We stayed here in Flroence - very centrally located and nice amenities (good breakfast buffet included)
Hotel Brunelleschi
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Those hotels look lovely. But, pricey (for our limited budget, lol)! Wondering if it would be cheaper to stay at some sort of Air BnB type place? 
I usually use Trivago and then sort by lowest price, then I find King size room and good reviews.
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Iāve stayed twice at a place thatās budget and clean. I can look it up and let you know tomorrow,
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There are many excellent airbnbs at great prices. We actually prefer them to hotels. We stayed at one on Via Lambertesca but I canāt find the listing anymore. I use either vrbo or Airbnb. This one looks lovely:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16409957?source_impression_id=p3_1658316913_7lnaaj%2BXUzjRPXx1
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Found it. It is the Hotel Londra. Itās easy walking distance from the Santa Maria Novella train station.
Itās not luxurious, but it is fine. Iāve stayed twice on business travelātraveling alone. For me it has been an easy place to get in and out of the city. Iāve stayed there the first night after arriving in Italy, where I needed to have just a few hours of meetings before leaving Florence the next morning.
Iāve also stayed there for two nights before leaving for the trip back to the States. Itās a very fast taxi ride to/from the airport for a very early departure!
Iām not an imposing figure at 5-1ā and Iām pretty comfortable walking outside at dusk.
It has a decent lobby and a good breakfast in the dining room. Each time I have been there in the March-April time period.
It really depends on how long youāll be in Florence. Iād stay at Hotel Londra for two nights. Longer than that, Iād choose another location. I also prefer to stay north of the Arno as I know my way around and it seems easier to get to public transportation.
Also, this is on the border of the ZTL (limited traffic zone) so my business colleagues to easily drive to get me.
I hope this helps!
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http://www.torremannellisuites.it/
This is more like airbnb. I loved the location. You can walk to almost anywhere.
We stayed at this hotel few weeks ago. It has a beautiful courtyard for you to relax after a busy day, but the location is not as ideal. It is close by the train station.https://www.palazzocastri.com/
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Iād recommend watching Stanley Tucciās CNN show all about Italy and the food.
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Thanks so much for those recommendations, oldfort, Mom22039, and tavern girl. That AirBnB, tavern girl, looked breathtaking. And yay on the price!!! oldfort and Mom22039 those hotels were just gorgeous - haha, I couldnāt find the prices anywhere though!! Will keep trying! Iāll also take the advice to use search engines and sort by price.
I love Stanley Tucciās Searching for Italy! Have watched every episode. And Iām not a foodie!! My D wonāt look at it as she āwants to be surprisedā when she goes! LOL
Wondering if most folks who traveled to Italy bought their tickets far in advance? We are planning March of 2023 and I am thinking we should buy asap, but a friend who is going the same time said she thinks prices might drop laterā¦? Another friend bought plane tix for $1200 each last year to Florence from our nearby city - right now they are in the mid-$700s so Iām getting nervous!
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Palazzo Castri can be found on Expedia.
I stayed at the airbnb few years ago. I think it was few hundred $/night. We really liked the one bedroom because it had a beautiful large balcony and a separate living room.
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Just put the hotel name and then trivago and it will pop up.
Here is a screen shot of one, I just put a week in March just for show.
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Here is a hint about Florence: I have found great places to dine, drink, shop and tour on the other side of the Arno - off the main tourist areas and into the local areas. There are fun antique shops, great bars, and fabulous restaurants that are friendly. There is even a wine store that offers classes in blending your own wine. You might even find more affordable hotels, B&Bās and VRBOās in this area, that are really nice. There are some charming B&Bās in the Porto Romana neighborhood.
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We stayed at Hotel Davanzati. Great hotel, family run, just super nice and helpful. Free breakfast, free happy hour.
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When r u going?
Will be in Florence late October for 3 nights. Itās the last stop of our trip before we fly home.
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We loved the little trains that make intercity travel cheap and relatively easy.
Howeverā¦ they never depart or arrive on time. So be prepared and try not to fret.
As for cool places, every place was cool:
Cinque Terre ā beautiful pink-and-yellow-house-clad cliffs, beaches, tiny little towns along the Ligurian coast.
Porto Venere ā This is kind of the sixth town of Cinque Terre. Absolutely gorgeous.
Venice ā its charms have been mentioned ad nauseam, probably, already. Donāt chase the pigeons.
Florence ā The Uffizi is awesome
Verona ā Do the photo with Juliet. Guys grab a breast and women hold her hand. Snap.
Bologna ā You can finally say, without doubt, that you have eaten real Bolognese if you get it here. They make it with white wine, not red.
Roma ā Same as Venice, so many of the attractions are well known. My most vivid memory of Rome happened while eating pizza outdoors (or trying to): I grabbed a piece of pizza by its outer rim, and began to bring it to my mouthā¦ but it flopped over and the toppings slid onto my khaki lap. āClub soda, per favore!ā
If you have time, check out the Ferrari and Alfa Romeo plants.
I spent two weeks in Italy and gained about ten pounds. The food is ā when you can eat it successfully ā just unbelievably good.
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On the flights, itās hard to say. There are so many options and rules.
Iāll fly economy or economy plus. I prefer to start a Trans-Atlantic flight at 10:00 or so, but Iāve had to fly as early as 5:30.
In general, Iād rather fly trans-Atlantic from Dulles, and then connect within Europe if needed.
My March and April trips were in the $900-$1300 range (upgraded seats etc). Iām looking at $1200-$1500 in September flying into Palermo and out of Rome. Iāll also fly within Italy on separate tickets if I go.
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Iām copying all these great tips ā appreciate it! Mom60 Iāll be so interested in how your trip goes (as we are planning March 2023).
In Europe we have sometimes locked passport at hotel room (or cruise room) safe, sometimes carried. Both methods make me nervous. I realize odds are that you will be fine, but Iāve heard and read way too many stories from tourists who regret not being more careful. I have not heard about US-like armed holdups. I think mostly the city thieves are unemployed youth who seem to prefer grab-n-go.
For those who like to carry a handbag, I suggest carrying the passport and big cash and credit card in a passport pouch under clothing. Iāve done it a variety of ways but usually I loop the neck string on side of bra and having it hang down my side.
It works best if you keep small cash handy for purchases. These days I use my iphone so much for travel that Iāll have to think on that for next trip - probably will use a secure pocket, though it is small and does fit in the pouch.
Knock on wood, weāve never had any problems with our bags. The only time I got upset not having my passport with me was when I needed it for Tax free purchase.