So good trains so fast ticket purchase so easy T2 here from…read morehotel so easy people reps inside answer questions love love

One of Italy's busiest stations as the main hub to Venice, Rome, Naples with 160,000 people passing…read morethrough every day, Santa Maria Novella is more than just a train station. It serves as a grand gateway to the heart of Florence bustling with locals and tourists, strategically positioned in the northwest corner of the historical center. Opened in 1935, it features a spacious entrance hall with a glass and steel roof. The station's main entrance leads directly to a large hall where tickets are purchased and information on several digital boards displaying train schedules prominently. There are 19 clearly marked platforms, and directional signs in multiple languages help guide passengers to their trains. The station houses several eateries, from quick snacks and coffee bars to sit-down restaurants. My partner, our friends, family member, and I waited here last Wednesday for our high-speed Italo train on our last leg to Rome. Andiamo!

25th Wedding Anniversary trip alert (European vacation)…read more.. The Uffizi Gallery is housed in a long, elegant structure designed in the 16th century by Giorgio Vasari for the powerful Medici family, the gallery retains an air of purpose and grandeur, its corridors opening toward views of the Arno River and the city's historic skyline. The Uffizi collection is widely considered one of the finest in the world, particularly for Italian Renaissance painting, and includes works by masters such as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Iconic paintings like Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera feel both familiar and astonishing when encountered in person. Their scale are beyond belief. The depth and breadth of the gallery is a bit overwhelming, with dozens of rooms and hundreds of masterpieces, creating moments where wonderment converges with a bit of tiredness. What lingers most is the sense of continuity: the Medici legacy encapsulated every wall, and the feeling that one is walking through the very cradle of Renaissance thought. The building itself is stunning...frescoed ceilings, eye-catching statues, and glimpses toward Florence's landmarks. Uffizi Gallery reinforces the idea that art, history, and city are intricately connected. Prepare to take adequate time to view the exhibits

November 6, 2024 3:45-6:45PM…read more We initially didn't plan to visit but was told this is a must do in Florence. I'm glad we did. I love art museums and thought this was more religious artifacts but glad to see some of my new favorite paintings in person. Silly me! Upon entering the museum, there a lot of stairs to climb. Get your exercise in for sure! I did see a very tiny elevator a little bit hidden to the side, so they definitely can accommodate those needing accessibility but plan accordingly as the elevator was tiny, probably one stroller/wheelchair at a time. The Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Spring are both so amazing to see in person. The works of Caravaggio were very powerfully presented. The da Vinci, the Michelangelo, the Raphael... so many great artist and their works are housed here. Lots of Sweet Baby Jesus and the Madonna, various Adam and Eve paintings.. My favorite besides Botticelli's, was from Pietro Perugino's a Portrait of a young man.. the eyes, the emotions, almost the sadness... what a great painting. The various views from the Uffizi Galleries of Florence was also pretty amazing, from Ponte Vecchio, along the Arno River and the view of the city... so glad we went during sunset as I caught some pretty great shots with just my iPhone. I definitely think this is worth the stop and glad to have this as an impromptu visit. Got in pretty quickly without a reservation either, we were very lucky.

Our family of five booked the Vespa tour, and it was absolutely amazing! None of us had any…read moreexperience riding Vespas, but our tour guides were incredibly patient, supportive, and encouraging from the very beginning. It was definitely a little intimidating at first, but they took the time to help us feel comfortable and confident, which made the entire experience so enjoyable. Chris and Antonio were fantastic guides and truly made the day special. Chris brought the region to life by stopping at breathtaking viewpoints and sharing fascinating cultural and historical insights along the way. The scenery was stunning, the food was delicious, and the whole experience exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area--it was one of the highlights of our trip!

Had a great Cinque Terre Walk About tour with our guides Naomi and Luca. Both brought their…read morepersonalities and knowledge of the area to the tour. You should be proud to have them as employees. Since they went the extra mile and smile, I have a little suggestion. It's best done to the Aerosmith song "Walk this Way". Enjoy... Walk About ( To the song Walk this Way by Aerosmith) Cinque Terre lovers There's a tour like no other Who can fill with your day with so much fun From the bus to the train Their always there to explain As you travel town to town in the sun Always with a smile They go the extra mile Naomi and Luca should really be praised For the hard work they do I have a suggestion for you How bout giving them both a raise Walk About We all shout Without doubt Don't cop out Just give them a raise Seaside villas Lined up and down the hillas Stretching up the Italian Coast With breath taking views So many we never knew An experience we all will boast Speaking for the rest These two really gave their best A credit to your industry by far So maybe tomorrow You can give them some more Euros And on Yelp I will give you 5 STARS Walk About We all shout Without doubt Don't cop out Just give them a raise

Absolutely gorgeous place to visit. Please go inside if you have the chance but if you don't, the…read moreexterior is absolutely gorgeous. The areas has a lot of hotels (pretty obviously, since the train station is right across the street, on the back side of the church) and quite a few places to eat and drink. Two wine windows are in the area and my best friends favorite gelato shop, you can see from the square.

