What Not to Do in Florence, Italy
Are you wondering what NOT to do in Florence, Italy? These are the biggest mistakes to avoid!
I’ve now been to Florence three times, and I totally understand why it’s one of the most popular destinations in Italy. This beautiful Renaissance city has it all — gorgeous architecture in a lovely setting, an overwhelming amount of art and history, a compact, walkable size, and of course, delicious food!
There’s a reason that you’ll see Florence on almost every Italy itinerary. If it’s your first time visiting Italy, or if you’ve been before but haven’t visited Florence yet, you definitely need to go!
However, since it is such a popular tourist destination, there are some important things you need to know before you go. Things that can even make or break your trip! Below, I’ve rounded up the most common mistakes that tourists make in Florence to help you avoid disappointment and have a great trip.
These are the most important things not to do when visiting Florence!
1. Thinking you can do Florence in a day
Florence is a fairly small city that’s easy to walk around, especially when compared to somewhere like Rome. But that still doesn’t mean you can do Florence in a single day! This is not a day trip destination.
I’ve heard of people trying to visit Florence on a day trip from Rome (1.5 hours away by train) or another Italian destination. And while it sounds doable in theory, I promise you won’t get to fully enjoy Florence if you just spend one day there. Instead, I recommend spending at least three full days in Florence.
This gives you enough time to hit the city’s highlights, but also to spend time roaming around and discovering less touristy corners. With three or four days here, you can also take a day trip or two from Florence. The city makes a great base for exploring smaller cities and towns in the Tuscany region.
2. Not pre-booking museums
Pre-booking museums is not a must in some European cities, but in Florence, it’s 100% necessary. And it’s not just to avoid waiting in a long line to buy a ticket — tickets to popular museums often fully sell out days, if not weeks, in advance. If you don’t already have a ticket, you won’t be able to go inside.
This is most important at the Uffizi Gallery (the most famous art museum in Florence that’s full of many masterpieces) and the Accademia Gallery (which houses Michelangelo’s iconic David statue.)
While visiting the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (AKA the Duomo) is free, you’ll need to buy tickets in advance if you want to climb the dome or bell tower of the cathedral. Other museums in Florence like the Pitti Palace are popular, but won’t necessarily sell out — but you still save time with advance tickets.
Pro tip: If tickets are already sold out on the official websites for the museums mentioned above, I recommend checking GetYourGuide and Viator. You can often find tickets from third-party travel agencies, or guided tours that include entry tickets, even for seemingly “sold out” dates.
You might end up paying a little bit more for this, but if visiting one of these renowned attractions is important to you, the extra cost can be worth it. I had to do this in Milan to see The Last Supper by da Vinci, and even though it was pricier than just buying individual tickets, the guided tour was great!
3. Renting a car
While there are some destinations in Italy where renting a car can be helpful, Florence is not one of them. (And for that matter, I wouldn’t recommend it in any major Italian city.) But especially not in Florence!
Why? Well, first of all, Florence is pretty compact and walkable. You’ll most likely never be more than a 30-minute walk from anywhere you want to go in the city, and many of the most popular attractions in Florence are concentrated in the historic center, where everything is literally just a few streets away.
Secondly, most of Florence is a ZTL (limited traffic zone) and your rental car won’t have the permits to drive on those streets — only locals do. And many streets are actually pedestrian-only, so no cars can drive on them. This can make it very frustrating to drive in Florence — not to mention finding parking!
Save yourself the hassle and don’t even think about renting a car here. For anywhere that’s too far to walk (or you just want to give your feet a rest), you can simply take the tram, the bus, or a taxi.
4. Visiting at the wrong time of the year
Is there really a “wrong” time of year to visit Florence? In my opinion, yes, there is. And that time of year would be summer, specifically June through August. These are the hottest, most crowded months of the year. I usually recommend avoiding the peak summer season for most destinations in Italy.
If you want summery vibes for your trip, September is a much better month to travel. It’s still busy, but not as crowded as the peak summer months. And it’s still warm and sunny, but not sweltering hot.
My trips to Florence have been in the fall (mid-October and mid-November) and in the early spring (early March.) Fall and spring are both great times to visit Florence for mild weather and fewer crowds. Winters in Florence aren’t too cold, and the city is beautifully decorated around Christmas.
I’d recommend traveling outside of the peak summer season not only to avoid extremely hot weather and crazy crowds, but also for avoiding high prices. Hotels are a lot cheaper in the off-season.
5. Eating by the Duomo
Florence is home to some amazing restaurants, but it’s also full of just as many tourist traps. One of the easiest ways to avoid tourist traps is to not eat right by major landmarks like the Duomo.
While it might be tempting to plop down at a sidewalk cafe with views of Florence’s iconic cathedral, especially after a long day of sightseeing, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
A lot of the restaurants located right around the biggest tourist attractions in Florence are overpriced and don’t have the best quality. Instead, I recommend researching restaurants in advance (so you’re prepared and don’t make a desperate decision when hunger strikes!) or checking out the side streets.
Sometimes just walking a few blocks away from a popular landmark and turning down a less-trodden side street will reveal hidden gems, like underrated restaurants that are only known by locals.
6. Getting Stendhal syndrome
Stendhal syndrome is named for the 19th-century French author Stendhal, who was so overcome by the beauty of Florence’s art and architecture on his 1817 trip that he almost fainted. Rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and fainting when exposed to significant beauty are the characteristics of Stendhal syndrome.
This one is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, because there’s plenty of debate as to whether this phenomenon is actually real. If anyone is fainting in Florence after a day of sightseeing, it’s probably because they’re really just overheated, hungry, dehydrated, tired, and/or running on too little sleep.
