Florence: know before you go

Florence's airport, Amerigo Vespucci at Peretola, sits northwest of the center. The T2 tram, the Vespucci line, is the easy link: it runs from the airport into the city and reaches Santa Maria Novella, the main station on the edge of the historic core. Most intercity trains also arrive at Santa Maria Novella, so the airport and the rail network both drop you within a short walk of the Duomo.

Florence has no metro, and it does not need one: the historic center is compact and best covered on foot, with most sights within a 20 minute walk of each other. Two tram lines and a dense bus network handle the wider city, and small electric minibuses loop the pedestrian core. One ticket covers the whole urban system.

Florence charges a city tourist tax, the imposta di soggiorno, on top of your room rate. The front desk usually collects it per person per night at check-in, sometimes on top of the price you already paid online, so leave a little headroom. Children under 12 and people with a severe disability, plus one companion, are exempt.

Florence is a safe city, and the center stays busy into the evening. The main risk is petty theft. Violent crime is rare in the center. Pickpockets work the crowds around Santa Maria Novella station, the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and the packed trams and buses, so keep your phone and wallet zipped and out of back pockets. At café tables on the big squares, loop a bag strap around a chair leg, and brush off anyone offering a bracelet or pushing a petition.

Florence's tap water is safe to drink, and the city's public fountains, the fontanelli, let you refill a bottle for free across the center. Summer heat is the main health concern: July and August push into the mid-30s, so start early, carry water, and step into a church or museum in the hottest stretch. Pharmacies show a green cross, and a few near the station stay open late.

Florence has strong mobile coverage across the center, and nearly every hotel, café, and museum offers free Wi-Fi. The city also runs free public hotspots in several central squares, which are handy for a quick map check without spending roaming data.

Florence's churches ask you to cover shoulders and knees, and the Duomo and Santa Croce check at the door in summer; a light scarf does the job. Mealtimes run late: lunch is roughly 12:30 to 2:30, and restaurants fill for dinner from about 8 pm.

Florence runs on Italian, but English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants, and museums around the center. A few words help in markets and on the left bank: buongiorno for good morning, buonasera from mid-afternoon, grazie for thank you, and per favore for please.

Florence's historic core is hard on wheels. Stone paving, narrow sidewalks, and steps are everywhere, and many medieval buildings predate ramps. The trams are step-free and the easiest way to cross the city with a wheelchair, and the major museums are more accessible than the old streets around them. Check each museum's accessibility page before you commit to a visit.

Florence's big local holiday is 24 June, the feast of San Giovanni, the city's patron saint. Shops and many businesses close, and the evening ends with fireworks over the Arno. The days around it also bring the final of the Calcio Storico, the city's rough historic football, played on Piazza Santa Croce. Expect closures and extra crowds if your dates overlap.

In Florence, two museums sell out far ahead: the Uffizi and the Accademia. Book timed tickets on the official sites before you travel, especially in spring and summer. The Duomo's dome climb is a separate timed reservation and cannot be improvised in high season. If you hold a Firenze Card, the Uffizi still requires a timed reservation even with the card.