If you’re planning to visit Florence, there are a few essential things every first time visitor should know in order to have an amazing trip. After years of living here, I’ve set out my top 11 tips if you’re going to be in Florence for the first time.

Florentines make it look so effortless. Sipping espressos, cruising on Vespas, strolling through sunlit piazzas and pretty much always looking good.

One of the attractions of visiting this beautiful city, alongside the food and wine, the art (oh the ART), the history and the extraordinary amount of famous monuments, is the lifestyle of the locals.

Knowing what to expect from Florence travel on arrival will make your trip much smoother. While there is a Florence airport, most people fly in and out of Pisa airport.

Pisa airport is just over an hour away from Florence, but it’s larger with more international arrivals and low cost airlines. Just make sure you allow for adequate travel time to and from the airport.

It’s easy to hop on the train with the regular Pisa Mover shuttle from the terminal to Pisa Centrale station, where you can get a direct train ride to Florence.

The main train station is Firenze Santa Maria Novella, or you can buy a bus ticket from one of several coach companies who offer regular, direct services between Pisa airport and Florence city center.

You might consider Florence airport if it’s an option from your departure city. Flight prices can be higher but sometimes there are good deals when booking in advance.

If you arrive here, you can be popping open a Prosecco in the historic center within half an hour of walking out of arrivals, as the tram station at the airport (T2 line) takes you straight to Santa Maria Novella station in around 25 minutes.

The Florence travel public transportation options are simple to navigate, covering the entire city and city center, but there is one essential thing you need to remember.

Validating your tickets

This is, in my opinion, one of the most important rules to remember when visiting Florence for the first time, and should be high up in any list of tips for visiting Florence.

Checks on tickets have become stricter and more regular, and even I’ve been (innocently) caught out a few times. If you are caught with an un-validated ticket, you will have to fork out 50 euros on the spot, per person.

Before boarding a bus, tram or train in Florence you need to have a) purchased a ticket and b) VALIDATED it, which means inserting it into the designated machine on the train or tram platform or on board the bus, as soon as you get on.

No validation for the inspector means no ticket and this will result in a fine. Tourists used to be let off, but signage in terminals has made it clear there is no more mercy and let’s be honest, if you’ve spent money on a train ticket and get fined for not stamping it, it’s going to sting a bit.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Florence is also known as the ‘Cradle of the Renaissance’ and is said to be home to a third of the world’s greatest art. The city attracts millions of visitors each year, but this doesn’t mean that everything you want to see is accessible 24/7.

Being in a country with favourable employment conditions, decent lunch breaks and annual paid leave means that some offices, attractions, restaurants and museums are closed, sometimes in the middle of summer, or in the middle of the day.

Much of Florence also observes the 2.5 day weekend where things stay closed until Monday afternoons or even Tuesday morning, so it’s always a good idea to check in advance.

Your Florence itinerary will be hugely impacted if you don’t check the opening hours. Purchasing tickets either online or at a ticket office, and then finding you missed the opening hours does not make for a fun trip.

Main sites to check timings for in advance

The sites you should not leave to chance are:

• The Uffizi Gallery
• The Accademia Gallery
• Boboli Gardens
• Duomo Complex (including the Duomo dell’Opera museum)
• Medici chapels
• Santa Croce

Despite these hugely popular sites in the historic center being visited by millions of people each year, they are still subject to changes in opening hours and days.

If you do get caught out by an unexpected closure, you can always rely on the open air museum elements of this city to entertain you, such as Piazzale Michelangelo, the Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio and Ponte Vecchio along the river Arno.

Be aware that some museums take part in the Free Sunday event which will impact whether you can book tickets in advance.

Ok so this is a personal favourite, but you do have to be okay with narrow staircases and heights. There is no better place to see the whole of this magnificent Medieval city than from the top of Florence’s most iconic monuments in the Duomo complex.

If you’re feeling particularly energetic, you can climb both the Dome and the bell tower with a combined ticket, called the Brunelleschi Pass. When purchasing this ticket you need to book a time slot in advance which reduces unnecessary queuing, especially in peak season.

This pass gives you access to all the monuments in the Duomo complex, including the Opera del Duomo Museum (which I highly recommend) and you have three whole days to visit the attractions.

If you plan to hit the top spots, assume that everyone else is going the same way which, in a word, means lots of queues.

Take the Uffizi Gallery for example, as one of Italy’s (if not the world’s) most famous art galleries. It’s a must see but it is immense. You could spend hours in a queue only to run out of steam before seeing the best bits.

I strongly suggest hiring a local guide who will arrange your tickets, reduce queuing time and, once inside, whisk you to the works of art that you never knew you really wanted to see.

Tours like this one which also includes a walking tour of Florence, or this one which takes up onto the terrace of the Duomo can show you a different side of Florence. Good tour guides will also help you avoid typical tourist traps as well as helping out with general Florence travel tips.

