The city of Florence which is called Firenze in Italian is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This capital city of Italy’s Tuscany region is a favorite with tourists so much so Florence is sometimes referred to as a ‘tourist trap’ as Florentines have over the years tried to extract the most out of their rich renaissance legacy. Florence lies on the River Arno and this city which is considered to be the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance was once the playground of some of the greatest creative minds like Michelangelo, Boticelli and Leonardo da Vinci. Such is the physical beauty of Florence that the entire city which is littered with scenic piazzas, palaces academies, parks, gardens, churches, monasteries, museums, art galleries and ateliers was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1982.
If you have always had the desire to see this jewel of the renaissance, then perhaps you should consider making a trip to Florence and the rest of Tuscany, however your journey to Florence from a US city is likely to be an indirect one for Florence is served by a small airport (the Amerigo Vespucci Airport) which is equipped only with a single runway. This airport is one of the two main airports that serve the Tuscany region, the other being the Galileo Galilei Airport in Pisa. So it is likely that your flight from the US will have stopover in a city in Europe before offering you a connection on to Florence. This journey is likely to then be considered ‘long haul’ for which business air travel is definitely recommended.
Now before you balk at the c...Read Moreost of business class tickets to Florence which may perhaps make you rethink your vacation plans, you should be aware that there are ways and means to procure business class cheap to Florence if you are savvy enough to spot business class deals that are periodically promoted by airlines who offer connections to this destination which has often been described as the ‘most desirable destination on earth’. At other times, last minute bookings with airlines can also sometimes afford you deep business class discounts to Florence. However if all this seems too confusing for you because you want a certain amount of flexibility in order to plan your journey, you may want to consider using the services of your friendly travel agent who despite all the doomsday predictions has not yet been made extinct by online booking sites.
Travel agents often have access to a wealth of business class deals to various global destinations and these business class discounts often add up to rebates of up to 70% when compared to regular business class airfares. Travel agents have this access to cheap business class tickets by way of their personal connections and relationships with airlines which have usually been cultivated over the years.
These relationships are usually mutually beneficial as they often ensure airlines regular, repeat business through these travel agents who are often high volume sales agents It must be mentioned that these cheap business class airfares are by no means inferior to regular business class airfares for they afford you all the amenities that are usually associated with full price business class fares like priority check-in, fast track immigration , enhanced luggage allowance, fully flat beds and limitless good food and wine along with great personalized service.
These discount business flights sometimes have certain terms and conditions associated with them but these are minor inconveniences when compared to the tremendous savings that they afford. Moreover they also often come loaded with additional perks like mileage accrual and pre-flight seat selection which is considered absolutely essential for a long haul trek.
Once you have located your cheap business class seat to Florence you now have to decide the timing of your trip. Most tourists head to Florence and Tuscany in during the warm Tuscan summers however during this time, the city seems to be overrun with tourists and it can hamper your viewings especially if you are an art enthusiast. Moreover it is likely that your business class deal to Florence may also not be valid for the high season. Then perhaps the best time to plan your Florentine vacation is during the seasons of spring and autumn when the daytime temperatures in Florence are pleasant with highs of around 18-20oC( 70o-74oF) and the huge touristy crowds have abated somewhat.
The airport of Florence is well connected by shuttle bus and coach to the city center. The Volainbus airport shuttle and the bus ATAF no 62 connect Florence town center with Amerigo Vespucci airport. Additionally Florence is well connected with the rest of Italy by way of the Italian rail network on which it is an important node. In fact Rome is only an hour and a half away by train from Florence.
Florence is quite a compact city and the best way to experience its many delightful sights and sounds is to explore it on foot though if you would rather use Florence’s public transport then you could hop on to a bus that belong to its bus network which is called ATAF and which operates throughout the city from 5.30am to midnight. Taxis also serve the city but they are quite difficult hail on the street though they are more easily available outside the Florence Central station and various other tourist sites.
For other practical advice for your Florence trip, it is good to know that electric standards in the city like the rest of Italy are composed of 230 volts, 50Hz and the plugs used here are the standard two pin plugs. Florence like the rest of Italy also uses the Euro as legal tender and the city is well equipped with banks, ATMs and bureaux de change though exchange rates offered by banks are surprisingly better than the ones offered by the casas de cambios in Florence.
As for attractions, this gorgeous city which is nestled in the foothills of the Apennines, along the banks of the Arno River has plenty. This is a city which for decades the seat of power of the Medici family who were one of history’s most important noble families that revolutionized culture and the arts. Additionally Florence also played host to whole host of creative geniuses like Botticelli, Michelangelo, Bruneschelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Boccaccio, Alberti, Masaccio, Donatello, Vasari and Fra Angelico down the ages.
Florence is literally littered with historic buildings and palazzi, the Medicis in fact ruled the city from many splendid palaces like the Palazzo Vecchio which continues to function as Florence’s town hall until today and the Palazzo Pitti which is surrounded by the gorgeous landscaped Boboli Gardens. The main hubs of the city were its squares, the Piazza de Duomo and the Piazza della Signoria which is adorned with many sculptures and which continues to function as epicenters of activity until today.
However the city’s main attractions include sites like the Uffizi which is considered to be one of the world’s greatest art galleries whose permanent collection includes a veritable who’s who of Renaissance artists like Giotto, Masaccio, Paolo Ucello, Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian and Caravaggio. The building which houses this spectacular collection actually functioned as the Uffizi or the office of the Medicis and it today contains a treasure trove of art treasures that include numerous intricate Greek and Roman sculptures.
The Accademia Gallery is yet another famous treasure trove of art in Florence that contains the renowned sculpture of David by Michelangelo which is perhaps his most famous work though the Accademia also contains other works by the artist which include the unfinished marble sculptures of the four prisoners.
Florence is also home to many magnificent churches which were built by the Medicis like the Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo or Cathedral of Florence which is located in the center of the city and affords great views of the city from atop its enormous dome which was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The construction of this Cathedral was begun in 1296 though it was consecrated only in 1436. The church has the capacity to host 20,000 worshippers at a time. Yet another church worth visiting in Florence is the Santa Croce which is a spectacular Gothic church which was built in 1294 and whose interiors are decorated by frescoes created by Giotto and his pupil Taddeo Gaddi. The church houses the tombs of many famous Florence residents like Michelangelo, Galileo, Ghiberti and Machiavelli.
The western boundaries of the city contain the Florence Railway Station and yet another important sight in the form of the quaint Ponte Vecchio Bridge was built in 1345 and which managed to survive the relentless bombings of the Second World War. The area of the bridge was once populated by local craftsmen like gold and silver smiths, butchers, tanners and blacksmiths but today this bridge is a popular location for an evening stroll in Florence. These are but a few of the many Renaissance age attractions that dot the landscape of this mag Hide