As the capital of Tuscany, Florence benefits from the agricultural riches of the region, making it a great destination for excellent food and wine. Meals are typically meat-heavy, with bistecca alla Fiorentina, a thick T-bone steak, occupying the top of the food chain. Cured meats like prosciutto and mortadella appear on platters of mixed appetizers, called tagliere, along with regional cheeses, olives, and breads. Courageous eaters might want to try lampredotto or trippa, made from offal, organ meats of cows.
Popular sweets include cantucci, almond biscuits eaten with coffee or sweet vin santo wine, and of course, gelato.
Tuscany is famous for its red wines, which naturally make their way into Florence's wine bars, enotecas, and restaurants. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are among the region's most famous varieties, and Brunello, along with hybrid Super Tuscans, can command high prices. But don't turn up your nose at a modest house wine or inexpensive bottle of red or white—these are often good quality and highly drinkable. Finish your meal with a small glass of vin santo, Tuscany's popular dessert wine.
For wine bars where you can sample different types of wine while snacking on local specialties, head to the Santo Spirito, San Niccolò or San Frediano, the less touristy zones south of the Arno River.
Explore our articles on the best restaurants in Florence, the best Tuscan wine tours, and the best gelato in Florence.
Where to Stay
Despite the glut of hotels, B&Bs, hostels and Airbnb rentals in Florence, the city fills up in peak periods. So it's never a good idea to arrive in Florence without a room reserved. Budget hotels are clustered around the Santa Maria Novella train station, as well as into the adjacent San Lorenzo area. Prices, though not necessarily quality, go up the closer one gets to the Duomo. Luxury properties are all over the city, especially around Piazza della Republica and Piazza della Signoria. Visitors seeking a more locals' feel might want to head to Oltrarno, south of the Arno River, for apartment rentals and B&Bs.
Consider our recommendations for the best hotels in Florence, or for something farther afield, the best castle hotels in Tuscany.
Getting There
If your trip to Italy includes more than one city or region, chances are you'll arrive in Florence on a train. The majority of trains call at Santa Maria Novella station, abbreviated Firenze SMN, the main transport hub of the city. There are dozens of trains arriving and departing daily for Rome, Venice, Milan, and destinations across Italy. Flights to Florence arrive at Amerigo Vespucci Airport, also called Florence (Firenze) Peretola, a small airport just outside of town. Note that if your flight arrives at Pisa (sometimes referred to as Pisa/Florence airport), you'll have a 90-minute trip to get to Florence.
If you've rented a car in Italy and are driving to Florence, be sure to get very specific instructions from your hotel on how to reach the property and where to park your car. Florence is a minefield for traffic tickets, since so many of the streets in its centro are pedestrian-only, one-way, or open only to local traffic. Wherever you stay in the city, plan on parking your car when you arrive and leaving it there until the end of your stay.
For more on train travel in Italy, see our articles on getting around Italy by rail and what to know about traveling by train in Italy.
Culture and Customs
Because Florentines are so accustomed to tourists, there aren't any hard and fast customs that you need to adhere to while here, other than basic good conduct and respect for the city. As in the rest of Italy, that means no dipping your feet or other body parts in fountains, no matter how hot it is outside, dressing modestly in churches and other religious structures, avoiding public drunkenness, and generally, just behaving like a decent human being.
