This guide offers practical advice and insider tips for navigating Florence and Tuscany like a local, helping visitors avoid common tourist traps and maximize their experience by focusing on authentic food, underrated sights, and efficient travel.
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I just spent a month in Florence and I
realize how easy it can be to fall in
all the tourist traps. So, here's
everything that I wish id known before
my visit. We're going to cover a lot.
Going to tell you some of the common
mistakes to avoid, some food
recommendations, some of the camp miss
places and the money-saving tips around
them, plus some underrated places that
tourists completely miss, where you
might want to stay in town, and of
course, day trip best practices, cuz
you're going to want to see Tuskany. So,
first thing that tourists make a huge
mistake with is the art and the beauty
here is just on overload and it's really
easy to overdo it. So, use the
information that I give you as just kind
of a starting point and be really
intentional because you don't want to
spend all of your time in museums. While
yes, they're spectacular, the outside
places in Florence are arguably more
impressive. So, I'm going to show you
where to hang out and do all those
things, but please just don't overdo it
and don't spend your entire time here
inside. Now, we'll get into the
overrated and underrated places in just
a minute, but I figured let's start with
the food cuz who doesn't love Tuskcin
cuisine? But there's a couple mistakes
tourists make here. The first is not
realizing that locals don't eat early.
That is just not a thing here in Italy.
If you see a restaurant that is open
before like 6:30 or 7:00 p.m., that is a
tourist trap. That is one of your easy
ways to tell, hey, this is probably not
the spot to eat. Also, everything like
downtown in this circle, it's not to say
that you're not going to find some good
places, but just recognize you're
putting yourself at a bit of a
disadvantage, but I'm going to try to
help you through with some of these
recommendations. And the one other
before we get to specifics, most of the
real Tuscan food is not very photogenic.
It's almost another way to kind of
screen for tourism that it looks fancy
on a plate. Eh, there's a good chance
it's catered to the tourist because real
Tuscan food, it doesn't look good, but
it tastes great. Now, I'm going to give
you a few of my top recommendations.
Everything else is in a free digital
download that I created. I hope it's
helpful. You can pick it up in the
description. It's completely free. But
the first thing you're going to want to
know about is Lampardoto. Oh my god.
It's the local street food here. It's a
sandwich. If you're American, you don't
need to look up what it's made of. Just
note that it tastes fantastic. and this
is the spot that you should go for. Uh
you can find them all around town, but I
really love this spot and yeah, it's
something that you got to try while
you're here in Florence. Now, if you're
looking for a great cafe, a spot to get
breakfast, recognize that breakfast,
again, not a crazy thing here in Italy,
but Esno is a wonderful local bakery
that just h they do everything right.
So, I've spent so much time in this
place and nothing did me wrong. It's a
place that you'll definitely enjoy and
can get some of those things that might
serve as breakfast for you. Now, you're
probably going to be looking for gelato,
and there's a lot of spots around town,
but for me, the best one is right here.
Uh, it's served out of the metal cans
like you want. It's just flavorful. It
seemed to be the spot that always hit
the right spot for me, and there were
always lots of locals. Now, if you're
looking for some traditional dishes at a
place with affordable prices, there's a
place called Sabatino. And this is by no
means a hidden gem. In fact, people will
be lined out the door well before this
place opens to get a spot. It's a
family-owned and operated place. and it
kind of serves as like an Italian
cafeteria of sorts. So, you're not going
to have that fine dining, but everything
tastes good and it's really affordable.
Now, if you are looking for a step in
that fine dining direction, there's a
restaurant called Zeb that I love, but I
was really hesitant to go because the
reviews online very mixed. Some people
didn't have a great experience with the
chef. I decided that I was going to risk
it for the biscuit, and the biscuit was
incredible. Uh, by far my favorite place
in town. Just make sure that you go and
like respect the culture and I think you
should be fine. But wonderful flavors
there. And if you're looking for a
really elevated meal, there is a tasting
menu at Nolu. Just fantastic. It's not
quite at that like Michelin price level.
