Tag Archives: Florence

cruise, Italy, Memory Keeping

Florence from Livorno: A Perfect Cruise Day in Florence

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A private transfer, a local guide, a wine window, the Ponte Vecchio, and an affogato. Basically, a very good day in Florence.

Florence was one of those cruise ports where I knew I wanted to see the big sights—but I also knew I didn’t want to spend the entire day worrying about trains, taxis, schedules, or whether we’d make it back to the ship on time.

So we did Florence our way: a private transfer from Livorno, a private guide for three hours, and then plenty of time to wander on our own.

And honestly? It was the perfect combination.

From Livorno to Florence

We met our private driver in Livorno and headed toward Florence, letting someone else worry about the driving while we enjoyed the scenery.

When you’re visiting Florence on a cruise, the distance between the port and the city is something to consider. Having a private transfer meant we didn’t have to navigate public transportation or worry about getting back to the ship.

Our driver dropped us off in Florence and we met our private guide for the morning.

And this is where having a guide made such a difference. Armando looked like the quintessential guide you would picture. He reminded me of Indiana Jones! 😂

Three Hours With a Private Florence Guide

Florence is one of those cities where you can walk around and see beautiful things everywhere you look—but having someone explain what you’re actually looking at takes the experience to another level.

Our guide spent about three hours with us, taking us through some of Florence’s most famous sights.

The Baptistry

We started with the Baptistry, right in the heart of Florence.

Even before you step inside, the architecture and those famous doors immediately tell you that you’re somewhere special.

Our guide filled us in on the history and details that would have been very easy to miss if we’d simply wandered past on our own.

Baptistry Dome

The Duomo

From there, we made our way to the Duomo, officially the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

There are certain places that photographs simply don’t prepare you for, and the Duomo is one of them.

The size, the details, the colors, the dome—it is a lot to take in.

And because our guide knew the area so well, we weren’t spending our precious Florence day figuring out where to go next.

Museo dell’Opera del Duomo

Next was the Museum of the Duomo, which houses an incredible collection of original works of art and sculpture connected to the cathedral complex.

This was another place where having a guide was especially helpful. Rather than simply looking at beautiful pieces, we understood what we were seeing and why it mattered.

Accademia and Michelangelo’s David

We finished our guided portion of the day at the Accademia, home of Michelangelo’s David.

And yes…seeing David in person is one of those travel moments.

You’ve seen the pictures. You’ve seen him in books. You’ve probably seen miniature versions in every gift shop in Florence.

But standing in front of the actual sculpture is completely different.

Our guide wrapped up our three hours here, and from this point on, Florence was ours to explore.

And that’s exactly how I like to do a city day.

See the important stuff with someone who knows what they’re doing. Then go wander.

David

And Then We Wandered…

This might actually be my favorite part of Florence.

Once our tour was over, we didn’t have an agenda.

We walked.

We popped into little streets.

We looked in windows.

We stopped whenever something caught our attention.

And, naturally, we found a wine window.

Because if you’re wandering through Florence and happen upon a little wine window, you obviously have to investigate.

These tiny windows—known as buchette del vino—are one of those wonderfully quirky pieces of Florentine history that make wandering around the city so much fun.

Lunch Behind the Duomo

By lunchtime, we were ready to sit down and enjoy a proper Italian meal.

We found a restaurant tucked behind the Duomo and settled in for lunch.

No rushing.

No checking the time every five minutes.

Just good food, a beautiful setting, and that feeling that you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

And honestly, isn’t that what a day in Italy is supposed to feel like?

Crossing the Ponte Vecchio

After lunch, we continued wandering toward the Ponte Vecchio.

Crossing this famous medieval bridge is one of those Florence experiences that feels almost surreal.

The shops lining the bridge, the Arno below, the buildings rising along the river…

It’s busy, but it’s also beautiful.

We crossed over and spent some time walking along the Oltrarno side of the river.

It felt a little different from the busier streets around the Duomo—more relaxed and perfect for simply strolling.

One More Stop: Affogato

Eventually, it was time to start making our way back toward our meeting point.

But we had one very important stop to make first.

Affogato.

Because apparently there is always room for gelato when you’re in Italy.