This review is merely for the exterior and a bit of the surrounding area. I read that they offer…read moretours inside, but we did not have time for one. This church was near our hotel and I wanted to at least see it as I'd taken an architecture course once in college that covered it. The back of the church is close to the front of the main Florence train station, separated by a wide street with multiple light rail tracks. You need to walk around to the far side (from the station) to see the façade, which is the famous view. There are businesses flanking one side of the church (hotels, restaurants, and other shops). There was some booth set up where people attempted to flag down passing pedestrians (I'm not sure if it was some political thing or they were eventually asking for donations, etc.; we escaped without hearing their pitch). Also around the front of the church there were African guys selling trinkets or attempting to engage tourists to sell something. These guys were fairly common throughout downtown Florence, actually. In front of the church is a large plaza which provides good longer-range unobstructed views for photos. The front of the church is sort of a 'late Gothic transitioning into the Renaissance' style. It is quite striking and worth a short detour on your way to the city center. The best lighting for photos seemed to be in the mid to late afternoon.

Best kept secret. A lot of academics on sabbatical or vacation stay here; their rates are very…read morereasonable and their rooms are all unique. They have a very small capacity and it is family run. I once stayed here when my apartment lease was up and my plane ticket wasn't for a few more days--they had a vacancy, so they upgraded me from their single bed room to a king. I can't tell you how amazing this was after sleeping on effectively a cot for the four months before it. They're kind people and it's run top notch. Proximity to the train station is awfully convenient too.

I picked Hotel Mario's after reading reviews on multiple websites, including Yelp. It consistently…read morereceived great reviews. Hotel Mario's is conveniently located about a three minute walk from the train station and about five minutes from El Duomo. Unlike most European cities, Florence is not at all shady around the train station, so don't be scared that by its proximity to the train station (which is seedy inside). I will say Mario's isn't the BEST location, however, as it's about a 10-15 minute walk to the river, and a lot of the better restaurants are located on the other side of the river. Nonetheless, Florence is a small, walkable town so nothing is that far away. The hotel lobby is one level off the street. If you need help with your luggage, don't hesitate to ask - service is very friendly! Our room was really big by European standards, and cutely decorated. Wi-fi was fast, reliable and cheap. The people at the front desk were incredibly friendly and helpful. Breakfast, included with the room, is a typical European breakfast, but with great coffee, even cappuccino. It's not a luxurious hotel by any means, but it's spacious, clean, quiet and has great service. You won't be disappointed.

Amazing experience. We've stayed at many other Marriott properties: the JW, the Ritz etc but this…read moretakes the cake. Paco in the front was so nice and helpful. He set up such a nice dinner at the river for us. Rebecca our lovely butler was so kind and efficient. It made our stay luxurious and memorable. Will be planning our travels around the St. Regis locations. Can't express how grateful we are for the hospitality and the beautiful historic property. The location was so close to the Plaza Repubblica. It was really hot this summer but otherwise everything would've been super walkable. Great for kids and families as well. The breakfast had something for everyone. Just come and experience it for yourself. Ciao ciao.

We were on a Tauck tour of Florence and they booked us at this hotel for two nights. It was…read morefabulous. The lobby is beautiful. All staff members were very friendly and accommodating. The rooms are beautiful as well as comfortable. The breakfast buffet had so many good looking and tasting items on it. We also had a group lunch our first day there and the food and desserts provided were great, especially the spinach and ricotta ravioli and the cheesecake.