Uh but wonderful stuff. Really unique
atmosphere. You get to like look into
the kitchen. It was just wonderful. Just
a great option for a special occasion.
But let's talk about some of those top
places that you're probably going to
visit and some things that you might
want to be aware of. So, the first is
the main market, and it is wonderful.
It's really cool to walk through and
see, but a couple things to note. One,
be careful with your money around like
all the bags outside where they're
selling genuine leather. Look, a lot of
that stuff is just fake. There are
pretty lax rules here in Italy of what
constitutes as real leather, so you're
probably not buying anything real there.
Inside the market is totally fine, and
there will be some locals that go there
for, you know, meats and different
cheeses and stuff. So, it's definitely
worth going and seeing. Just again be
careful about what you spend your money
on. Now of course you're going to go to
the Cathedral Santa Maria like oh it is
spectacular. It is gorgeous. My one big
tip here is if you are really short on
time if you're trying to do Florence in
a single day sometimes those lines can
get crazy long. So if you are on that
tight schedule the outside you could
make the argument is better than on the
inside. So, if I was on that tight tight
schedule, I'd go I'd see the outside and
I'd maybe skip the inside if you're
going to have to wait over an hour long.
So, just keep that in mind. Another
place that is probably on your list is
the Gallery of Academia. This is where
the Statue of David is. And it's
spectacular. It's really just an
incredible experience seeing that. But
just recognize that the museum itself is
relatively small. That's something that
catches a lot of tourists offguard and
sometimes leaves them feeling like, man,
I spent a lot of time going there and I
saw the statue of David, but there just
wasn't as much for me. So, a few of
these other spots might be more up your
alley if you're looking for quantity,
but in that one, it's really about the
quality of the statue of David. Another
that might be on your list is Palazzo
Veio. And this place is beautiful. It's
an old palace, just gorgeous. Like, you
walk through so many different rooms,
gorgeous art, and it is well worth your
time. It's pretty lengthy experience. So
again, if you're short on time or a
budget traveler, you can still like
enter where you like go to buy a ticket,
there's a free courtyard that is just
just gorgeous. So if you want to save
the money, you could do that in place of
doing the full museum. So just keep that
in mind. Now, the most popular museum is
the Euphitzi, and it's just gorgeous.
Like unbelievable art in this place. So
many just huge pieces, but this is the
one that is going to have the longest
lines. And I just have a few things that
I think you should be aware of. One,
definitely book ahead of time so you can
skip as many of the lines as possible.
Do note that even with having a pre-book
time, there's still going to be lines
cuz you're going to go through security.
So be ready for that. Also note that
when you get into the museum, you're
going to have the opportunity to take an
elevator up to the top, which is like
where the museum starts on the second
floor. You should do that if you're not
ready to tackle some serious stairs. I
didn't realize just how many stairs
there were. Now, I'm young and pretty
fit and I, you know, I was fine, but
just be aware of that if you're somebody
who can't handle a lot of stairs or just
don't want to. And then the other thing
that kind of rubbed us the wrong way in
there is there's this room called the
Tribuna, and it's beautiful. It's just a
stunning room, but once you get up onto
the second floor, you look down this
huge hallway, and you'll notice there's
a line to go and see the Tribuna. The
thing to note is that the line is really
long. But what we didn't love and that
we didn't recognize, mistake on my part,
was there's another entrance just around
the corner where the line was like half
the size. So just be aware of that going
in. And again, be prepared for a lot of
tourists in that place, but it's popular
for a reason. Now, the other spot that
you probably are well aware of is Piazo
Michelangelo. It's this beautiful plaza
that overlooks the city. I mean, you
just have stunning views from up there,
and it is definitely well worth your
time. The things to note here are one,
again, there are some stairs, so be
ready for those. But two, if you are
going to go up there for sunset,
recognize that it is the hot spot up
there, right? And what that means is
that you shouldn't plan to just show up
15 minutes before sunset and be able to
get a good spot where you're really
going to be able to see. Probably want
to get there at least half an hour in
advance. And don't worry, it's a great
experience. There's often musicians
performing for people on this staircase.
