single woman traveling to Florence ~ where to stay/meet other travelers

I've stayed at the Archi Rossi Hostel on all 3 of my visits to Florence. You might still be able to snag a private room there, even with a shared bath it's worth it. If you have a choice, choose a room in the annexe. Book through their website. People of all ages stay there, and there's lots of opportunity to meet them at breakfast and especially in the evening when everyone's just hanging out. They also have 2 free morning walking tours that are excellent, and again you'll be mingling as you go along. I've never stayed at other hostels but some of the youngsters there told me that it's about the best one in Italy. And talk to people. I spent a great day with a couple I started talking with while we were waiting in line at the Academia.

Any Florentine will tell you, that if you want to see somebody that you've lost contact with for a long time, just stand at the intersection of via Calzaiuoli and via degli Speziali (or via del Corso), and within a few days you'll see that long lost acquaintance. Just stand there, and every person visiting Florence will walk through that intersection at least once during their stay.

I love your comment as well Roberto! It makes me smile. Thanks, Chani, for your suggestion. I'm afraid there is no single room available. Also, I've been doing some research today and feel a bit dissuaded by what I've read, namely that Florence is unbearably hot in August. I have been in Edinburgh for over a week and the crowds are big here with the festival going on. I could really use a more serene environment. If I do go to Tuscany/Florence, am thinking about beginning in Lucca instead. Those of you have been to the area -- if I wanted to do a tour of Tuscany, is it do-able on public transport? Would you stay in one place and travel around or split it up and stay in different places? Thank you!

I stay 3-4 nights in each town and do day trips from my base. I absolutely love Lucca. Was there three nights last year for my birthday. Did a cooking class that was wonderful. Lucca is one of my favorite cities in Italy. If you need hotel recommendations, just private message me.
Karren

We have gone on trips and traveled all around Tuscany/Umbria using just the train. So it is very doable. At the base of hilltowns you can catch a bus to the top. It is more limited than the flexibility you get with a car, but still possible and in some ways more convenient since you don't have to find parking for your car at your base city and don't worry about expensive ZTL tickets. I'd recommend staying in one place (assuming your stay is a week or less) and traveling around. At larger cities they have the bigger ticket machines that look like an ATM that have an english menu and let you see the train schedule, buy tix, etc. Smaller towns (at least as of 2 years ago) tend to have smaller machines that are more limited. Here is a link showing both: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/trains/tickets.htm It would be a convenience to have a wifi tablet of some kind to view train schedules from the comfort of your hotel, but we've done fine without one. There seems to be a big regional bus system as well, but the online info is in Italian (which we don't speak) so we didn't use them. Probably at the TI offices they could help you out.

Day tours put you in immediate contact with a group of people to talk to, although without the defined purpose (or determined clientele) of a singles bar. Walking tours are especially good because you can chat while you stroll.

I've found that one of the best place for me to meet other travelers is staying in convents, eg, at breakfast, or in the garden or sitting room at the end of the day. I find folks are much more likely to chat than in the more formal settings of hotels. Also, you'll find lots of women traveling alone or in pairs. I've stayed in a couple of convents in Florence; I'm blanking right now on the name of the one I like best, but it's on Borgo Pinti, and I think it's listed in the RS guidebook. However, you need to be willing to live with a curfew (usually 10 or 11,which is no problem for me), no English spoken, no TV/phone/concierge/etc, and the expectation of relatively quiet decorum, since it is the sister's home.

