I could not find a direct flight from the United States to Florence, so my options were to fly into Rome, Milan or Paris and from one of those cities catch either a flight into Florence or take the train. On my last trip, I found flying out of New York City that Air France offered the best fare. I flew into Paris (Charles de Gaulle) and from there I caught  a intercity flight to Florence. The flight from Paris to Florence was approximately an hour and forty minutes. I would like to mention when inquiring about the flights, I found it was cheaper to book the flights separately versus booking them as one. I also would like to mention I made sure there was  plenty of time between flights in case of delays. I am not sure what the policy of the airline if you miss you connecting flight when you book the flights separately. On my trip home from Florence, I saved time by arranging with the airline to have them transfer my luggage in Paris from the Florence flight to the flight home to New York. By doing this I avoided having to re-check my lugguage in Paris for the flight to New York.  Now if I would have booked the flights together I would not have had to do this because the airline would have automatically transferred my lugguage

When arriving by plane I found the easiest way to get from the airport into Florence is by taxi. The cost was reasonable and the alternative would have been to take a bus to the bus terminal and from the bus terminal to either walk to my hotel or take another bus or hail a taxi.

The narrow streets of Florence are quite lovely explore. Most of the main attractions are in the historic center of town within easy walking distance of one another, but just in case there are buses that run throughout the city. The bus system is operated by ATAF. Tickets are available at tobacconist shops, newsstands and at the bus terminal. For more information such as routes and timetables click on the  link. The site has an English version.

I pre-booked (time entry) tickets to some of the museums I wanted to visit through a company called Select Italy. Florence attracts a large number of  people, some of the more popular museums such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia (home of the magnificent David) can have long lines especially during the high season. Given the popularity of Florence and since I was going in May I thought it was a good idea to make reservations for both the Uffizi and the Accademia in advance. As it turns out it was a good idea. For example I made a 10:00am reservation on a Tuesday for the Uffizi Gallery. I arrived a little before my entry time to pick up the ticket at the ticket office. As I was walking to the entrance I passed a rather long line for those who did not pre-book their tickets. I walked in without waiting in a  line. I had a similair experience at the Accademia.

I found The Florentine, a free weekly newspaper for the English speaking community Florence helpful. The newspaper keeps the  ex-pat community and visitors informed on what’s going on. It’s distributed on Thursdays throughout the city.

The Paperback Exchange (Anglo-American Bookshop), 31R Via Fiesolana Tele: 055 2478154 is good to know about in case you would like to purchase a book in English. I found a wonderful little shop that sells handmade wallets and other leather goods across from Santa Margherita de’ Cerchi (the church where Dante got married). It’s called  Dantesca, 13/R Via Santa Margherita Tele: 055 289187.The propietor of the shop was extremely nice.

You can sample and purchase cheeses and other specialties of Tuscany including Salame di Cinghiale (salami made from wild boar) at the Mercato Centrale (food market). The beautiful cast iron building was completed in 1874 and beautifully restored in 1980.