A scoop of gelato with espresso poured over it is basically the perfect afternoon pick-me-up—and a pretty great way to end a day of walking around Florence.

Then it was time to meet our driver and head back to Livorno and our ship.

Was a Private Florence Day Worth It?

For us, absolutely.

The combination of a private transfer + private guide + free time to wander gave us the best of both worlds.

We got the history and major sights without spending our entire day trying to figure out logistics. Our guide took us through the places we really wanted to see, and then we had several hours to simply enjoy Florence.

And perhaps most importantly, we didn’t have to worry about getting ourselves back to the ship.

For a cruise day in Florence, that peace of mind is worth something.

Our Florence Day at a Glance

Port: Livorno
Transportation: Private transfer to/from Florence
Guided tour: Approximately 3 hours
Visited: Baptistry • Duomo • Museo dell’Opera del Duomo • Accademia
Then: Wine window • Lunch behind the Duomo • Ponte Vecchio • Oltrarno • Affogato
Style: Private touring + plenty of free time

If you’re visiting Florence from a cruise ship, my biggest piece of advice is this:

Don’t try to do everything.

Pick the things you really want to see, have someone else handle the logistics, and leave yourself enough time to wander.

Because some of the best Florence memories happen when you’re not actually looking for anything at all.

Sometimes you’re just walking down a street, you find a little wine window, and suddenly you’re having one of those this is why I came to Italy moments.

cruise, Memory Keeping

How to Plan a Mediterranean Cruise: What I Wish Every First-Time Cruiser Knew

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A Mediterranean cruise sounds almost too good to be true.

Wake up in a different country. Have breakfast overlooking the sea. Spend the day exploring ancient ruins, wandering cobblestone streets, eating incredible food, and then return to your ship for dinner.

And the next morning?

You do it all over again somewhere completely different.

But if you’ve never taken a Mediterranean cruise before, planning one can feel overwhelming.

Which itinerary should you choose?
How many days do you need?
Should you arrive early?
Do you need an excursion in every port?
How do you get from the cruise port into the city?
And perhaps the biggest question…

How do you see everything without coming home exhausted?

After spending time in Rome before our Mediterranean cruise and sailing through several incredible ports, I’ve learned that there are a few things I wish every first-time Mediterranean cruiser knew before booking.

1. Don’t choose the cruise based only on the ship

This is probably the biggest difference between a Caribbean cruise and a Mediterranean cruise.

In the Caribbean, the ship and the ports are both part of the vacation.

In the Mediterranean, the itinerary matters enormously.

You may fall in love with a beautiful ship, but if the itinerary has ports that don’t interest you—or doesn’t give you enough time in the places you really want to see—you may regret the decision.

When you’re comparing Mediterranean cruises, look beyond the ship.

Ask:

  • Which cities does it visit?
  • How long is the ship in each port?
  • Are there multiple sea days?
  • Does it visit places you’ve always wanted to see?
  • How far is the actual cruise port from the city?
  • Is the itinerary rushed or does it give you enough time to explore?

A cruise that visits Rome, Florence, Barcelona, and the French Riviera may sound like it checks every box.

But remember: the cruise port isn’t always the city.

And that brings me to the next thing I wish every first time cruiser knew.

2. A “port day” doesn’t necessarily mean a day in the city

This one catches a lot of first-time cruisers off guard.

Your itinerary might say Livorno, but you’re probably dreaming about Florence.

Your itinerary might say Civitavecchia, but you’re really going to Rome.

Those aren’t the same thing.

Sometimes you’ll need a train, private transfer, taxi, or organized excursion to actually reach the place you want to see.

That means you need to factor transportation time into your plans.

A port day isn’t necessarily:

8:00 AM – Arrive in Florence
6:00 PM – Leave Florence

It could actually be:

8:00 AM – Ship arrives in Livorno
9:00 AM – Get off ship
10:30 AM – Arrive in Florence
4:00 PM – Leave Florence
5:30 PM – Return to ship

That makes a huge difference when you’re deciding what you can realistically see.

3. Don’t try to see EVERYTHING

This is the hardest one for me because I’m the person who wants to see everything.

It’s the Mediterranean!

