Italy
Florence
Florence for groups who want more than a checklist — the dome climb, long Tuscan lunches, and Oltrarno evenings.
Currency
EUR
Language
Italian
Best months
April, May, June, September, October
Mid-range budget
$
170
/ day
Florence gets reduced to a checklist — the David, the Uffizi, the dome — and the checklist is real, because no city this size has ever produced more. But the Florence we keep coming back for is what happens between the masterpieces: a four-hour lunch where the steak is ordered by the kilo, a wine window passing you a glass through a hole in a palazzo wall, the whole city turning gold from the steps of San Miniato while the bells ring below.
It's also the rare great city that works at walking speed. Nothing in the center is more than twenty-five minutes from anything else, which means a group can split up at the Uffizi and still make the same dinner reservation. Come with four or six people, book the big tickets before you fly, and leave the afternoons unplanned. Florence fills them better than you will.
The soundtrack
Practical Stuff
Tipping
Tipping is not expected. The coperto (€2–4 per person cover charge) on your bill is normal and legal, not a scam — it covers bread and the table. If service was genuinely great, round up or leave a few euros in cash. If the bill says servizio incluso, you're done. Nobody tips 20% here, including us.
Safety
Florence is one of the safer cities you'll visit. The real risks are pickpockets around the Duomo, Santa Maria Novella station, and packed buses — keep bags zipped and in front in crowds. If anyone in your group is driving, learn what a ZTL is before you arrive: the restricted-traffic cameras around the centro storico generate automatic fines that follow rental cars home.
SIM card
eSIMs from Airalo or Holafly activate the moment you land. If your plan includes EU roaming, you likely need nothing. For physical SIMs, Iliad and Vodafone shops near Santa Maria Novella station are quick and cheap.