Ticket booking for museums in Florence

Florence has a reservation system for its top 5 sites. Your friend can probably get reservations for the Accademia (The David) within a few days after he is already there. However, he should reserve ahead for the Uffizi. If he has not yet booked his hotel, the simplest solution is: when he books his hotel room, ask the hotelier to get him a time. If that's not feasible, he can reserve a time on his own, it's easy if you can get through to the often busy reservation line. Dial 01139055294883 during office hours, which are Mon - Friday 830 to 1830 Italian time. With the help of an English-speaking operator, he will get an entry slot, which is a 15 minute window, and a 6 digit confirmation number. On the reserved day, he should go to the museum 10 minutes before the appointed time and will be able to skip the line and go to the special ticket office marked #3 for those with reservations, labeled in English "entrance for reservations only."

If your friend wants to visit lots of museums he might want to buy a Uffizi Museum pass. Good for entrance to Uffizi Gallery and the State Museums in Florence (Accademia, Palazzo Pitti, Boboli gardens, Bargello, San Marco and several others). 60 euros for an individual pass good for one year. With the pass you can go to the head of the line, enter as often as you like for short periods of time if you wish. They say that only 4 people with passes are admitted every 15 minutes, but the reality is they just wave you in even in summer's high traffic times. Go to: http://www.amicidegliuffizi.it/soci_engl.html Also check out www.slowtrav.com

We took our hotel up on the offer at the bottom of their faxed comformation: "If we can assist you any other way please let us know" We faxed them back our desires for reservations at the museums we wewre interested in and they will be waiting at the desk when we check in.

I would do it. Its worth paying the small reservation fees rather than worrying about not getitng in.