Florence
About 1 h 45
Want to stay a little longer? Florence makes a wonderful day trip. The city of Michelangelo, Brunelleschi and the Medici is one big open-air museum, with the red dome of the Duomo rising above it all.
- By car to Florence1 h 45
- By car to Terontola-Cortona station30 minutes
Getting there
The centre of Florence is a restricted traffic zone (ZTL). Park at Villa Costanza, a car park on the A1 motorway with a tram into the centre. Or leave the car at Terontola-Cortona station and take the train to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, right in the city.
Don’t miss
The icon
The Duomo and Brunelleschi’s dome
Climb the 463 steps to the top of the dome for the view over the red rooftops. Book in advance.
Art
Uffizi Gallery
Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Leonardo, Raphael and Caravaggio under one roof. Book your tickets online and skip the queue.
Michelangelo
The David
The original stands in the Galleria dell’Accademia, more than five metres of marble. Here too: book ahead.
Across the Arno
Ponte Vecchio and Oltrarno
Walk over the goldsmiths’ bridge to the district on the other side, with the Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens and artisans’ workshops.
Sunset
Piazzale Michelangelo
The finest view over Florence, at its best when the sun sets behind the city.
Our tips
- Pick one museum a day and enjoy the rest of the city.
- Have lunch at the Mercato Centrale, with a lampredotto sandwich or fresh pasta.
- Combine the drive back with a visit to Cortona, a Tuscan hill town 35 minutes from our house.
Staying longer?
Florence is a day trip from Casa Tre Pettirossi. Come for a week or two: then there’s time for Umbria and a day in Florence.