If you're spending any real time in Florence, you're pretty likely to cross the Ponte Vecchio,…read morewhich spans the Arno and more or less connects Palazzo Pitti to the Duomo. You'd walk it even if it were just any old bridge, but it is in fact The Old Bridge: a medieval stone arch bridge, and the only bridge in Florence to survive World War II. We never made a point of visiting Ponte Vecchio, but we walked across it several times during our two days in town. It's a lovely bridge, with shops built onto both sides--I guess this was a common thing in medieval times. The shops give the bridge an interesting building block look from the outside, and form a vibrant commercial corridor within. No car traffic, but plenty of pedestrians at all times. Most of the shops on Ponte Vecchio seem to sell gold jewelry. I recognized a few chain jewelers, but I think those were in the minority. I doubt Ponte Vecchio is the place to get a good deal on gold jewelry, but if you want a gold souvenir from Florence, it's probably worth a browse. We didn't shop on Ponte Vecchio, but we enjoyed the bridge as a bridge, a practical monument full of beauty and history. It offers prime views of the city and is, of course, a marvel in itself. We enjoyed seeing the shops open, but the bridge was even prettier at night, when they were closed. The storefronts all had these wood shutters that made them look like treasure chests. So charming. We were in Florence in mid-November and saw the Christmas lights go up over Ponte Vecchio but didn't stay long enough to see them turn on. I'll bet this bridge is magical during Christmas, but it's not like it isn't special all year round. It's one of the places that makes Florence Florence.

Along the Arno River, the Ponte Vecchio is one of the city's most noteworthy landmarks, lined with…read moreshops and rich in history. The Ponte Vecchio ("old bridge" in Italian) is a working part of Florence's daily activities. Crossing the bridge for the first time, what stands out immediately is how unusual it is. It feels like a narrow street or marketplace suspended above the water, sprinkled with small shops. This distinctive layout with shops built directly onto the structure has existed for centuries and gives the Ponte Vecchio a special character unlike any other bridge in Europe. The current bridge dates to the mid-14th century, rebuilt in 1345 after earlier versions were destroyed by floods. Over time, it has evolved from a practical commercial crossing into a symbol of Florence's artistic and cultural identity. Originally filled with butchers and traders, it was transformed during the Renaissance when the Medici decreed that only goldsmiths and jewelers could operate here. Today, virtually every retail type is featured.

Every toy imaginable for any age. Beautiful and large store! Right in the heart of Florence.read more

Located on one of the main streets in the city center and with a display window full of army…read morefigures, dolls, and a life-sized samurai Playmobile figure and even bigger stuffed polar bear, how could I deny my kids when they beg me if they could go in "just to look"?! Dreoni has so many sections filled a huge selection of toys--from all-American Barbies to Pinocchios, baby toys to train models, bouncy balls to puzzles, build-your-own stuffed animal to musical instruments--if you're looking for a specific toy, Dreoni probably has it. Although there was an occasion or two (possibly even three!) when we left Dreoni without buying something, we usually left the store with an item, even though the prices were a bit on the high side. If you do buy something, check out is very peculiar: you give the item(s) to a check out staff member who then adds up the prices of the items. You then walk to another counter and pay another employee before returning to the first staff member who has wrapped your items. Always threw me off but it works for them. Treat your kids, and the kid in you, to a visit to Dreoni. It's almost as fun as museum and you can score some cool action figures or baby dolls while you're there!

We had a great time on our tour with Roberto from We Drive You Tuscany! We did the 8 hour San…read moreGimignano and Chianti Classico as well as the Pienza, Val d'Orcia, Montalcino wine and Pecorino cheese private tours with Roberto. This was my first trip to Italy, we enjoyed a comfortable ride throughout the countryside in the clean, air conditioned van! Roberto was so knowledgeable and made sure we knew all the best places to visit along with the history of the beautiful Tuscan countryside! He even gave us recommendations for our second leg of the trip to Rome. We will definitely use this service again!!

We had the pleasure of touring Tuscany with We Drive You Tuscany. Roberto was our driver and we…read morehad a beautiful Mercedes van that was new and comfortable. Bottled water was provided and he even stopped to get Fresh pizza for us. By the time we finished touring with Roberto for two days we felt that we knew so much about the area, history and culture of the region. Roberto's knowledge or art, history, food and culture was so impressive. The tour we did with Roberto was much more than him driving us from place to place. Each place we went was so carefully planned and curated. We visited wineries, vineyards and a sheep farm that makes cheese. With his help, we were able to visit every place we wanted to see as well as some smaller unknown, hidden gems. We saw so many beautiful landscapes and Roberto stopped frequently for us to take in the views! I cannot say enough wonderful things about Roberto. We hope to go back soon to tour Umbria and Florence with Roberto.

This station while it's accessible they know it's a main train stop for those that travel. WHY IN…read moreTHE HELL are there no escalators or elevators working. All you see is people struggling to go up and down 3-5 flights of steps I mean COME ON! Plus I know there are train bin changes spoken only in Italian which causes people to abruptly leave the current bin but for a non Italian speaker how the hell would they know grrrrr. I hope I never have to use this train stop again!

There's no place to store luggage ;( you could leave it one station over at Sta Maria della Novella…read more(SMN) but it's expensive - about 1 euro per bag per hour.