Florence Travel Guide

Florence's short-lived stint as capital of Italy in 1865 was like a shot of adrenaline. The city bulldozed, constructed, rearranged avenues, wiped out whole quarters and tore down the medieval walls. And so the scene was set for the modern regional capital of Tuscany. Along the broad viali (avenues) that encircle old Florence a confusion of endless traffic tears around in chaotic style. Horns honk and brakes squeal as Florentines dart in and out of lanes in search of a break in the traffic. Ignorant of fear, motorini (moped) riders dash in and around larger vehicles, as if protected by some divine force.

The jewel of Renaissance Italy remains essentially what it was - a busy business centre. Even before the Renaissance was over, the wily Florentines had to concede that their town was on the wane, increasingly ignored on the European stage. But they never forgot their proud heritage and it was rediscovered in earnest by the rest of Europe from the late 18th century. Curious and admiring travellers, particularly the English, descended on the city as part of their Grand Tour. Ever canny with currency (after all, Florentines invented the florin, one of the most successful currencies in history), the locals knew how to cash in, as they still do, with utter aplomb.

The fortunate few get their first glimpse of Florence from the south. The road from rival Siena leads you to the heights backing the south bank of the Arno. Suddenly, through the trees, the glories of Florence burst into view - Giotto's Campanile (bell tower), Brunelleschi's dome, the Basilica di Santa Croce. Only the hardest of hearts can remain unaffected.

The memory of the Medici, who for centuries commanded the city's fortunes and were, as generous patrons, instrumental in unleashing the Renaissance, lives on. To this day the family crest of six balls adorns many public buildings. The city's artists and sculptors, supported by the Medici and other powerful families, regaled the city with their finest creations. Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello, Giotto, the Lippis, Masaccio, Botticelli, Pontormo and a host of others left their mark, and formidable galleries such as the Uffizi, Pitti and Accademia today house many of their works.

Medieval and Renaissance Florence was a financial powerhouse but it was never a romantic place. Its great families built fine mansions and lavished money on churches, public buildings and the arts, but not out of a love of beauty. To display greatness was to be great. The majesty of the Romanesque Baptistery, the Gothic Duomo and Renaissance basilicas was an advertisement as much of the power and wealth of Florence's leading families as of the city's artistic prowess. The families have gone, but the advertisements live on!

Florentines are born into a world of extraordinary timeless beauty, so it is hardly surprising that they cultivate their appearance, and do it so effortlessly. Home to the likes of Gucci and Ferragamo, Florence means one thing: style, both past and present. Phalanxes of stylish boutiques line up alongside the galleries and palazzi.

When the shops close, it's time to eat. Sit down to a simple Tuscan meal of tomato stew followed by prime steak in a family-run trattoria or splash out on one of the city's classic gourmet restaurants or stylish designer eateries. Florence is known for its top-grade Chiantis, but you should make the acquaintance of other exquisite tipples too: Montalcino's Brunello, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the more daring Super Tuscans.

You can easily explore Tuscany using Florence as a base: enjoy the medieval splendours of Siena, Pisa, Lucca and San Gimignano, and wander the undulating Chianti countryside.

Florence's position in a river basin, walled in by hills to the south and the foothills of the Apennines to the north, largely determines its climate. In summer the city is a like a pressure cooker as heat and humidity soar. July is the worst month (closely followed by August) and there are dog days when there is not a whisper of air. The average highs hover around 31°C. Occasionally you can enjoy the temporary relief of a cracking thunderstorm.

Winter, on the other hand, is cool and often wet, although mercifully it doesn't last too long. Average temperatures in January range between 1°C and 10°C; snow is rare

Tourists who want to report thefts or obtain a residence permit will need to visit the main police station (055 4 97 71; Via Zara 2). The rather self-important building is a late-18th-century curio, originally built as a hospital. The police station (055 20 39 11; Via Pietrapiana 50/r; 8.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-1.30pm Sat) off Piazza dei Ciompi is especially used to dealing with tourists and their problems (petty theft etc).

All in all Florence is a fairly secure city, but you need to keep an eye out for pick-pockets and bag-snatchers in the most heavily touristed parts of town, especially around the Duomo and the train station. Prevention is better than cure. Only walk around with the amount of cash you intend to spend that day or evening. Hidden moneybelts or pouches are a good idea. Never leave anything visible in your car and preferably leave nothing at all. Foreign and hire cars are especially vulnerable. If anything does get lost or stolen, report it to the police and get a written statement from them if you intend to claim on insurance.

Italy is one of 15 member countries of the Schengen Convention, under which 13 EU member countries, plus Iceland and Norway, have abolished checks at common borders. The other members are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Legal residents of one Schengen country do not require a visa for another Schengen country. Citizens of the remaining 12 EU countries are also exempt. Nationals of some other countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the USA, do not require visas for tourist visits of up to 90 days.