Like, it really is just like a special
vibe and something that you shouldn't
miss out on. just make sure that you're
not just going for sunset. Plan probably
a full hour, if not longer, to just sit
up there and really enjoy. And one other
place that tourists sometimes miss up
near that is the Rose Garden. It's right
below the steps where all of the
tourists are and it's a beautiful
garden. I'd highly recommend walking
through there and there's some great
spots to watch the sunset from in there
as well. So, don't miss that. Now, let's
talk about a few places that tourists
sometimes miss and I think these places
are well worth visiting. So, the first
is something that is kind of popular on
social media, and it's this library
cinema. It's down in the tourist action,
but this place is actually kind of cool
and worth visiting. I just haven't seen
many like bookstores integrated as like
a movie theater. It's just it's
something that's pretty unique and you
might enjoy. Another really unique place
downtown is the oldest pharmacy in the
entire world is actually here in
Florence and they've turned it into kind
of a museum shopping experience. It's
completely free to go in, so don't feel
like you have to buy anything, but it
really is just stunning. Uh, again, one
of those situations where it's like it
is art and it is free, and it's just
cool to go and see it and learn the
history. Now, two of my favorite
experiences in Florence are two gardens,
and it's the Boily Gardens and the
Bardini Gardens, and these are actually
ticketed, but one ticket gets you into
both gardens. So, make sure that you do
hit both if you buy a ticket for either.
I do think they're well worth your time.
The Bardini Garden is going to give you
a great view of just like downtown
Florence. And the Bubbly Garden is much
larger. You could spend a huge chunk of
time in there, and there's some great
vantage points where you can see just
the Tuscan Hills and just all the beauty
that Florence and the region has to
offer. So, definitely don't miss that.
But a money-saving tip is if you are in
town on the very first Sunday of a
month, tickets are completely free. So,
if you are looking for that budget
experience, check your dates on that and
maybe you won't have to pay. Now,
obviously, Florence is best explored by
just walking. This is not a place where
you want a car. We'll talk more about
that in just a minute, but it is just
wonderful to walk the streets and get
lost. And there's some beautiful places
to explore, but two really come to mind.
The first is kind of obvious and it's
the Arno. The Arno River is just
beautiful. It cuts straight through town
and it's beautiful to just walk along
the side. Do it early morning, do it
midday, do it at night. It's just a
special place, a special atmosphere, and
I don't know, it's something that really
shouldn't be missed. A tip around this
that is kind of fun, especially for
young ones or old ones that just like
nature like me, there's a lot of
wildlife on the Arno, which I didn't
expect. And you may notice these kind of
beaver looking like things. They're not
beavers. They're something called
nutrias, but they kind of look like
beavers. They swim. They're really cute.
You can find them kind of like building
dams or like hanging out on the wood
that stacks up on the bridge and along
the side of the river. It's just kind of
cute and something to keep your eye out
for. But another spot that you
definitely want to walk that a lot of
tourists miss is this long park. And it
is just beautiful. Rarely any tourists
in there. It's mostly just locals and
it's a gorgeous spot again at any point
in the day to just walk and venture to.
So I'd highly recommend that especially
if you have a longer period of time on
your trip. Now, one last place that I
really don't recommend or I just again
caution you when spending time up there
is the main bridge that is so
picturesque and it's beautiful, but when
you're walking on there, just recognize
there's a few different scams going on.