How can you possibly choose between the Colosseum, Vatican, Amalfi Coast, Florence, Pisa, Monaco, Marseille, Barcelona and all the incredible little towns in between?

You can’t.

And trying to do it all can turn your dream vacation into a marathon.

Instead, decide what your must-do experiences are.

Maybe Rome is the place where you want a full day of sightseeing.

Maybe in France you just want to wander, eat lunch and enjoy the scenery.

Maybe you’re willing to spend a little more for a private guide in one port because there’s something you’ve always dreamed of seeing.

That’s okay.

You don’t have to maximize every single port.

Sometimes the best travel memories come from slowing down enough to actually enjoy where you are.

4. Consider arriving before your cruise

If your cruise departs from Rome, Barcelona, Athens, Venice, or another major European city, I strongly recommend considering arriving at least one day early.

And honestly?

For some itineraries, I’d consider two days.

Flights get delayed.

Bags get lost.

Transportation doesn’t always go according to plan.

And the last thing you want is to be sitting on a plane watching the clock while your cruise ship is waiting for you to arrive.

Arriving early also gives you the chance to experience the departure city.

For us, spending time in Rome before the cruise meant we weren’t trying to cram the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum, the Forum and the Trevi Fountain into one frantic cruise day.

We could actually enjoy Rome.

And that extra time can make a huge difference.

5. Don’t book an excursion in every port

Yes, excursions are convenient.

But you don’t necessarily need one every single day.

Some ports are easy to explore independently.

Others are much more complicated.

And some destinations are worth paying for a guide because of the history and logistics involved.

My general rule?

Know what kind of port you’re dealing with before deciding how to explore it.

For major bucket-list destinations, I often recommend looking at private tours or small-group excursions.

For easier ports, you may be perfectly happy exploring on your own.

And sometimes the best plan is simply getting off the ship and seeing where the day takes you.

6. Private transportation can be worth every penny

This is one of those things that can feel expensive when you’re booking the trip.

Then the day comes.

You’re standing in a crowded port, trying to figure out transportation, watching the clock and wondering if you’re going to make it back to the ship.

Suddenly, that private driver doesn’t seem quite so expensive.

For certain ports—especially ones where the cruise port is far from the destination you actually want to visit—a private transfer can make the day dramatically easier.

You aren’t just paying for a car.

You’re paying for:

Time. Convenience. Peace of mind.

And on a cruise, those things are valuable.

Private cars waiting for cruisers in Livorno

7. Build your days around what matters most to YOU

One mistake first-time cruisers make is trying to follow someone else’s perfect Mediterranean itinerary.

Don’t.

Maybe you love history.

Maybe you’re all about food and wine.

Maybe you want beautiful scenery and charming villages.

Maybe you’re traveling with your mom and want a slower pace.

Maybe you’re traveling with friends and want to spend the day laughing over a long lunch.

There is no single “right” way to experience the Mediterranean.

The best itinerary is the one that matches your travel style.

8. Give yourself more time than you think you need

European travel involves walking.

A LOT of walking.

Cobblestones.

Stairs.

Museums.

Churches.

Train stations.

Ports.

And somehow the gelato shop is always another half-mile away.

😂

Build some breathing room into your plans.

You don’t have to schedule every minute.

And if you’re traveling with multiple generations, definitely think about how much walking and standing your itinerary requires.

A private driver or guided tour isn’t just a luxury—it can sometimes make the difference between everyone having a wonderful day and everyone being completely exhausted.

9. Think about your cabin carefully

You’re going to hear a lot of opinions about cabins.

Inside vs. balcony.

Midship vs. aft.

Lower deck vs. higher deck.

And yes, those choices matter.

But there’s another question you should ask yourself:

How much time will you actually spend in your cabin?

If you’re planning to be off the ship exploring every day, you may prioritize location and budget differently than someone who plans to spend afternoons relaxing on their balcony.

And if you’re someone who has discovered that you really enjoy having extra space and a quieter, more elevated cruise experience…

Well, that’s a whole different conversation. You can find that conversation here.

😉

10. Don’t forget that you’re still on a cruise

This sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget.

You’re not checking into a hotel in every city.

You’re unpacking once and waking up somewhere new every morning.

