Hello! I purchased Firenze Cards for my fiance and me to use during the Florence portion of our honeymoon (10/1-10/18) in Italy, but I am confused about how to make a reservation to climb the Duomo. I checked the RS Italy guidebook and read that you can purchase the combo-ticket for all of the Duomo sights and make a reservation to climb the dome at www.museumflorence.com. But I also read that you can present the Firenze Card to the ticket office and obtain a free combo-ticket and (if it is not too busy) reserve a time for the climb. Does anyone know if there is a way to make the reservation to climb in advance without having to purchase the combo-ticket, either by entering the Firenze Card # or calling the office?
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16695 posts
Lauren, unfortunately the only way to use the Firenzecard to make a reservation for the dome is to do it when you get to Florence. From the Firenzecard FAQ:
http://www.firenzecard.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20&lang=en&Itemid=119
"PLEASE NOTE: THE ACCESS TO CUPOLA IS NOT GUARANTEED AND THE RESERVATION IS COMPULSORY."
"You don't need to make any reservations with Firenzecard, except for the Dome (Cupola). For the Dome (Cupola)the booking is required - you have to make it at the ticket office in piazza San Giovanni 7 after the collection of the free ticket. Firenzecard lets you visit the museums when you want to and you enter directly into the museums through the reserved entrances. Just go to the priority access following the “Firenzecard” signs and show your "physical" or "digital" card to the staff of the museums. In case of digital Firenzecard, you have to enter the "Museums" section of the App Firenzecard, choose the museum you want to visit and click on "start the visit" to obtain your digital ticket.
"If you want to use your Firenzecard, you can’t book the Cupola climb ahead of time online, but you have to make your reservation once you are in Florence at the ticket office in piazza San Giovanni 7, after the collection of the Grande museo del Duomo free ticket. The reservation can be made for the day you find availability. It is possible to monitor the reservation timetable for the Cupola at the following link: http://en.grandemuseodelduomo.waf.it/museo_dett.php?idtour=8484 (by clicking on "See dome schedule"-). PLEASE NOTE that, if you have not activated your Firenzecard yet with the first entrance in a museum of the Firenzecard circuit, the collection of the Grande museo del Duomo free ticket is considered to be "first entrance" and your Firenzecard will be activated (for the following 72hours).The Grande museo del Duomo free ticket is necessary in order to have access to the Grande museo del Duomo monuments, whose entrances have turnstiles. The Grande museo del Duomo free ticket can be used within 6 days from its collection; it is valid for 72 hours, starting from the first access through the turnstiles (Cupola included).
That section on the card being activated when you collect a Grande museo del Duomo free ticket is important depending on how long you will be in Florence. As you must have that ticket it to make a reservation for the dome, the clock starts ticking on your 72 hours the minute you pick it up, even if the first available opening for the dome is more than 72 hours from that time.
Posted by
OP
9 posts
Kathy, thank you so much for your help! That explains it perfectly. Take care!
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16695 posts
You're welcome! I added a little to the very end of that post so take another glance? The ticket-collection thing has tripped some folks up and their cards have run out before seeing everything they wanted to of the duomo complex.
Enjoy lovely Florence, and congrats on your upcoming nuptials! :O)