Why Florence? Why Tuscany?

Reading about the history of Florence and the surrounding region of Tuscany, it almost feels like this beautiful areahas been on a high since its Renaissance in the 15th Century. And if you visit in Spring or Summer, you'll feel like not one of the million plus tourists that visit every year, has left!

But despite the crowds, it's difficult to disguise the beauty of Italy and more specifically, this region that has been blessed so liberally with beauty, food, wine and an unparalleled artistic legacy.

A trip to Italy without a visit to Tuscany or at least to the city of Florence many will say is no trip at all! But the fun will come in you determining that all on your own.

On the surface, most of the many visitors that will visit Florence this year are there to see the magnificent Gothic Duomo, Michaelangelo's statue of David and the famous Ponte Vecchio. But if you've got some more time to spare, a trip to Pisa is a must-see on any first-timer's trip to the region and a visit to Siena to the see the location of the annual Il Pallio (horse race) and the remaining towers of San Gimignano are not to be missed.

Accommodation

We think we hit the jackpot when some tough research presented us with the centrally located Hotel Axial in Florence!

Situated within walking distance of Santa Maria Novella Train Station and bang smack in the middle of one of Florence's main shopping streets (Via Dei Calzaiuoli) it's also just mere steps from the Duomo.

Hotel Axial is a family-run hotel that offers comfortable, modern rooms as well as a fantastic recreation room (see right) that provides computers for internet access and somewhere to meet at the end of the day to read from their library of books or to simply re-group with friends. Hotel Axial provides personalised service without loosing the facilities of a larger hotel.

For location, price, service and condition, the Jetsettr team use and recommend Hotel Axial when staying in Florence.

PLEASE NOTE: Jetsettr does not receive any form of remuneration from Hotel Axial for our recommendation. We make this recommendation based on our own experience of the hotel.

Airports

Local Airports

Pisa

Galileo Galilei Airport

www.pisa-airport.com

Major/International Airports 

Rome

Climate & When To Go 

The best time to visit is from April to June or early Autumn (September and October) when the weather is warm, without being unbearably hot!

High season is at its peak in August so if you're travelling there during this popular time, expect high temperatures, crowds and increased prices on accommodation and other services. But don't let that put you off, it's the same everywhere! And there is a certain buzz about travelling during the busy periods.

Winter can be a much more peaceful and cost-effective time to visit Florence as well as other Italian cities if you can handle the cold. There's a good chance of snow during the winter however it can give travellers a very rewarding and different perspective on Italy. 

Currency 

Essentials 

Internet Access 

Internet Train

Cost:

Opening times:

Monday - Friday 10am-8pm

Saturday - Sunday 11am-8pm

Laundry

Wash & Dry

Multiple locations around the city including at Via Nazionale, 129r.

Cost:

Pharmacy

Farmacia Comunale 24hr

Find it inside the Santa Maria Novella Train Station

Post Office

Main Post Office

Getting There & Around

Getting There

Plane (see Airports)

Bus

The SITA Bus Station is located at the South exit of the Santa Maria Novella Train Station.

Common Routes:

To Siena - €6.50 - 1.25hrs

To San Gimignano - €5.90 - 1.25hrs - 14 daily

Car & Motorbike

The A1 connects Florence to Bologna and Milan in the north and Rome and Naples to the south.The A11 links Florence with Pisa and the coast.An expressway joins the city to Siena.

Train

Common Routes:

To/from Pisa (regional train) - €5.10 - 1.25hrs - every 20mins

To/from Rome - €24.95 - 2.5hrs - half hourly

To/from Bologna - €10.75, one hour

To/from Milan (Eurostar) - €28.95 - 2.75hrs, 22 daily

To/from Venice (change at Bologna)

Getting To & From The Airport

Terravision runs a bus service between the Santa Maria Novella train station and Galileo Galilei Airport in Pisa.www.terravision.it

Getting Around Town

Bicycles

Cost:

5 Hours/Day/Weekend €7/12/24

Bus

ATAF run the bus services within the city centre and Fiesole (a small hillside village 8km north-east of Florence).

There are a number of terminals however as a good reference point, one of the main terminals is situated outside of the train station's eastern exit.

Bus 7 will take you to Fiesole and bus 13 to Piazzale Michelangelo.

Common Routes:

Bus 7 > Fiesole

Bus 13 > Piazzale Michelangelo

Car & Motorbike

Much of Florence's city centre is pedestrianised or restricted to traffic so if you're travelling by car, use a public car-park (find details at www.firenzeparcheggi.it - in Italian) or one provided by your accommodation if available and get walking or catch public transport for the most efficient way of getting around.www.firenzeparcheggi.it

To rent a car, try:Hertz - via M. Finiguerra, 33r.

Avis - Borgo Ognissanti, 128r.

Internet Resources 

These links cover information on Florence, Tuscany and Italy.

Florence Tourism Agency

Visit Florence

Italian National Tourism Agency

Lonely Planet - Florence

Frommers - Florence

Passports & Visas

All visitors to Italy require a valid passport.

A visa is not currently required by Australian passport holders for stays of up to 90 days.

Citizens of other countries may require a visa.Different regulations apply for stays of more than 90 days.

For further information please consult with the Italian Consulate or your travel agent.

Public Holidays

Shopping

Florence is known for its leather goods so make sure you head to the local markets and boutiques to find limitless opportunities to grab yourself some souvenirs and gifts.

