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Help with planning 3 nights in Florence in June with kids

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Hello! We are a family of six (mom and dad, and 4 kids ages 10, 11, 13, and 16.

We will be traveling to Italy and Slovenia this summer. The itinerary follows:
5 nights Rome
3 nights Florence
2 nights agriturismo in Emilia Romagna
3 nights Bologna
2 nights Venice
4 nights Kobarid
5 nights Ljubljana

We are hitting the big 3 in Italy, but we really prefer places a little more off the beaten path, which explains the short stay in Venice.

We will be in Florence June 22-25, which means we will be there during the feast day of St. John the Baptist. We will arrive from Rome on the 22nd at 12:30 PM, and leave for Bologna by train at 10 AM on the 25th.

I am trying to organize our time in Florence. There are a few things that we definitely want to do.

*Day trip to Pisa and Castiglioncello. All my kids want to see the Leaning Tower in Pisa, and my 13 year old has requested beach time. This will take up a full day, and I was planning on doing it Thursday, the 23rd in hopes that the beach will be a bit less busy than on Friday.
*Walking tour (2 hours) evening of 22nd around city center
*Accademia
*Secret Passages tour in Palazzo Vecchio
*Climb something for a view over the city
*Watch fireworks the night of June 24th
*Shopping and eating

I also have a huge list of things that would be nice to do, like the Leonardo Museum, the Boboli gardens, Uffizi, Museo San Marco, etc. but are not a necessity.
My tentative plan follows:

June 22- 12:30- Arrive, check into Airbnb. May have to store luggage if we cannot check in before 3.
Visit Accademia around 4
Walking tour at 6:00 PM

June 23- Train to Castiglioncello- Spend day at beach. Stop at Pisa on the way back to Florence.

June 24- There is supposed to be a farmers market in Piazza Tasso every Friday, which is right by our Airbnb. May visit that in the morning. Secret Passages tour in Palazzo Vecchio. Climb something. Shopping. Watch fireworks.

June 25- Sleep in a bit and check out. Catch train at 10 AM.

I am a bit concerned that the city will be absolutely packed because of the feast day. I know there will also be some closures, including the dome climb. If anyone has suggestions on organizing our time or experience with June 24th, I would love to hear it. Also, what should we climb? Thanks!

Posted by
4655 posts

This doesn't answer your question, but have you considered the Science Museum?

Posted by
9 posts

Hmm, the Museo Galileo? I am open to recommendations, we love science museums.

Posted by
4105 posts

For a view, look at Forte Belvedere in the Boboli Gardens.

Viareggio (beach town) is closer to both Florence and Pisa. Might save you some transit time.

Posted by
16660 posts

Do San Miniato and Piazzale Michelangelo for your "climb something". The church is free, very old, and very important to Florence, and the view from there and the piazzale below is wonderful. Take a swing through the church cemetery too. If still there, rest your heels at an outdoor cafe; there were a couple, as I recall, and we enjoyed the view at one of them over an adult beverage or two (although they'll have something for the young folks too).

https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-churches/san-miniato.html
https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-monuments/piazzale-michelangelo.html

You and your children may find this museum interesting?
https://www.museodeglinnocenti.it/en/

Posted by
276 posts

It's been a while, but when I studied abroad in Florence my roommate and I used to head to Viareggio for the afternoon. It's a quick and easy train ride, and the station is an easy walk from the beach. I've never been to Castiglioncello.

If you're concerned about crowds in Florence on the 24th, would you maybe consider flopping your days so that you do your beach/Pisa day then? I have no idea what the crowd level will actually be like, but seems to me that if you're not interested in any of the festivities in Florence, you may as well be out of the city then. You'd still be back in time for fireworks.

I'm too claustrophobic to climb the Dome, so I've only ever climbed the bell tower. I really enjoy it because you can also see the Dome from the top. But I also second the recommendation for San Miniato and Piazzale Michelangelo - they aren't really "climbs" per se, but they do allow you to get up above the city.

Make sure you reserve tickets for the Accademia ahead of time.

And have a great trip!

Posted by
9 posts

Thank you for all the suggestions. We will definitely walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato!

Perhaps switching the day trip day would be a good idea. I do want to figure things out so I can book the Accademia within the next couple of days. Last time we were in Florence (without our kids) we visited both the Uffizi and Accademia at night when they were open late. It was fantastic. Are there any rumors that the late night openings will return?

Thanks for the Viareggio recommendation. My daughter really wants to visit a little fishing village like the one in the Disney movie Luca. The town in the movie was based on the towns in the Cinque Terre, but I am absolutely not going to venture there this summer. I think it will be way overcrowded. Castiglioncello is no Cinque Terre, I’m sure, but it does seem to be small and picturesque. It is hard to find much information on it, but maybe that will be for the best!

Thanks again!

Posted by
9 posts

Those photos are of Castiglioncello look beautiful Gerri, thanks for sharing the link.

I decided to book the Accademia for Thursday and tentatively plan the trip to Pisa and Castiglioncello on Friday. If everyone is having a good time in Florence, we could skip the beach. Thanks for the input!

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