city.
Hi Denise,
I agree with Ken. Staying in Florence would be closer to all activities and you wouldn't have to worry about public transportation in the outskirts of town and going back home at night. Try searching on Airbnb for a nice large apartment and use the map to find a location you think would suit you. Maybe stay across the Arno River and still be close to the center. Good luck. I'm going next June 2017.
With no car and with plans to visit Pisa or other Tuscan towns, Florence is the only place you should consider staying.
If you find an apartment in the Oltrarno (south of river Arno), it will be slightly less crowded and give you more the feeling of a smaller town.
The corridors in blue are crowded. Stay away if you suffer from agoraphobia.
We spent a long weekend in Florence and then picked up a rental car and headed 1/2 hour south to an Agriturismo.
Why don't you guys do the same thing and rent a couple of cars? It's just so easy to get up close and personal with the people of Tuscany via automobile. It's just not very efficient to travel the region without some wheels.
The roads in the area are easily driven and they're very well paved.
Shoot, with 8 adults splitting the costs, I'd be staying in a big villa (with a cook) the whole time in Tuscany.
Firenze makes a great base.
There are lots of apartment listings on other sites than airb&b; not sure how airb&b does billing, but other sites, like booking.com, don't bill your credit card until you get there, so your money isn't tied up for months. Some properties may require a deposit, others don't. Reviews are only done by guests after their stay.
Full disclosure, I have never been to Italy; but I have been reading a lot about it since my wife and I plan to go this spring.
One possibility you could look into is staying in Fiesole, just outside Florence. Apparently it is pretty nice in itself, only a few minutes from Florence by bus, and a lot quieter and less busy than Florence.
Thank you everyone for the great ideas! Now I have my homework to do. Roberto, thanks for the map. It was helpful to have a visual.
Denise
I would definitely stay in Florence. There is so much to see and I think it would be difficult to get everyone on the same time schedule each day. If you stay in the city, everyone can be on their own schedule and you just set up a place to meet at a particular time.
Hello Denise
I am going with the majority here also...stay in Firenze. There is so much to see and do that there will be options for everyone. There are bus and train connections to most of the region in Firenze. Pisa and Lucca are on the main line 1.5 hrs from SMN station. You could easily jump on a bus and go to Siena from Firenze also or just enjoy the fabulous city. We stayed in a convent in Firenze 2 years ago and it was beautiful, especially at night.
Another vote for Florence. With only 3 nights, you won't have a lot of time for day trips outside the city but it's the best hub for doing that, should you decide to. Locating in the city will also make it easier for your group of 8 to split up to satisfy individual sightseeing interests, and also place you within a reasonably short distance of your accommodation should you need/want to return to it midday for a break, a forgotten item, etc.
The central historic district of Florence is relatively compact, and didn't feel like a 'big city' to us at all.
Denise,
Yes, definitely, base your group in Florence. As close to the historic center as you can afford.
My last visit to Florence, we rented a 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment next to the Medici Chapel for less than 2 lower-end ensuite hotel rooms in the historic center. You should have no problems finding a suitable apartment for the eight of you - just start looking at the sites (my favorite sites are TripAdvisor and HolidayLettings).