You'll notice people with like paintings
on the ground. Make sure not to step on
those. It's a well-known scam around
here. But also, just recognize that it's
really for the tourist. Be really
careful about what you spend your money
on there. Everything's going to be
pretty high priced and you're going to
be fighting the packs of tourists. So,
great place to see, but maybe limit the
amount of time you spend there. But
let's talk about where you might want to
stay in Florence. This right here, this
is the tourist center. There's some
great options in there, some wonderful
hotels, but recognize you're going to
pay a premium and you're going to be one
amongst the tourists. So, if you're
looking for a more affordable
alternative and more for a local
experience, maybe look for options in
these areas. Now, you're more likely to
find Airbnbs than hotels. I'm in an
Airbnb. It's actually where I'm filming
and this was absolutely fantastic. I
chose to stay over in this area and it
was just fantastic. I always prefer
staying in local areas, but hey, you
make the call based on what you're
looking for in your trip. But what's
most important to note is that here in
Florence, it's such a small city, it's
pretty compact that whether you stay on
either end, you can walk to the other
side pretty quickly within like 30, 45
minutes. So, I really wouldn't be too
afraid of staying in those more local
areas. you're not going to be too far
from the action compared to some of the
bigger cities in Italy like maybe a
Milan or even a Rome at points. So just
have that context and pick accordingly.
But let's talk about day trips and some
mistakes that tourists make cuz I
imagine that if you're here in Florence
and Tuskanyany, you want to see more
than just Florence. So the first thing
to note is that kind of like the art
within Florence, don't overdo it. You're
not going to have a good time if you're
just going from point A to point B and
trying to hit every place. And there are
so many wonderful places that are worth
your time. But a common question that
comes up is, "Hey, am I good to just
take the trains or should I rent a car
or a private tour?" I didn't do a
private tour. I didn't feel the need to.
We did a lot of day trips with the train
and they were fantastic. And I'll touch
on some of the places that we were able
to go to in just a second. But it is
true that having a car is going to
provide a better experience because
you're going to be able to go at your
own rate and just explore more places
where the trains aren't necessarily
connected to. Now, if you do want to
rent a car, I didn't rent one here, but
I do always use this company called discovercars.com.
discovercars.com.
Do note it is an affiliate link, but I'm
just mentioning them because they
typically offer much cheaper rates than
other spots. So, just do your research
ahead of time to see if it's going to
save you a pretty penny there. But one
thing that I really recommend against is
do not rent a car and be driving through
Florence because what a lot of tourists
don't recognize is that most of Florence
itself has what they call ZTL zones. And
what you need to know about the ZTL
zones is you can get big big fines if
you end up parking or driving through
these zones. So it's just probably
something that's not worth the hassle.
If you are going to rent a car, rent it
and go do your day trip and then return
the car. Now, we got around just with
the trains, and we felt like it was a
piece of cake. There are two main train
apps that you might want to download or
just look at. I'll put them both on
screen. Not affiliated with either, but
both are good to just compare rates and
options. But I want to focus on a couple
places that are really accessible by
train. First is Sienna. This is just a
gorgeous like medieval oldworld town in
the Tuscan Hills. Like the views that
you can get in this place are just
unbelievable. We spent like a full day
and we wish we would have spent more.
The train from Florence to Sienna was a
piece of cake. I highly recommend it to
anybody in this area. And yes, there are
much smaller towns like Sanjim Mano that
you can get to and lots of others. But
Sienna, oh, Sienna was just really easy,
really practical, and provided
everything that we were looking for.
Now, if you're wanting more of the
coastal region, you can go to Chinkatera
if you're willing to go that far. Just
be sure to be realistic about how long
it's going to take to get from Florence
all the way over to the Chinkera. Like
it's a pretty long journey. But if
you're wanting a place that's really
close and just really accessible again
by highspeed train is Bolognia. And
Bolognia is kind of a great food town,
young university town, and just a lot of
life. So it might be a spot that you
might want to consider as well. But I
think what's most important to recognize
is that before you come to Florence,
pick whether you want to rent a car or
if you just want to use public transit.
And then be realistic and just how you
don't want to overdo it with the art in
Florence, don't overdo it with the day
trips in the region. Pick a couple
places that you're passionate about
seeing and then go and do that. And if
you are planning some of those much
longer, probably weekend trips like Rome
or Milan or Venice, don't worry, I have
guides for all of those as well. You can
watch videos right here. If you have any
questions, leave them in the comment
section. I hope this was helpful and
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