My family of 4 (two teenagers included) will be in Florence in mid June, and we are looking for recommendations for a fantastic guide.
We are most interested in an overview of Old Town.
Thanks for any ideas!!
Using RS guide recommendations, we booked with Paola Barubiani of www.walksinsideflorence.it. Her email is [email protected]. She was very helpful and we have an 18 yr old traveling with us. Their website and tour offerings is great!
Honestly, we did great on our own just using Rick Steves' Italy 2008 when we went 6 mos ago. I also have a Frommer's Italy. Saved us a chunk of change, too, to spend on gelato and Murano glass. :)
I highly recommend Flavia Beppi ++39 055 2476305 ...why? She loves her city, is extremely knowledgable (having passed the rigorous standards to become an officially licensed/recognized guide), and she is also very personable.
She has an expertise in teaching the history of the city, the art, the artists and the architecture...but she doesn't just spout facts...she lets the information unfold gradually...she's just brilliant.
She'll also provide practical tips for you to use during your stay in florence and she has a particular interest in making sure you can pronounce "important" words, names of artists, historical figures, etc., correctly in Italian.