How Many days in Florence?

Husband and I were in Florence 2 years ago for about 4 days and found it was not nearly enough, but then, we are museum nuts and he's an artist, so he was in hog heaven.
Were it me, I'd do 2 days.

If you're asking about how many day trips to make in and out then I would plan one single, well-organized day. Going to and from Siena for multiple days seems a hassle. If you were staying overnight, then I recommend two days.

I'd say 2 days, 1 night is sufficient. We were just there for 3 days and nights, and the time may have been better spent elsewhere.

Certainly give yourself enough time to go to Uffizi and Accademia (figure 3-6 hours total for that), plus a day to wander around and learn the city a little.

(FYI - don't bother with the Bargello - Donatello's David is being restored and is unimpressive laying face-down as they scrape it)

I would disagree about the Bargello. The building itself, the sculpture and artwork, even given that David is now face down, are marvelous. We wish we'd had more time there. Perhaps you have read elsewhere, but, whatever you do, do not drive to Florence. We drove from where we were staying in a villa near Castellina, spent tons of time trying to find a legal spot, then time trying to figure out the pay system. And now I read that you get photographed and fined for driving through off-limits neighborhoods. Getting there by public transportation or hiring a driver would be far preferable for a day in Florence. Or better yet, spend one night in Florence. It kind of depends, too, on your main interest in the trip. If it is exploring hill towns, then focus on that, but for the art, I would recommend two days in Florence.

Two days in Florence ought to cover it (we spent 5 hours in the Uffizi Galleries without seeing it all, and I'll be damned if I can tell one Madonna portrait from another as a result of museum overload). You can allocate one day for each side of the Arno and have enough religious experiences for a lifetime.

We were in Italy in April. We took the train from Cortona to Florence and spent the day. It was more then enough for me. We had time to see David walk around town, visit other sites, museums etc. I was not impressed. I know several people believe Florence is just great but I didn't care for it. Everything is very concentrated and there are LOTS of people. And it was the only time on the entire trip when I felt I needed to watch my wallet. And we spent time in Rome, Siena, Venice, and several hill towns.

Ive also taken day trips to Florence from Siena with different friends and 1 full day is enough for me.Visit David,the markets,along the river.

We just spent 2 days (2 nights) in Florence and it was not enough. The Bargello was amazing, if only for the close up look at a medieval fortress, and seeing the David being restored was very interesting. The Duomo museum is very well done - don't miss it, or the Uffizi and Accademia. San Marco was also wonderful, if only for the chance to see how the monks really lived. The view from the Dome is fantastic, and we loved Santa Maria Novella. The San Lorenzo market is fun and a great place for affordable gifts to bring home. My husband had no background in art history, and was a bit overwhelmed at first, but he loved it and it paid off later in Tuscany when he was able to make some sense out of and truly appreciate the art we saw there.

I should know this...but whats the bargello?

The Bargello is a small museum with a great sculpture collection (Donatello, Michaelangelo, and others) housed in a medieval police station. Amazing sculpture and a cool fortress -- two for the price of one! In the courtyard you can really feel yourself stepping back in time. It closes at 1:50pm, so you have to plan ahead. We went straight there as soon as we arrived in Florence, and boy were we glad.

My wife and I spent 8 nights in Florence and loved every minute of it. We are planning to go back for another 5 nights. The Bargello Museum is a great museum that has wonderful sculptures, and even "David" on it's side was fantastic to see. Florence is not a city to be rushed through and is a perfect walking city. Another great, underappreciated museum is the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Duomo Museum), located right behind the Duomo. It contains a Michaelangelo Pieta, plus Donatello and Ghiberti pieces and many other great works.