Florence, Italy

Take a walk on the surrounding hills of Florence. The view is astonishing, the roads pretty and rural, and you may encounter old castles, churches, and local people to talk with. Many people also visit a copy of David statue on the hills - you get there by local bus just as well. The crowd of tourists is not necessarily what you want though.

For budget travellers, there is a camping village (Camping Michelangelo) near the copy of the statue of David up on the hills of Florence. It costs a nickel, may have space even on the same day, and has a pretty view over town. A solitary traveller may have to share a tent.

A few streets at the center of the city turn into a chaotic market during daytime. Avoid those streets unless you're into crowds and particularly the eager sellers who try to sell you cheap "genuine" leather. They use the old trick of burning the surface of a jacket in order to "prove" the authenticity of the material.

There is a spot Gustavino, near the Piazza Santa Maria (sp?), that I remember as being one of the coolest wine bars around, on top of having some of the best food I tasted in Florence. The music and overall atmosphere are pretty top-notch, very modern place.

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When traveling to Florence, make time to do something besides just the regular tourist attractions! Ride a Vespa, go to a concert, go horseback riding in Tuscany..try something different! It's worth it!

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Go there during spring, not during the busy summer-fall time. We went there in March and it was so warm - 20 degrees celsius at best and really sunny all the time. And not crowded at all.

Try out the small restaurated villa called Residenza Castiglioni with perfect location. Beautiful rooms with frescoes on the walls!

A bit too big a city for my liking. The narrow streets are packed with noisy scooters and tourists wandering from one sight to another. The sights themselves are great, likewise the quieter tuscanian hills on the other side of the Arno river.

If you don't have a reservation, it seems the best time to get in to see David is mid to late afternoon.

Do not miss a visit inside the cathedral up the dome to see the roof paintings

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Don't miss the experience to hire a Cruiser Bike to discover Florence on your own! See Florence by bike...the best way to see the city!

SAFETY: All our Cruiser Bicycles have V-brakes to stop quickly and multiple speeds to choose your level of pedal-pushing effort.

FREE OF CHARGE: Bicycles are rented with locks, maps and helmets use them!

CHILDREN: We have children’s bikes as well as baby bike chairs for our visiting families.

SPECIAL OFFER: Pay for 3 and the 4TH is FREE

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The queue to get in to Uffizi is going to be loooooong. One piece of advice: buy your ticket in advance!
Uffizi's collection of Italian renaissance art is worth seeing. There you can see Botticellis, da Vincis, Michelangelos, Caravaggios, etc...

Good place for getting tips on the vinyards in the area. Their tourist info is the best I've ever visited - really helpful and friendly service.
The town itself is nothing special, but a good place to stop for a cup of coffee or to buy a box of Chianti wine.

Ponte Vecchio bridge is as touristy as it gets. But still, it's a distinctive landmark worth seeing. Building houses and shops in a bridge is something I haven't seen elsewhere. Also, Ponte Vecchio is the easiest route across the Arno river. :-P

I chose not to go inside the dome but instead climbed the 414 stairs up to the adjacent campanile (tower). The view over Florence and the piazza was great, especially towards the river! So I'd say: rather go to the tower than the dome.

If you have enough energy for some walking, go across river Arno and through Boboll garden up the hill to reach the fortress. On a sunny day the walk is very, not least because you get a chance to avoid the tourist masses of Florence centre for a while!

One of the must-see Louvre-class galleries. I learnt a lot about Italian art, from Botticelli, Michelangelo and many more. And seems like these pieces of art are mentioned or reproduced in many ways and forms in the western culture.

Could this be the most perfect museum in the whole Europe? To completely avoid queuing, just get there in wintertime :)

Climb up the hundreds of steps to the top of the dome and you can only wonder Brunelleschi's ingenious solutions to construct this enormous dome with a double layer.

Boboli Gardens is very romantic park in Florence. You can easily spent whole day just wandering a round. Climb as high as you can - and you find yourself at the top of the Florence. Don´t miss Grotta del Buontalenti.

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More "climbing", but it´s all worth it - you´ll see! Choose good pair of shoes.

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Make sure you see the ruins. It's like a giant playground and one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

great outstanding semi-luxury hotel

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Segway and Cruiser Bikes Tours in Florence

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Wine Tasting experience in a typical wine bar located in the heart of Florence

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Posarellivillas offre ville di lusso in Toscana che vi permetteranno di godere a pieno di tutto il vostro tempo libero durante la vostra vacanza. Vivete un sogno durante il vostro viaggio di nozze nel grembo della natura in una delle nostre splendide ville in Toscana. Le nostre vacanza in Toscanasono dotate di tutti i confort: aria condizionata, piscina privata, splendidi arredi e decori ed eleganti giardini, con la comodità delle nostre ville di lusso a 5 stelle a vostra disposizione, per godere di una vacanza da sogno in Toscana.

Tutte le nostre ville, casali, castelli e appartamenti sono state restaurate in modo da preservare l'antico patrimonio di architettura italiana, per dare a voi la vera sensazione della bellezza italiana . Le nostre Ville Affitto Weekend Toscana si trovano in location eccellenti, per far si che i nostri ospiti possano godere di pace, lontano dai rumori e dalla frenesia della vita cittadina. Siamo consapevoli del fatto che le vacanze sono il momento in cui si desidera rilassarsi dopo giornate di lavoro frenetico, perciò ci prendiamo cura dei nostri ospiti con grande attenzione alle loro esigenze personali, durante il loro soggiorno nelle nostre ville di lusso in Toscana . Tutte queste eccezionali e lussuose ville, fattorie, borghi e castelli sono stati scelti non solo per il confort e classica eleganza degli interni, ma anche per il fascino di queste antiche case storiche, fuori del tempo. Godetevi momenti romantici del vostro viaggio di nozze in una delle nostre ville di lusso in Toscana. Visita il nostro sito per vedere la nostra straordinaria selezione di proprietà e prenota adesso la tua prossima vacanza in Toscana .
visit : http://www.posarellivillas.it/dimore_di_lusso.html

Le nostre ville in Maremma sono proprietà a conduzione familiare, case in campagna in affitto nella regione della Maremma, nel sud della Toscana. Posarellivillas offre una vasta gamma di ville private in Maremma. L'affitto di una self-catering villa sta diventando sempre più popolare per l'intimità e la personalità che offre e che un hotel può fornire. Ti sentirai davvero un abitante della regione e non un turista.

Well kept rooms, great service! And just a few minutes walk from the main attractions.

8.5/10. +super quiet and friendly town, +warm summer evenings year-round, +villas, monasteries, olive plantations, goats, wine, trains

IMPORTANT NOTE: from the 1st of MARCH 2010 the NEW MEETING POINT for the Segway and Cruiser Bike Tour in FLORENCE will be at VIA DEI CIMATORI 9 RED.

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The Cruiser Bike Tour is the best way to discover Florence By Bike

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The Cruiser Bike Tour is the best way to discover Florence By Bike

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Like most hotels near the centre of Firenze, this is expensive. It is a quirky hotel, probably best for older tourists, but lacking anything for the business traveller

The ideal stop to visit the whole tuscany at his best!