That’s one of the best things about cruising.

You don’t have to drag your suitcase through Rome, Florence, France and Spain.

Your hotel comes with you.

But it also means you need to keep an eye on the clock.

The ship will leave without you.

If you’re exploring independently, know exactly when you need to be back onboard.

And remember that “all aboard” isn’t the same thing as “the ship leaves.”

Give yourself a cushion.

Your future self will thank you.

11. Plan for the unexpected

Not every port day will go exactly as planned.

Weather can change.

Tours can run late.

Transportation can be delayed.

A museum can unexpectedly close.

And sometimes you’ll simply wake up and realize you are tired and don’t want to follow the plan you made six months ago.

That’s okay.

Leave a little flexibility in your trip.

The Mediterranean isn’t going anywhere.

You don’t have to experience every single thing in one trip.

French Riviera from the Jardin Exotic n Eze Village

12. And finally… don’t try to do this alone

This is where a travel advisor can make a huge difference.

Planning a Mediterranean cruise isn’t just about finding a cruise.

It’s about matching the right itinerary, ship, cabin, excursions, transfers, pre-cruise hotel and flights to the people actually taking the trip.

And there are a lot of moving pieces.

That’s exactly the kind of trip I love helping people plan.

Because you shouldn’t have to spend hours researching every port, comparing every itinerary and trying to figure out whether a cruise excursion will actually get you where you want to go.

You should be able to look at your vacation and think:

“I can’t wait.”

Not:

“I hope I planned this right.”

If a Mediterranean cruise is on your travel wish list…

Let’s talk about it.

Whether you’re dreaming about Italy, Greece, Spain, France—or a little bit of all of them—I’d love to help you figure out what itinerary makes the most sense for you.

And if you’ve never cruised before, don’t worry.

You don’t have to know what you’re doing before you reach out. That’s what I’m here for.

Your job is to dream about where you want to go.

I’ll help you figure out how to get there.

cruise, Featured, Italy, Memory Keeping

Our Mediterranean Cruise: The Trip I Didn’t Know I Needed

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NCL Epic Mediterranean Cruise

Sometimes you take a trip because you’ve been dreaming about it for years.

And sometimes you take a trip and come home realizing you didn’t even know how much you needed it.

That was this trip.

It started as a trip to take a couple that had never been to Europe. Then another couple joined. It was planned for 3 couples. Then the original couple backed out. Reorganized again. I had to take into account that my husband and I were doing some things we had already done multiple times and create some new experiences for us. Our friends had done some, but not most. It was a long time ago, so they were up for anything.

We recently spent 7 nights cruising the Mediterranean aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic, sailing from Rome to Barcelona. We traveled through Italy and France, ate an unreasonable amount of incredible food, drank plenty of wine, walked approximately a million steps, explored ancient cities and medieval villages, climbed a volcano, wandered through Florence, and somehow still managed to come home exhausted and already planning the next trip.

And as a travel advisor, this trip was something else, too.

It was research.

It was firsthand experience.

It was a chance to test the things I recommend to clients and figure out what I would—and wouldn’t—do again.

Most importantly, it reminded me why I love helping people plan travel in the first place.

We Didn’t Just Take a Cruise. We Planned an Experience.

One of the things I love about cruising the Mediterranean is that the ship is really only part of the vacation.

The ports are the adventure. Those are my favorite parts. Seeing all those magnificent places.

And when you have limited time in each port, how you spend those hours matters.

For this trip, we decided that we didn’t want to simply get off the ship, walk around for a couple of hours, grab lunch and get back on board. We also didn’t want to just do the ship-planned excursions this trip. Those can be perfect depending on circumstances, but for this trip and with our Haven priority privileges, it was better to plan independently.

We wanted to experience each destination.

That meant doing something a little different in almost every port.

We booked private guides and drivers for most of our experiences, while also choosing a few activities that allowed us to explore independently.

And that mix turned out to be one of my favorite things about the trip.

Some days were highly structured.

Other days were completely ours.

There were days when someone was waiting for us at the port with a plan that we were fully involved in creating and days when we simply wandered down a street in Florence because something looked interesting.

That balance is exactly what I want for my clients.

