A Beginner's Guide to Florence, Italy

Florence, Italy was recently voted the 2010 Travelers' Choice number one location for Culture and Sightseeing. It also came in 8^th place in the Food and Wine category, as well as the Romance category. This article will give you some beginner tips on traveling to Florence.

The best time to visit is usually in the spring while temperatures are in the 60s and 70s. It is also unlikely to rain a lot during this time of the year because the rainy season happens in the winter. If you are considering visiting in the summer, keep in mind that the average high in July and August is 88 degrees.

Transportation within the city is quite easy because it is fairly small. You will be able to walk almost everywhere and will probably want to do so because it is difficult to find parking spaces and the city has many narrow, one-way streets. Most of the monuments are close to one another and the shopping area is rather contained as well.

If you are coming by plane, you are likely to arrive in the Galileo Galilei airport in Pisa. There is a smaller airport called Peretola in Florence, but many international planes are too large to land here. The train or bus ride from Galileo Galilei takes about an hour. If you are interested in taking side trips to Bologna, Milan, Venice, Naples, or Rome while in Florence, the train leaving Florence's central station called Santa Maria Novella can take you there.

Florence is a safe city for travelers. Violent crimes rarely occur. The streets are usually full of tourists and vendors, even at night, so walking around is safe if you use common sense. A common crime that does occur is pick pocketing so make sure to protect your belongings while out and about.

There are many things to see and do while in Florence. San Lorenzo is a nice church to visit. Don't miss the statue of David in Accademia. You will want to book tickets first so you don't have to wait in the long lines. To get a good view of Florence, climb up the Duomo in Piazza San Giovanni. The Galleria degli Uffizi is the best art gallery in the city.

Remember to keep cash on you to pay for things such as museums and food because credit cars are not as widely accepted for these purposes as they are in the U.S.