But still, the key takeaway here is to pace yourself in Florence. Don’t cram a whole day full of sightseeing without taking any time to sit down and rest. It’s easy to get “museum fatigue” so I recommend doing just one a day — don’t start with the Uffizi Gallery in the morning, then head to the Accademia Gallery right after. Not only is it tiring, but everything starts to run together after a while too.
You’ll be walking a lot in Florence and spending a lot of time on your feet, so be sure to plan for some downtime. A long, leisurely lunch at midday is a nice way to break up your days while in Florence.
7. Skipping the southern side of the Arno
The Arno River runs through Florence, and many of the city’s most popular tourist attractions sit on the northern side of the river. But it’s a huge mistake to completely skip the southern side!
On the hilly, southern side of the Arno, you’ll find Piazzale Michelangelo, the best sunset spot in the city. This is also where you’ll find the beautiful Boboli Gardens and the impressive Pitti Palace.
There are several bridges linking both sides of the city, with the Ponte Vecchio and the Ponte alle Grazie being the most central ones, so definitely take a stroll across and spend some time exploring!
8. Wearing the wrong shoes
I’ve mentioned this several times now, but chances are, you’ll be doing a lot of walking in Florence. It’s easy to log at least 20,000 steps a day from strolling around this pedestrian-friendly city.
Although Florence is very walkable, it’s important to wear the right shoes. There are a lot of uneven cobblestone streets, so you don’t want to wear heels in Florence. It’s also important to wear shoes that are actually comfortable for lots of walking, so don’t try to break in some brand-new sandals or boots.
Instead, I recommend tried-and-true sneakers or other shoes you know are comfortable to walk in. People in Italy dress stylishly, but sneakers are totally acceptable street style to wear in Florence or other Italian cities. And it’s a lot more important to be comfortable than to get blistered feet in the name of fashion!
9. Having an early dinner
Mealtimes in Italy might be a little later than what you’re used to at home. Lunch is usually at 1 PM or 1:30 PM, and dinner is anywhere from 8 PM to 10 PM. Many restaurants don’t even open for dinner until 7:30 PM.
If you decide to sit down for an early dinner at 5 PM or 6 PM, you’ll be limited in your options, and you might end up at a touristy restaurant that isn’t as good. This is why you definitely shouldn’t skip lunch while in Florence, because you want to remain full enough until it’s actually time for dinner later on!
Instead of going out for an early dinner, it’s a better idea to enjoy an aperitivo. Starting around 6:30 PM or 7 PM, you’ll see many people having a drink like a Negroni or Chianti wine with light bar snacks.
10. Picnicking in the wrong spots
Florence introduced regulations and even potential fines of up to €500 for tourists who are caught eating in restricted areas of some of the city’s busiest streets. This mainly applies to congested streets in this historic center near popular tourist attractions — it’s not an overall ban of eating on the street!
But if you grab a sandwich from the famous All’Antico Vinaio or a gelato from the popular Gelateria dei Neri, think twice before sitting to eat on the curb of the street, or on the steps of a building. Not only could you theoretically receive a fine for this, but it’s also just rude and inconsiderate to those around you.
Sitting on the street blocks the flow of pedestrian traffic, and sitting on steps in front of residential buildings is a huge annoyance to people who live there. You also shouldn’t plop down on the steps of churches in Florence, because this gets in the way of people walking and can be a tripping hazard.
Instead, if you’re grabbing a snack on the street, look for a bench where you can sit and eat, or an area like a park that’s more out of the way. You might have to walk a few minutes to find a good spot!
11. Buying counterfeit goods
Florence is known for its leather goods. If you’re a savvy shopper, you can find good deals on handmade leather bags, wallets, belts, and other accessories. However, there are also lots of counterfeits.
You’ll see street vendors selling “leather” handbags (that are always fake) as well as designer knockoffs. In addition to being technically illegal to buy these counterfeits, they are also of really bad quality.
If you want to buy real leather goods in Florence, do some research on the best leather workshops and studios in advance. You can also buy real Italian designer goods for less in Florence. For example, this is where I bought a Moncler winter coat, and it was about 15% cheaper than in the US.
You can also get your VAT (value-added tax) refunded when you leave Italy — make sure you ask for the refund form in the shop. This saves you even more money when buying luxury goods in Florence.
12. Not taking any day trips
I mentioned at the very beginning of this guide that Florence is not a day trip destination itself, and you should spend at least three days there. However, Florence is a good base for taking day trips.
Florence is the capital of the Tuscany region, and you can easily visit other Tuscan cities like Siena and Lucca by train. You could also take a guided day trip around Tuscany if you want to visit some of the smaller towns and villages (because Tuscany is a region where some driving is necessary!)
Beyond Tuscany, there are other great day trips you can take from Florence. The charming, colorful coastal villages of Cinque Terre would probably be my other top recommendation for a day trip!
13. Not getting a local eSIM
If you’re traveling to Florence from abroad, getting an eSIM is a must. You can use your existing phone plan while in Italy, but you might rack up expensive data roaming charges or pay a high daily rate for it.
I’ve now used Airalo in more than a dozen countries and counting, and I cannot recommend it enough! It saves you so much money by getting you connected with a local eSIM you can use for high-speed data abroad, without impacting your existing phone plan or phone number. And it’s so easy to use.
Mistakes to Avoid in Florence, Italy
This guide showed you what not to do in Florence.
Florence is an amazing city, and I don’t want you to experience any disappointments or letdowns while you’re there because you made any of these mistakes. By understanding and avoiding these common first-time mistakes, you can come prepared and make the most out of Florence and all it has to offer.
Enjoy your trip to Florence!
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