Starting in Rome

Our adventure began in Rome, where we had the opportunity to explore some of the city’s most iconic sights for 2 days before embarking the ship.

We had private experiences at the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Both booked via Get Your Guide.

Having a knowledgeable guide made such a difference. These are places where it is very easy to look at something beautiful or historic without really understanding what you’re seeing.

A good guide changes that.

Instead of simply seeing the Colosseum, you understand what happened there.

Barbara, our incredible guide

Instead of walking through the Vatican and trying to absorb everything yourself, someone can point out the details you would have missed.

We also did something completely different: we went underground.

Beneath the Trevi Fountain is an ancient underground archaeological site, and exploring it was one of those experiences that reminded me why I love looking beyond the obvious tourist attractions.

Everyone knows the Trevi Fountain.

But how many people know what’s underneath it?

Citta del Aqua

Those are the experiences I love finding. This was something I had never done and now would highly recommend it.

Sailing in the Haven

We also stayed in The Haven aboard Norwegian Epic.

And yes, it was wonderful.

But what I really wanted to discover was whether the experience was actually worth the additional cost.

The answer?

For the right traveler, I absolutely think it can be.

The priority embarkation, the additional space and privacy, the Haven amenities, the concierge and butler service, and simply having a quieter place to retreat to after a busy day in port all contributed to the experience.

But here’s the important part:

I don’t think everyone needs The Haven.

That’s something I tell clients all the time.

Travel isn’t about spending the most money possible.

It’s about figuring out where spending more will actually make your particular vacation better. In the case of a Mediterranean Cruise, it was highly valuable to just be able to get on and off the ship when we were ready in just a few minutes. This was especially helpful with private tours lined up.

That’s one of the things I enjoy most about my job—helping people decide where to splurge and where they can save.

Salerno: Ravello and Amalfi

When we arrived in Salerno, we had a private driver, Roberto, take us into the Amalfi Coast.

Roberto was wonderful! I booked the tour through a company based in Naples called Taxi Mister Cab Driver. Roberto was the luck of the draw and I’m so glad we got him, but from what I have seen, all the drivers are fantastic. We met a few in the course of our day when our plans overlapped and the OG driver, Ciro, sang us back to Amalfi on a boat!

Amalfi Selfie with Roberto

We visited Ravello and Amalfi, enjoying the scenery along the way rather than trying to cram as many stops as possible into the day.

The Amalfi Coast is one of those places where the journey is part of the experience.

The roads wind along the cliffs, the views seem to get more ridiculous around every corner, and eventually you realize that you’re spending half your time saying, “Look at that!”

Having a private driver meant we could enjoy the day without worrying about navigating those roads ourselves. Definitely important for the Amalfi Coast. Driving there is no small feat.

It also gave us flexibility.

And when you’re visiting somewhere like the Amalfi Coast from a cruise ship, flexibility is valuable.

Sicily: Mount Etna and Taormina

Our day in Catania was another highlight.

We met our guide, Chiara, and headed toward Mount Etna. I found Chiara on Tours By Locals, a new to me site that has become a favorite.

Yes, we climbed a volcano during our cruise vacation.

Greek Theatre Taormina

Because apparently we don’t know how to sit still.

From Mount Etna, we continued on to Taormina, where we visited the Greek Theatre and explored the town. Chiara lives in Taormina, she knew everyone wandering the streets and even got us a little taste of Ricotta cream that goes into the famous Sicilian Canoli.

And then there was the food.

We ate arancini, because you can’t go to Sicily and not eat arancini. Chiara recommended a fabulous restaurant and it did not disappoint.

Taormina was one of those places that made me immediately understand why people fall in love with Sicily.

The combination of history, scenery, food and that unmistakable Italian atmosphere is hard to beat.

Florence: One of My Favorite Days

Our Livorno port day may have been one of my favorite days of the entire trip. I do love Florence!

We had a private driver (booked via Viator) take us from the port to Florence, where we met our guide for a private three-hour tour. This guide was also booked on Tours By Locals and he was wonderful.

We explored the Baptistery, Duomo, crypt and Duomo Museum before heading to the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David.

And then we did something important.

We stopped touring.

We had lunch.

We wandered.