We particularly recommend hiring a guide if you have kids, as many of them offer interactive tours that keep young ones engaged, entertained and enlightened (and parents too).

When thinking about visiting Florence, it’s easy to imagine ourselves wandering through sunlit streets in summer clothes feeling the warm air at our backs.

What most tourists don’t realize however is that the summer heat can severely impact a trip. Summer months in Tuscany can see temperatures around 40°C/100°F, especially in the cities, sending locals indoors until after 5 or 6PM.

It’s a good idea to check ahead to see if your accommodation has air conditioning and mosquito nets so you can keep windows open at night. Don’t forget to pack some bug spray too, although you can also easily find it at any grocery store or pharmacy in Italy.

Don’t plan lots of walking for the early afternoons and remember to hydrate, use sun hats and sunscreen, or simply sync with the Italian clock by taking a well earned nap after lunch.

Start the day again later in the afternoon, refreshed, when the intense heat has eased slightly, the streets start to bustle with life and the famous aperitivo is served which, in my book, is THE best moment of every day.

Florence is the home of the Negroni cocktail so head to a bar in the Oltrarno district, south of the Arno river, and start with one of those.

The food markets in Florence are where you get to understand the heart of the city.

What the locals buy, what makes them tick, the stories from the farmers, the butchers, the fishmongers and the bakers; it’s a carnival of smells, flavours and characters. And if you’re staying in an apartment, eating in can be a great way to save money.

Make a stop at the historic Sant’Ambrogio market in this vibrant district to the east of the city (before 2pm Mon-Sat) and taste what’s in season. It’s also a great spot for gifts to take back home.

The Mercato Centrale is an impressive attraction with restaurants and wine bars upstairs showcasing the best of the produce from the Tuscan countryside. Downstairs, the various produce stalls serve locals and tourists alike and it gets busy, as does the famous San Lorenzo leather market lining the streets outside.

As you probably know, leather is big in Florence so if you get a chance, pop into the Leather School in Santa Croce, just behind the basilica. Here you can see master craftspeople at work and browse stunning collections of unique, hand-stitched works of art.

This is harder for some and easier for others but probably the piece of advice I would trade in all the others for, is to eat like a local wherever possible.

Florentines know what they are doing when it comes to food. Their very essence is founded on it. Trust them! Eat steak (and any meat) as they cook it – you can do it, just once.

They are famous for it and you can actually TASTE what a steak tastes like. Florence even has a T-bone named after the city; ‘Bistecca alla Fiorentina’.

If pink or red meat doesn’t sit well with you, go for a slow cooked wild boar stew or peposo, or try something new like an artichoke carpaccio, a primo with puntarelle, anchovies and burrata, or the Tuscan ribollita, tortelli alla mugellana, truffle pasta or a recommendation from your waiter that you’ve never tried.

Listen to their recommendations of contorni (side dishes) and look at what the locals on the next table have ordered and get curious.

Florence is also famous for tripe and ‘lampredotto’ which you’ll come across served in buns with punchy salsas from street vendors around the city. We’re talking parts of a cow’s stomach so, although I also recommend you get involved in this unique Florentine experience, I will forgive you if you don’t.

If you’re traveling with younger kids, don’t expect to be able to eat dinner out at 5:30PM everywhere. Many restaurants don’t open until 7:30PM so make sure you do a bit of research beforehand on places that stay open throughout the afternoon.

Alternatively, if it works for you, slip into the Italian rhythm and work with a later bedtime for everyone, and enjoy a Spritz or two.

Before you plan your Florence travel, take a look at the public holiday calendar, including regional variations, which could affect closures, transport and other public services.

The big national holidays to bear in mind are:

• April 25 – Liberation Day
• May 1 – Labour Day
• June 2 – Republic Day
• August 15 – Ferragosto
• November 1 – All Saints’ Day
• December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception

These are in addition to the Christmas, New Year and Easter festivities.

There are also many regional holidays, such as the feast day for Florence’s patron saint, St. John the Baptist, which is celebrated on June 24.

Both local and national holidays draw large numbers of Italians to the major cities like Rome, Naples and Florence. So, if you are planning to visit Florence for the first time around these holidays, be prepared for busy sites, higher accommodation prices and potential closures of restaurants and shops.

You shouldn’t be put off visiting during holiday periods however, as there’s still plenty for you to do away from the crowds. Why not take a food tour, or go wine tasting, or take a day trip to some of the nearby charming Tuscan towns like San Gimignano?

Always remember that when visiting Florence, asking a trusted local where their favourite place is to eat the perfect steak, to taste the best wine, to admire the best view or to escape the heat, will often lead you to the best kept secrets and most treasured experiences.

You don’t want to return home after visiting Florence for the first time without bringing back a little taste of the city with you.

Be sure to leave space in your luggage for taking home bottles of wine and irresistible foodie treats, alongside the clothes and leather bags. If you’re planning on bringing back items, pack some bubble wrap or similar to protect any precious cargo.