If you are a citizen of a country not mentioned here, check with an Italian consulate whether you need a visa. The standard tourist visa issued by Italian consulates is the Schengen visa, valid for up to 90 days. A Schengen visa issued by one Schengen country is generally valid for travel in all other Schengen countries. However, individual member countries may impose additional restrictions on certain nationalities. These visas are not renewable inside Italy. For more information and a list of countries whose citizens require a visa, check the Italian foreign ministry website

Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Michelangelo in no time at all. Prepare to be amazed when you see Michelangelo's world-famous statue of David and allso see other important works by Michelangelo including Prigioni and San Matteo too.

Completed in 1385, this Gothic temple is as much the resting place of a Who's Who of Florentine greats as repository of stunning art. The magnificent facade is a neo-Gothic addition of the 19th century! Deceptive, huh? Michelangelo's tomb here was designed by Vasari. Galileo and the composer Rossini also rest in peace here.

This squat, 14th-century rectangle was originally a grain market but was deemed too good for the purpose and converted into a church. Most of the tabernacles on the exterior walls contain the original statues of the patron saints of Florence's various guilds, sculpted by the best 15th-century sculptors. Inside is a splendid 14th-century coloured-marble altar by Andrea Orcagna.

In a house that Michelangelo bought but never lived in, this overpriced museum (more like a memorial) was established by his descendants and features a few pieces by Michelangelo - including the marble relief Madonna della Scala (Madonna of the Steps; 1492), his earliest known work - along with drawings exhibited in rotation, portraits of him by other artists, a few Etruscan urns and an overbearing security guard.

The 95m-high (312ft) bell tower of the fortress-like, rhomboid-shaped Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) soars above Piazza della Signoria, another famous Florence emblem. The palace was built by Arnolfo di Cambio between 1298 and 1314 and has been the seat of civic authority ever since.

A massive holding tank for tourists (if you want space, bring a bicycle bell), the city's most splendid piazza was created virtually by accident in the 13th century and - lined with replicas of famous sculptures and historical buildings - has been the hub of Florentine political life ever since.

A barmy Baroque high altar, added in the 17th century, tends to distract from Brunelleschi's clean and harmonious design, although it's still easy to appreciate the colonnade of pietra serena columns and side chapels, which are filled with Renaissance art, including works by Domenico Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi.

In Florentine art, 'modern' means from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th, and the most interesting part - not necessarily the best - of this collection is the work of the late-19th-century Macchiaioli ('spot-makers'), or Tuscan impressionists.

Taxis (055 42 42, 055 47 98, 055 44 99, 055 43 90) can be found outside Stazione di Santa Maria Novella and at other ranks around town. The flagfall is €2.54, on top of which you pay 82c per kilometre within the city limits (€1.47 per kilometre beyond). A cross-town ride will cost around €10, depending on traffic. Women travelling alone can (and should) ask for a discount from 9pm to 2am.

ATAF (Azienda Trasporti Area Fiorentina; 800 42 45 00) buses serve the city centre, Fiesole and other areas in the city's outskirts.

Of the four so-called night-bus routes, three operate only between 9pm and 1am. The only true night bus (autobus notturno) is bus 70.

Lazzi and SITA run buses to various destinations in Tuscany. Other companies also cover parts of the region, such as CAP (055 21 46 37) and COPIT (800 27 78 25), located next to one another at Largo Fratelli Alinari 9 and 11 respectively.

Buses leave from a variety of terminals scattered about Stazione di Santa Maria Novella. Eurolines, in conjunction with local bus companies across Europe, is the main international carrier. Eurolines' website provides links to the sites of all the national operators. In Florence, Eurolines tickets can be bought at Lazzi (055 21 55 55; Piazza Stazione 3), on the corner of Piazza Adua, or at the BOPA ticket agency in the train station (platform 5). Buses run several times a week from London, Paris, Barcelona and other European centres. Lazzi also has one or two daily services to various cities around the country, as far afield as the Veneto in the northeast and Sicily in the south. The same company, through its subsidiary Sena (800 93 09 60), connects Siena with destinations all over Italy.

SITA (800 37 37 60; in Italian; Via Santa Caterina da Siena 15) is just to the west of Stazione di Santa Maria Novella and also offers a handful of long-distance services, most to southern Italy and Sicily.

Flying to Florence for most people actually means flying into Pisa's Galileo Galilei airport, which is 80 minutes away by train. Pisa is a central Italian hub and flights arrive from many European centres. A handful of European and domestic flights serve Florence's smaller Amerigo Vespucci airport (which, in spite of its size, handles 1.7 million passengers a year). You could also fly into Bologna and then grab a train south. For most intercontinental air travel you will have to change flights at least once, in Rome, Milan or at another European hub.

Within Europe and especially from the UK, you should check the low-budget airlines. They work on a first-come, first-serve basis: the earlier you book, the less you pay. These no-frills airlines skip extras such as in-flight meals (although you can buy snacks). From the UK, Ryanair serves Pisa and EasyJet flies to Bologna.