We crossed the Ponte Vecchio.

We found a wine window.

We shopped for leather bags.

And we ended the afternoon with an affogato before our driver picked us up and took us back to the ship.

That day was a perfect example of why I believe travel shouldn’t always be about checking things off a list.

Yes, we saw some incredible sights.

But some of my favorite memories came from the time in between them.

The wine window.

The shopping.

The affogato.

The conversations.

The wandering.

Those are the things you remember.

Villefranche and Èze

In Villefranche, we decided to visit Èze Village.

Instead of taking the taxi offered at the port, we used Bolt, which ended up being significantly less expensive than the taxi quote we received.

We explored the Exotic Garden, wandered through the village and did some shopping before returning to Villefranche for lunch and more exploring.

It was another reminder that sometimes a little research can save you money without sacrificing the experience.

And yes, I notice these things.

It’s part of what makes me a travel advisor.

I’m always thinking:

Is there a better way to do this?

Is this worth the money?

Would I recommend this to a client?

What would I do differently next time?

Marseille

Our day in Marseille was another example of how much you can fit into a cruise port day without making yourself completely miserable.

We took a taxi to the Old Port and hopped on the Petit Train up to Notre-Dame de la Garde.

After taking in the views, we headed back down and spent some time enjoying coffee and wine before lunch.

We also had a wonderful wine tasting experience, which was one of those unexpected highlights that made the day feel less like a checklist and more like an actual vacation.

Because sometimes the best part of travel isn’t the famous landmark.

Sometimes it’s sitting down over a glass of wine with someone who loves what they do and hearing their stories.

And Then There Was Barcelona

When the cruise ended in Barcelona, we weren’t quite ready for the trip to be over.

We had a private transfer to our hotel in the Gothic Quarter booked through Welcome Pickups and spent time exploring the city.

We had tapas for lunch and later toured Casa Milà and the Sagrada Família with our private guide, Jaume. This tour was a Get Your Guide find and Jaume (Jamie) was fantastic. He was a former architect, so perfect to tell us all about Gaudi’s masterpieces.

Barcelona was the perfect place to end the trip.

And, honestly, I think adding a night or two before or after a Mediterranean cruise is not something just worth considering, it is a must.

You’ve already traveled all that way.

Why rush straight to the airport?

What I Took Away From This Trip

After spending ten nights experiencing this itinerary firsthand, I came home with a notebook full of ideas.

Things I loved.

Things I’d change.

Things I’d absolutely recommend.

Things I’d tell clients not to waste money on.

And probably most importantly, a much better understanding of what makes a Mediterranean cruise work so well for different types of travelers.

Because there isn’t one perfect way to do it.

A couple celebrating an anniversary may want something completely different from a group of friends celebrating a milestone birthday.

A first-time cruiser may need more structure.

An experienced traveler may want more freedom.

Some people will want The Haven.

Others would rather spend that money on private tours and incredible meals.

Some will want to see every possible landmark.

Others will want a long lunch and a glass of wine.

And that’s exactly why I don’t believe travel planning should be one-size-fits-all.

So… Would I Do It Again?

Absolutely.

Would I plan it exactly the same way?

Maybe not.

And that’s the beauty of having the experience.

Now I know more.

I know which splurges I’d repeat.

I know where I would save money.

I know which tours were worth it.

I know where I’d build in more free time.

I know which ports I’d approach differently.

And I can take everything I learned and use it when helping my clients plan their own Mediterranean adventures.

That’s the part of being a travel advisor that I love.

I’m not interested in simply taking an order that says, “We want a Mediterranean cruise.”

I want to know why you’re going.

Who you’re traveling with.

What matters to you.

What you want to experience.

Where you’re willing to splurge.

Where you don’t care.

And then I want to help you build the trip around those things.

Because sometimes you already know exactly where you want to go.

And sometimes you just know you need a vacation.

That’s where I come in.

I’m the person who plans the trip you didn’t know you needed.

And after this trip, I have a whole lot more Mediterranean ideas to share.

Stay tuned. We’re just getting started.

And be sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram, where lots of reels and photos of the trip will be posted.

