First time to Italy…Florence question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i heard steak's pretty good there but never got to try

Neither did I, i'm a vegetarian.

[Anonymous]

Don’t skip Florence! Do get a tour guide. Florence is so much more interesting paired with the stories of the Renaissance. I would make sure you get a tour guide for the Uffizi also. I went to Florence four times without seeing the David, thinking I wasn’t interested in a giant statue. When I finally saw it, I was awe-struck. We had a wonderful tour guide who explained how and why the statue was commissioned, gave us some history on Michaelangelo, etc. It was amazing.

Don’t skip Venice either but you don’t need more than a day, two at the max. Budget as little time as possible in Milan. The only reason I’d visit Milan would be for shopping but you can do the same shopping in Florence. If you’re looking for another city in the area, Bologna is a lot more interesting than Milan.

[Anonymous]

Milan - why? I guess you could go shopping but there aren't many interesting things to do that are unique to Milan.

Florence is wonderful and magical. Fiesole, which is in the hills above Florence, is gorgeous too.

Ignore the Venice haters and go experience it for yourself. If you've never been, it's worth the trip. I don't love it but it's certainly worth seeing at least once.

Rome is crowded, polluted -- but still, it's Rome. Amazing! I'm not religious and I also loved visiting the Vatican.

Enjoy your trip!

[Anonymous]

When I went on a family trip in high school, Florence was my favorite stop out of Rome, Venice and Florence.

[Anonymous]

I have to stand up for Milan--we flew into Milan and it was a great place to stay for 1-2 nights after we had been traveling for 24 hours (due to plane delays) just to catch our breath, eat some delicious food, etc.

The Duomo there is the gorgeous and the rooftop is amazing. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Italian Alps.

The square in front of the Duomo is beautiful for just sitting and drinking a coffee, eating a gelato, etc.

We really enjoyed seeing the Last Supper, and I'm not religious. And the Castello Sfrozesco was cool, and my young kids loved the tiny aquarium there as a break from the summer heat.

I realize if you only have a week there, it may not be worth it to stop, but if you're going longer, it's worth a visit. We were on a 2.5 week trip to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Sorrento.

[Anonymous]

Some on this board are very well traveled. If you’ve been everywhere, then maybe Milan is boring/not your cup of tea. Internationally, I haven’t traveled much- the UK, Germany, Middle East, Japan and the Caribbean. Since I’ve never been to Italy, I think it would all be pretty spectacular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t David there? Or am I misremembering things? I thought that alone was more than worth the trip

No, you're right. The David is there. It is amazing. I love the whole city, actually. Florence is probably the one city in Italy that I can say I would live in with no hesitation. It is a delightful town, the people are very friendly, the food is outstanding, and the art is exquisite.

[Anonymous]

I’m like you, OP. I was not into Florence. Plus I got pickpocketed there by someone who zoomed by on a Vespa and grabbed my bag. It was scenic for a few days, but much preferred other parts of my italy trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t skip Florence! Do get a tour guide. Florence is so much more interesting paired with the stories of the Renaissance. I would make sure you get a tour guide for the Uffizi also. I went to Florence four times without seeing the David, thinking I wasn’t interested in a giant statue. When I finally saw it, I was awe-struck. We had a wonderful tour guide who explained how and why the statue was commissioned, gave us some history on Michaelangelo, etc. It was amazing.

Don’t skip Venice either but you don’t need more than a day, two at the max. Budget as little time as possible in Milan. The only reason I’d visit Milan would be for shopping but you can do the same shopping in Florence. If you’re looking for another city in the area, Bologna is a lot more interesting than Milan.

+100 Hire a guide for the Uffizi. Me and four kids aged 8-17 in rapt attention for four hours. Highlight of our entire trip. Not generally museum types. Spend 1 day in Venice.

[Anonymous]

When you walk around the corner of the Accademia and see the David in all his glory, it is so moving.

Walk through the Basilica di Santa Croce and pay respects to Galileo and Michaelangelo/

Near there is the best Gelato I have ever had.

See all of the Pinocchio’s in the shops.

Take a cooking class.

Get out to Tuscany and visit the winery at Castellano di Verrazzano. (Sp). They have been making wine since before there was that bridge in NY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you walk around the corner of the Accademia and see the David in all his glory, it is so moving.

Walk through the Basilica di Santa Croce and pay respects to Galileo and Michaelangelo/

Near there is the best Gelato I have ever had.

See all of the Pinocchio’s in the shops.

Take a cooking class.

Get out to Tuscany and visit the winery at Castellano di Verrazzano. (Sp). They have been making wine since before there was that bridge in NY.

I'm a PP who didn't love Florence but loved our day trip to Tuscan countryside. This is the winery we visited! It was delightful.

[Anonymous]

I loved Florence the first time I went in my 20s, but we visited about 5 years ago and I didn't enjoy it at all. I think that there are much better places to stay in Italy that aren't overrun with tourists. We used to visit a lot and prefer the Bologna-Modena area - still touristy but more enjoyable and the food is great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Florence. Milan is boring.

Depends what you like. Milan has some great shopping and nightclubs. Florence is, well, Florence. A completely different experience.