Betsy, I came across the contact info for the convent I mentioned in Florence. Even if you're not into cities, Florence is amazingly beautiful; you might want to check out some photos on line. If you go, walk up to San Miniato al Monte for sunset... stunning. The convent is about 3 blocks from the Duomo, and half way between Santa Croce and the Accademia/David. Easy walks. I've stayed twice, paying 45-50 E for a single room with breakfast. Simple rooms, and spotlessly clean. It's on a major street, but a 1 lane area, so it's quiet. It has a nice garden in back, and lovely sitting rooms. Suore Oblate dell'Assunzione Via Borgo Pinti 15; Firenze, Italy
tel: 39 05 52 48 05 82 [email protected] On my last visit to Assisi, I had a single room at Camere Annalisa Martini, about 1 block from the main square, for 25 E/night (shared bathroom, no breakfast). You'll find their contact info on the internet and I think it's also in RS guidebook. It's an early 20th-C building behind a house that's hundreds of years old (where the family lives). The adult daughter who runs the place speaks Engilsh; her mother doesn't but is a lovely caring person. I stayed a week and will definitely go back. Re decor, think of a grandmother's house. Everything was clean. It was also very quiet. If you go there, get really detailed directions (or use mappy.com), or have a taxi take you there the first time; these are tiny, winding, hilly, walking "streets," without a lot of street signs and no "grid." Without the taxi taking me there the first time, I think it could have been a long "wander" dragging my luggage.

One add on, I just noticed your mention of needing reliable wifi. I wouldn't stay in convents, monasteries, or even the small family hotels that RS features, if wifi is crucial. With the simple hotels I use, I've found wifi is, at best, available in certain spots in the lobby, when all is well. I've not seen it in convents/monsteries or any of the B&Bs I've used in Europe. This fall I'll be starting a trip with a group, in 4-star hotels (which will be a first for me in Europe) in Rome/Florence/Milan, and even one of those 4-star hotels only has wifi in the lobby. So if wifi is crucial, you want to research that VERY CAREFULLY. As another option, someone mentioned that you can purchase portable hot spots that you take with you so you always have reliable wifi. I have no idea how that works, but it might be worth looking into.

Thank you so much, Roberto, Chani, Karren, John, Bob (private message), Southam and Sherry for all of your contributions. Traveling solo, especially making plans at the last minute as I am, can feel really isolating but you all have helped me feel supported and less alone. After 2-days of looking I found a B&B in Lucca as a starting point for 3 nights. I just gave in to paying more for a room with a private bath that is well-located in the city center. Since breakfast is included I'm hoping I'll meet others this way and/or through a walking tour or serendipity, which I am relying on. :) I have looked into monastery stays and there is one available after my Lucca stay which is one mile's walking distance from Florence. (I love to walk, I just like to be well located). I need to have reliable wifi because I host a radio show online and see clients by Skype. Does anyone know if you can rely on the monastery when it says yes, they have wifi in the rooms? Another idea (Plan B) would be to bypass Florence for now and go from Lucca to Chianti. I am not as into big cities right now as I am natural beauty. Also I've heard that Florence is super hot right now. The monastery in San Gimignano is fully booked, but what do you think about finding a B&B near Chianti, staying there for a few days and touring the Siena area as well? From there I would like to go to Assisi and Umbria. I am not pressed for time but I do need to have transport from San Gimignano/Siena area to Assisi. It looks like this may be a bus ride? Any comments/suggestions on these potential plans, I would appreciate! Thanks so much for your time and input,
Betsy

I am not as into big cities right now as I am natural beauty. Then skip Florence. It's all about art. If that's not what you're looking for right now, then anywhere else will give you as much as Florence, quite possibly much more.

I'm curious now, Betsy. What is your radio show?

Sherry, thank you SO much for your detailed recommendations. I am very grateful! Most people on this thread have been talking about staying in mostly one place while exploring Tuscany and Florence, so this is why I'm still thinking about staying in Florence if I can find a suitable accommodation. And thanks for the heads up on wifi! I will look into the purchase of portable hotspots interesting. At my Edinburgh flat, I've been purchasing wifi daily through the local wifi company. It's worked fine mostly, although it did cut out during my radio show which was not fun. I had to log back in but my producer handled the lapse beautifully. I've also thought about going to another hotel just Monday's to work with clients and do my show. An big expense but it may be what I'll have to do. This would be a good reason to stay in Florence as I imagine that in the smaller towns hotels with reliable wifi may be less available. Anyway, I push on tomorrow ... flying into Pisa and then train to Lucca for 3 days. With huge appreciation,
Betsy

Again thanks to everyone for helping me along the way here. It makes a big difference for me to have the support! I am practicing feeling the fear and doing it anyway. :) Betsy

I meant Sarah, sorry! :)