Italy

Review: Hotel Kraft

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I scoured long and hard to find the perfect hotel in Florence for our family trip. There are tons of choices, but triple or quad rooms can be difficult. We had a little gem of a place on our last trip 15 years ago, but it has since closed.

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Hotel Kraft turned out to be another absolute gem! The icing on the cake was a rooftop pool, there are only a handful of hotels in Florence with a pool, let alone a rooftop one with a view of the Duomo!

Hotel Kraft was a short easy walk from Santa Maria Novella train station and we walked it with our luggage no problem. I had booked 2 triple rooms here, my parents with 1 kid and us with the other. They were right across the hall from one another so that was convenient. The rooms were nice and large with high ceilings and a good size modern bathroom.

 

The best part of this hotel though apart from great service, was the rooftop terrace/restaurant/lounge/pool. Just incredible! You can see for miles around and all the key points of Florence, the famous hills beyond the city, the Duomo and the bell tower of the Palazzo Medici. We spent evenings sipping Bellini’s and Perroni’s and enjoyed breakfast each morning al fresco. The last night we had a front row seat for the view of the sun setting on Florence. We only used the pool one day, but it was very enjoyable to have some downtime on a busy sightseeing trip like Italy is. It’s well worth it to take an afternoon to re-charge. And for our competitive swimmer son to get some laps in. We snuck out for a walk into town and shopping (had to go back and get Christmas presents for the boys they had seen earlier), but my parents and kids enjoyed the pool all afternoon. It was never too crowded

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The hotel was just off the main center of Florence, but only a 10-15 minute walk to the Ponte Vecchio or Duomo. and just 2 blocks up from the Arno River. We strolled it many times. Walking being a bit difficult for my father, they easily jumped in a cab for a short few minutes ride back and forth when they needed to. We always walked. We visited the Accademia Museum and saw the real David. Then the replicas up at Piazzale Michelangelo and out in front of Palazzo Medici. We shopped on the Ponte Vecchio.

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Around the corner from the hotel was our favorite gelateria, B.Ice. This became an afternoon treat and after dinner dessert daily. Within a block there were numerous restaurants, trattorias, etc… you simply cannot go wrong. Starving our first night we tucked into the first one we saw and it turned out to be phenomenal. The hotel recommended another place we went to the next night, also wonderful. The hotel’s restaurant itself was very good as well.

Florence is an incredible city, my favorite city in Italy! Not to be missed on a first time trip to Italy and a great base for day trips to the surrounding splendors of Tuscany.

Italy

Italia Series Part 2 Street of Gold

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Our Italian journey continues onto Florence. See how the trip started in Rome here.

This trip was a long time in the planning. My parents were born and raised in Italy and have been wanted to take their grandkids there for years. We wanted to wait until they were old enough to appreciate what they would be seeing. We were all set to travel last summer and 2 weeks before the trip we had to cancel everything because my father was ill and needed surgery. He came through nicely and the trip was rescheduled to this summer.

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On Thursday August 9th we taxied to the train station and took the high speed train to Florence. Unlike Rome, the hotel we had previously stayed in here was no longer open, so I spent a great deal of time searching for the perfect place for our family. I consider it a success. Hotel Kraft was wonderful. We were able to walk everywhere and it was close to the train station. One block from the Arno River and about 10 minutes leisurely walk to the historical center of Florence.

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Nonni walked off the elevator just as I was taking the photo!

Hotel Kraft is located on a quiet street a few minutes walk from the main train station, Santa Maria Novella and a smaller train station. With 78 rooms it is larger than our Rome hotel, but still not too large. We had booked 2 triple rooms here and they were spacious, had high ceilings and with good sized bathrooms.  This hotel had a restaurant with breakfast included on the top floor. They also served lunch and dinner and drinks in the restaurant and on the large rooftop terrace. Another gem, a rooftop pool with views of all of Florence past the River Arno and the Duomo.  There are very few hotels with pools, let alone rooftop pools in Florence so this was perfect for my competitive swimmer son. It was tiny, but he made due with some practice laps. It was perfect for cooling off as well, still brutally hot during a heat wave continuing through all of Europe.

