Where to stay in Florence?

Ideally, should we stay closer to the station. Are all the museums walking distance or do we need to take metro?

Thanks.

Rick's book has alot of suggestions ~ we are staying at the Residenza Il Villino

We stayed at the N4U Guest House in Florence (just got back last week from Italy). It was in a great location and very nicely decorated ( we had a Murano glass chandelier and mural painted ceiling in our Quad room!). The price was very reasonable for a quad --140E. Only downside is that it was on the 3rd floor with no lift.

I stayed at Hotel Aldobrandini(hotel-aldobrandini.com) not far from the main train station, near the Medici Chapel. It's pretty basic(one star), but clean, comfortable, and run by a nice family. This was in 2001 and it was listed in Rick's book; I don't know if it's still listed in his current edition, but I think I remember others on this site recommending it as well.

As for getting around, Florence is pretty walkable-but I didn't have a toddler with me when I went:) They don't have a metro,(unless they built one since 2001 which would be very impressive:)) just buses.

Have a great trip!

Hotel David! Just a great little hotel.

We stayed 4 nights (16-19 and 31 May) at the Dei Mori B&B and loved it. Everything was wonderful, location is great and Suzanne, Danny and Peter are fantastic!

There is no Metro in Florence, if, by that, you are seeking a subway. All of the sites are within walking distance of the train station.

We also stayed at Hotel Aldobrandini but wouldn't recommend it.

After happily staying in a variety of nice hotels, college dorms and a variety of pensions and hostels, my wife nearly revolted against staying here.

I asked her recently what it was she hated so much about the place. It wasn't the fact the beds were worn, towels were threadbare, or the shower was above the toilet. The part she hated was the cigarette smoke billowing under our door from the hotel owner's family down the hall. If I didn't know it was cigarette smoke, I would have checked the door for heat before opening it because it seemed like the place was on fire.

To be fair to Aldobrandini, we talked to many tourists while in Florence and almost no one was happy with their lodging either.

I agree with the recommendation for Hotel David. It is a wonderful hotel. It is a bit of a walk to the center of town, though. That just meant that I never felt guilty eating all that gelato from Grom!

This isn't widely known (you read it here first), but the Hotel David, recommended above, is where David actually stayed while he was posing for Michelangelo.

I hate to hear that about Aldobrandini:( That's a shame; it used to be a good deal for the money.

i loved the David, but I would not recommend it for only two nights with a small child. The bus that goes from the Ponte Vecchio to the hotel stops running pretty early, and it is a really healthy walk to all of the sights and it is clear on the other side of the city from the station.

I personally really loved the Dimora del Centro B&B. Perfect location - steps from the duomo and the uffizi/signoria area, as well as a short walk to the ponte vecchio and pretty much anywhere else. Lovely rooms and lovely hosts. I wouldn't consider staying anywhere else if I were to return again.

Soggiorno Battistero. Our window opened directly onto the Duomo. Soundproofed windows. Very central.

If you want Central Florence, its hard to beat either Albergio Firenzi or Pensione Maxim for the same money. We've stayed at both and liked them.

Hotel David seems like its way off the beaten path for someone with an 18 month old...

All of these sorts of questions should include what you want to spend. You can ALWAYS stay at a great place for 200 or more Euros a night.....

Soggiorno Battistero is a good place to stay and on the square with the Duomo. If it were just the 2 of you I would heartily recommend it. However, there is no lift and a significant number of stairs to climb. Might be difficult with a small child.

Right around the corner is another great place to stay....Residenza Giotto (next door to the Guccci shop). They have a lift and also a rooftop patio with amazing views. We stayed there our last trip and loved it.

Both places are very centrally located for touring Florence and about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the train station.

We recently stayed at the Hotel Maxim in Florence. It is one block from the Duomo and all the major sites are within easy walking distance. It is on the third & fourth floors but has a lift, it is very clean and has a nice breakfast. We would stay there again.

With a baby, I'd think it would be nice to have a kitchen and maybe a larger room? On our visit, we stayed at an excellent apartment, part of 3 that Sanseb Suites offers. It was literally right next to the Ponte Vecchio (we could see it out the window). The room was great and we were able to cook which was a nice change. Let me know if you want information about them! Also it was 100 euros/night - so reasonable!

I have stayed twice at the Il Salotto di Firenze. It is located in the main Piazza just in front of the Duomo and Baptistry. You don't get any more centrally located than this. Their rooms are wonderfully furnished and very comfortable, also very reasonably priced.

http://www.ilsalottodifirenze.it/en/index.php

Hotel il Bargellino has one ground floor double with bath that might work well for you. There are only a few stairs at the entrance, and it's away from the other rooms - sort of your own private space. The hotel is located in a quiet neighborhood not too far from the train station, and it has a large terrace where you can eat a picnic lunch or just relax. It's less central than some of the other places suggested and they don't provide breakfast or TV, but I've stayed there a few times and really enjoyed it. Carmel and Pino, the owners, are very nice and very helpful.