What do you need to go to Florence? Well, you might think, good shoes and an excellent travel guide will suffice. Yes, maybe. But Florence is not only a beautiful city of art, it is also a great little universe to discover and which can reserve interesting surprises. Also in terms of natural landscapes and things to do or not to do. Here are some more tips to consider before leaving.
Travel documents
Let’s start with very practical things! What documents or papers will you need? Since Florence is in Italy, that is a nation in the Schengen Agreement area, all tourists from other Schengen countries can enter by only showing an identity document – passport or identity card from their own country. If they arrive from a “non-Schengen” nation, they will show a passport that is valid up to three months after the date of your arrival.
Be informed about whether your country is included in the list of those that need to show a mandatory visa before entering Italy. Bring with you the document that will be issued to you at the hotel or B&B after registration. That too is valid as an identification document to move around the territory. Travel and/or health insurance is recommended but not mandatory.
What to pack for your trip to Florence
When you decide to visit Florence, pack both sportswear and elegant clothes. In fact, it may happen that you visit luxury restaurants but also trattorias, museums but also country villages. Since the ideal seasons to visit the city are autumn and spring, you will still need to expect a few rainy days. So, OK to jackets, comfortable shoes, caps but also green light to high heels and dresses and suits for a “chic” dinner.
Forbidden to forget at home: cameras, camera battery chargers, mobile phone chargers, because taking pictures will be your first “sport” during a holiday in Florence! One thing to certainly pack is … salt! In fact, in Florence they love to eat “not very tasty” and bread, above all, is kneaded without any salt. So yes, you will need it!
What to do and NOT to do in Florence
After landing at Florence Airport and finding your vehicle that will take you to the city, get ready. Here’s the do’s and do-nots!
A must do: walk! You can’t explore Florence if you don’t walk. Take pictures, this will also be a “pleasant obligation”. Visit the museums, and … no, it will not be a boring experience but on the contrary a very exciting one. Also allow yourself to have some nice trips out of town, to the hills around the city, to the parks, to the nearby Apennines. Go as far as the nearby cities, which are just as beautiful (Pistoia and Pisa above all).
In Florence you MUST NEVER, for any reason:
- complain about unsalted bread (you were warned earlier! plan properly the solution);
- use the car to get around the historic center – the pedestrian areas are very large!
- eat a cooked steak – here the meat must be eaten rare (they say “al sangue”)!
- trust street vendors of souvenirs, especially if they are too insistent;
- stroll through some poorly lit areas of the center, or Piagge and Cascine districts at night.