Within Italy, air travel tends to be expensive. In the northern cities (eg from Rome, Milan and Venice) it makes more sense to go by train, as the time saving by air is rarely that great and the economic savings by train are considerable. Alitalia and Meridiana are the main domestic airlines serving Florence, Pisa and Bologna.

Florence's Amerigo Vespucci airport (055 306 13 00, international flight info 055 306 17 02) is 5 km northwest of the city centre at Via del Termine 11. The main building serves as the departures (partenze) hall, while arrivals (arrivi) is in a smaller building just to the rear of the building. In the latter you'll find a tourist office, a lost-luggage office, car-rental outlets and an ATM. There's a bank in the departures lounge. There is no left-luggage service at this airport.

Pisa's Galileo Galilei airport (050 84 93 00) is the main gateway for passengers bound for Florence. The long, low terminal building is divided into arrivals on the left and departures on the right. There is a tourist office in the arrivals section at the end of the hall. It handles left luggage (€6 per piece per day; 8am-8pm) and you can buy bus and train tickets too. There is a bank with an ATM roughly where the arrivals and departures sections intersect.

Bologna's Guglielmo Marconi airport (051 647 96 15) has check-in desks on both the ground and 1st floors (departure gates are on the 1st floor). You'll find a general information desk on the ground floor, and several ATMs and bureaux de change scattered about across the two floors. There is no left-luggage service, but a lost-luggage service operates on the ground floor.

Car-rental agencies are concentrated in the Borgo Ognissanti area. You will also find some motorbike and scooter outlets. Note that helmets are compulsory on all motorised two-wheel vehicles.

Train is the most convenient overland option for reaching Florence from other Italian cities or abroad. For travel within Italy, you can get information at your nearest train station or travel agent. Alternatively, contact Trenitalia.

A wide variety of trains run on the Italian rail network. They start with all-stops locali, and regionali - both slow local trains. Interregionali cover greater distances and don't necessarily stop at every station.

Intercity (IC) trains are fast services that operate between major cities. Eurocity (EC) trains are the international version. High-speed pendolini and other top-of-the-range services, which on high-speed track can zip along at more than 300km/h, are collectively known as Eurostar Italia (ES).

Apart from the standard division between 1st and 2nd class (prima classe and seconda classe; generally locali and regionali have 2nd-class seats only) you have to pay a supplement for taking a fast train (IC and up). You can pay the supplement separately from the ticket, so, if you have a 2nd-class return ticket from Florence to Milan, you might decide to avoid the supplement one way and take a slower train, but pay it on the way back to speed things up. You need to pay the supplement before boarding the train. If you know exactly which train you want, the supplement will be included in your ticket.

You can buy rail tickets (for major destinations on fast trains, at least) at the station (often crowded) and from most travel agents. If you choose to buy them at the station, there are automatic machines that accept credit cards and cash. You can also buy tickets on Trenitalia's website. You can also book over the phone (892021). On the same number you can also book for ticketless travel on ES and IC trains. You must book a seat on all Eurostar Italia trains. On other services this is optional and generally unnecessary.

Validate your ticket in the orange machines on station platforms. Failure to do so will almost certainly result in embarrassment and a hefty on-the-spot fine when the ticket inspector comes around.

Rome's metro system is of limited value to visitors, with the two lines, A and B, bypassing much of the centro storico. The two lines traverse the city in an X-shape, crossing at Stazione Termini, the only point at which you can change from one line to the other. Trains run approximately every five to 10 minutes between 5.30am and 11.30pm (one hour later on Saturday). However, until 2008 or 2009, Line A is closing for engineering works at 9pm every night. To replace it there are two temporary bus lines: MA1 from Battistini to Arco di Travertino and MA2 from Viale G Washington to Anagnina.

Florence is an important railway hub, and from the city's main train station, Stazione di Santa Maria Novella (Firenze SMN for short), you can get direct trains heading in most directions. Its line connects with Milan, Bologna, Venice and Rome. Trains also fan out to various parts of Tuscany, although buses can be more convenient for exploring the region.

The rail travel information office (7am-9pm), at the west end of the main vestibule has currency exchange bureaus, a bank (with ATM), phones and left .

Cycling is a good way to get around central Florence. It's not mandatory to wear a helmet, and many locals don't bother, but most outlets can provide one. The city runs a public bike-hire service, known as Mille e Una Bici ('A Thousand and One Bikes', which is something of an overstatement) with bikes available at eight points around the city, including the main one just in front of the train station (7.30am-7pm Mon-Sat, 9am-7pm Sun, May-Sep). They cost up to €8 a day for nonresidents. Hours vary from one spot to the next, but many hire points do not operate on weekends. Other more regular rental options (which provide locks and, if you ask, helmets) :

GMT/UTC plus one hour (Central European time).

Metric

Daylight Saving Start: Last Sunday in March
Daylight Saving End: Last Sunday in October

220V 50Hz

Local area code: 06

Official: Italian

Euro (€)