Solo Travel Destination: Florence, Italy
We are pleased to present a new Solo Travel Destination Post from Emily, a member of the Solo Travel Society. Emily is from the United States and submitted the following report about Florence. Do you have a solo travel destination that you would like to recommend? Submit your description here, along with a few photos, and share it with fellow travelers!
Solo travel rating: 1.5 (1 is easiest, 4 is most difficult. Please see chart below)
Languages spoken: Italian, English
Looking down at the Ponte Vecchio Bridge.
Reasons to go: Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. Florence is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance and has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. It is very famous for its history and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982. Florence has hot humid summers and cool damp winters.
The best known site in Florence is the domed cathedral called the Duomo and it’s still the largest dome built with brick and mortar in the world! The Ponte Vecchio Bridge over the River Arno is also a well-known site with all the little stores on stilts along the bridge. It’s the only bridge in the city that survived WWII intact. Michelangelo’s “David” is here at the Accademia.
Getting There: Fly into Amerigo Vespucci Airport or if taking a train from another city in Italy, you will use the international Santa Maria Novella Railway System. A new high-speed rail station is under construction and is supposed to be operational by 2015. It is planned to be connected to Vespucci airport, Santa Maria Novella train station, and the city center by a line of Florence’s streetcar system Tramvia.
Getting Around: I got to most sites on foot. I would not recommend renting a car in Florence by any means. However, you might want to rent one and go outside the city to the rolling Tuscan hillside.
Ahh, the gelato…
With a new friend at the Ponte Vecchio.
Drive outside the city to discover beauty in the Tuscan countryside.
Solo Travel Destination Rating System
Safety - 1 (1 very safe, 2 safe in most areas, 3 be cautious at all times.)
Language - 2 (1 English is first language, 2 English speakers easy to find, 3 English speakers rare)
Navigation – 1 (1 easy to navigate by transit or car, 2 poor transit, car necessary, 3 not easy to get around)
Culture – 2 (1 Similar to North America or Western Europe, 2 Different from above but relaxed and easy, 3 Challenging)
Average Rating – 1.5 (1 is easiest, 4 is most difficult)