In Florence I had scheduled a tour of the Accademia Museum to see Michelangelo’s David. We wandered the city, saw the Duomo and Baptistry doors (partially covered for restoration), shopped on the Ponte Vecchio which is the street of gold, Palazzo Vecchio, traveled up to Piazzale Michelangelo, saw all the fake Davids after seeing the real thing and countless statues that decorate the city.

Quick Tip: Limit museums and churches with children. Use Skip the Line entry or short tours to see highlights more easily. Lines in the hot sun are not where you want to be spending your time.

We knew our kids would have little interest in hours or museum strolling looking at masterpiece paintings so I scheduled a short, 1 hour Accademia tour which really just focused on the statue of David and the other statues he left unfinished. It also got us in without a wait in line. We could have stayed and toured the museum on our own after our short tour if we wished of course.  Katy was our tour guide and it was a nice short tour.

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The hotel recommended a restaurant which turned out to be another little gem of a place. We had a lovely meal at Il Parione on the street with the same name and upon leaving people were lined up outside waiting to get in. Another gem we found by accident, we were hungry and it was close by, Trattoria Armando was also excellent.

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Hubby and I wandered on our own several times to shop and explore and we had the best cheese (I think it was cheese) with prosecco when we stopped in to this little place on our way back to the hotel one day. It was so good, they brought it with the wine since they cannot serve drinks without food of course. Another spot we stopped in for lunch Trattoria Nella turned out to be very good too and tiny, only like 8 tables maybe. There was a moment of confusion when the owner started eating Eric’s side order of potatoes because he had ordered some too and didn’t realize they weren’t his. We laughed afterwards once Eric had his potatoes because he is no fun when he is hungry.

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Around the corner from our hotel was our favorite Gelateria! We hit B.Ice twice a day during our stay, afternoon treat and nightly dessert. The counter girl welcomed us in and laughed every time we walked in. She knew our order by the last day.

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A fun thing we loved about Italy, many of the Gelaterias are also bars. And sandwich shops. And snack bar. And pasta restaurant. And have souvenirs too.

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Dinner at the hotel rooftop restaurant on our final night in Firenze

A note about service in Italy: A cover charge and service charge is normally included so if you leave a tip, it can be just a few euros extra since the majority of the tip is included. They often will tell you it’s not included. It is. Also, service in general is slow and not like America where they keep checking on you. Once they bring your food, you never see them again unless you flag them down for something. Nobody is ever in a rush in any restaurant in Italy. Regardless of how many people are waiting outside. Just enjoy and go with the flow.

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While in Florence, we took a half day trip to Pisa since the Leaning Tower was one of the things the kids really wanted to see. This was the one sore spot of the tours I arranged through Viator. The ground operator in this case did not do a good job. We would have been much better off taking a train ourselves rather than doing a tour. The operator was My Tour and while the meeting location was close to our hotel and easy to find the tour itself was not run very well. The escort, Sarenna was a lovely young girl, but really said very little in explaining timelines and what was happening. She also walked very quickly since the bus stops about 1 mile from  Miracle Square. She never looked back to see if the group was still with her and never slowed down for the slower members of the group. There was a local guide which took us on a tour, but we only walked around outside of the monuments. He was good, but clearly worried about what would happen next. The biggest issue we had was they lied about the time we had for our tour of the Cathedral. The cathedral has free entry, but requires a timed ticket like everything in Pisa. We later learned that they send someone that morning to get the tickets and the time they were able to get for our group was 1pm. We had to be back on the bus at 12:45pm. They told us the tour was for 12:30 and we would try and get in a few minute early so as not to rush it too much, and then pretty much sprint back to the bus. They usually will let them in a bit early. But as we tried to get in at 12:15pm they refused and said they would let us in at 12:45pm. Several tried to make them wait and be late for the bus, but the escort and guide refused. For some, including my mother, the cathedral was the only thing they really wanted to see since it is often closed and they had never been inside before. Had they told us up front, we would have gotten ourselves a ticket when we first arrived hours ago and gotten in, but we didn’t because we thought we were getting in with the tour guide. We also would have had time to get a ticket to climb the tower had we known the tour was going to be a bust. So instead we did nothing but wander around and have lunch. Because they didn’t admit the actual time and give us the option.

Stay tuned for the next stop on our trip…