My husband and I will be staying in Florence for the first time on Feb 24th & 25th (as part of our two-week trip to London, Paris & Rome). Although we're definitely going to visit Uffizi, we're not huge art buffs so that will probably be the only museum we see there (we'll be visiting the Louvre & Vatican during our trip also). We're heading to Rome on the 26th, so we'd love to be a little more low-key in Florence and maybe see some of the surrounding countryside. Would it be worthwhile to maybe rent some bicycles or a Vespa? Not sure about the logistics of that, such as the weather in February or how far we'd have to ride to actually see the countryside! lol We've also considered seeing Pisa, but we're not sure if it's worth the trip. If we heard that the train ride to Pisa was very scenic, we'd probably be more apt to do so. Any advice would be appreciated. Then again, maybe wandering around Florence for the 2 days would be plenty for us to do?
Posted by
St. Louis, MO USA
1976 posts
Hi Alicia. If you have only 2 days in Florence, I wouldn't burn a day or half a day going to Pisa; it isn't that interesting. There is plenty to do in Florence besides art. But if you'd like to take a daytrip, I recommend Lucca or Ravenna. Ravenna is a bit farther than Lucca but it has amazing Byzantine churches with gorgeous mosaics and Theodoric the Great's tomb is there - he was a 6th-century Gothic king, I believe. In Florence, there's lots of shopping and window-shopping - ceramics, leather goods, etc.; go up to the Piazzale Michelangelo for a great view of the whole city; walk across the Ponte Vecchio; go to the top of the Duomo or Campanile. If you like architecture, visit Santa Croce and the Pazzi Chapel, the Palazzo Vecchio, of course the Duomo and the Baptistry, San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella...the list goes on.
Posted by
OP
Pawtucket, RI, USA
32 posts
Thanks Sarah :) Sounds like we'll have plenty to do/explore in Florence alone. I was definitely leaning towards skipping Pisa (no pun intended, lol). Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Posted by
St. Louis, MO USA
1976 posts
Good one, Alicia! :) Glad I could help!
Posted by
Louisville, KY, USA
255 posts
You might take the bus up the hill to Fiesole and see the ancient Roman ruins and have a great view of Florence.
Posted by
Carbondale, IL, USA
1201 posts
There is no rule that says you have to go Florence. While smaller than your other big cities, it still feel too big to me. there are other smaller charming spots in Tuscany or Umbria that would be nice as well. Both Siena in Tuscany and Orvieto in Umbria are easy to get to on the train and quite lovely.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
The FAQ on this board will tell you how to research weather in Florence in February. Happy travels.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15585 posts
Maybe stay in Siena instead of Florence and day trip to Florence to see the Uffizi and whatever else. Siena is so different (and more scenic, I think) and more low-key.
Posted by
Orlando, Florida
676 posts
If you only go to the Uffizi you won't see David at the Accademia. Up to you, but I spent at least 30 min with him the first time :)