Head just north of the Duomo to Piazza San Lorenzo to find the markets. Prices and quality vary though so do your research before choosing a vendor to purchase from - there are a number of stall and shop owners that claim their wares are locally made when they actually come out of China like most souvenirs!

Popular chain stores and boutiques are concentrated between the Duomo and the Arno River on via Roma, via de Calzaiuoli and via Por Santa Maria.

The famous Ponte Vecchio houses a myriad of jewellery stores with something to suit just about everyones' taste and budget but again, do your research before settling on a particular merchant.

The designer fashion houses are located on via de Tornabuoni and via della Vigna Nuova.

Speaking The Language

Tipping

Tipping in the tourism and hospitality industries in Italy is common practice.

It is customary to tip taxi drivers, porters, local guides and staff at restaurants and hotels.

Be aware that cheeky restaurateurs as well as other service providers will often automatically add a service charge and tip to the bill. Good luck in disputing it if you intend to – it’s not easy!

Tours 

If you base yourself in Florence - Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano are all an easy day trip.

Tuscany is the home to Chianti wine (named after the same town) so there's plenty of vineyards and other small villages to visit and to get off the beaten track with whilst you're exploring Tuscany... and the good food and wine that comes with it!

What & Where To Eat

There are many classic Tuscan dishes for you to indulge in whilst visiting Tuscany or to perhaps to try your hand at cooking at one of the great cooking schools - there are a number of renowned classes in Florence and throughout the region.

Look out for these on menus while you're there - Ribollita (a hearty vegetable soup), Cannellini (white beans), bislecca alla Florentina (Florentine steak) and of course Chianti wine - a well known drop made from the grapes in and around Chianti in the Tuscan hills.

For somewhere the locals go, there a fantastic but tiny, tiny place, just off via dei Calzaiuoli (one of the main shopping streets and moments from Hotel Axial (ask the staff for more details) for fantastic foccacia and pizzas.

It was recommended to us by our fantastic host family at Hotel Axial and it no doubt lives up to its name. Just look for the tiny opening off the street and the big line! When we were there though, it did seem to have its own idea about regular opening hours so be prepared to go back if you miss it first time around.

Jetsettr Travel Resources

Florence & Tuscany Trip Designer

We've put together a great selection of travel accessories for a perfect trip to Florence and Tuscany!

What would you pack for your trip?

Accor Hotels

Accor is the the world's leading hotel manager and market leader in Europe. Accorhotels.com is Accor's international and multibrands website offering almost 4,000 hotels in 90 countries and 13 brands from budget to luxury: Etap Hotel, Formule1, HotelF1, All Seasons, ibis, SuiteNovotel, Mercure, Novotel, Adagio, Pullman, Mgallery, Sofitel and Hôtels Barrière.

As a Jetsettr Travel Partner, Accorhotels.com enables you to confidently book all your accommodation needs directly from their website, benefiting from any current promotions they have on offer. Whatever it is, you'll hear it here first!

So whether you've got last minute plans or bookings to make in advance, you can do so here.

Expedia

Hotel Axial, Florence

Situated within walking distance of Santa Maria Novella Train Station and bang smack in the middle of one of Florence's main shopping streets (Via Dei Calzaiuoli) it's also just mere steps from the Duomo.

For location, price, service and condition, the Jetsettr team use and recommend Hotel Axial when staying in Florence.

Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet is the worlds’ leading travel media company.

Their award-winning travel content, innovative culture and adventurous, can-do spirit provide travellers the information, tools and inspiration to embark on their own journeys, near and far.

Rail Europe Australia

For more than 15 years, RailEurope has been helping travellers to discover the benefits of travelling around Europe by train.

Offering a miriad of rail-pass and single journey options, travelling by train offers one of the easiest, most environmentally-friendly and flexible transport options for getting around Italy, Europe and beyond!

Travel SIM

TravelSIM is a mobile phone service for international travellers.

TravelSIM allows you to use your own mobile phone when you travel to another country without having to use expensive international roaming services enabling you to greatly reduce the cost of using your mobile phone in another country - how much could you save?

TravelSIM works in over 150 countries.

TravelSIM is a prepaid service. There are no contracts, no set-up fees and no minimum spends.

TravelSIM is based in Australia so they are easy to contact if you have any support.

Trip Advisor

TripAdvisor is the world’s most popular, largest, and most trusted travel community.

The Trip Advisor website provides a free and comprehensive travel planning experience which enables you to confidently make your travel plans with the knowledge of the largest database of traveller reviews and recommendations.

From direct access to major online suppliers such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Hotels.com and 30+ million real traveler reviews, TripAdvisor also has a suite of products to offer its visitors such as a robust flights search engine, hotel compare and check rates search and holiday rental search, as well as restaurant and attraction ratings and reviews, worldwide.

The Jetsettr team highly recommends the use of TripAdvisor in assisting you with your travel plans.

Venere.com

Venere.com, leader in the online hotel reservations market, offers approx. 53,000 accommodations with online booking.

Hotels from 1 to 5 star luxury hotels, b&b’s, guest houses, holiday rentals, country houses and more.

Venere.com features real-time rates, availability, special offers and the best deals on the web. All this with the help of over 655,000 hotel reviews!

Viator

Whether you want to cruise along the Seine, have a guided tour of Rome's ancient sites or check out Madam Tussaud's in London, we've teamed up with Viator to enable you to securely book a huge range of tours and travel experiences anytime!