We used Florence as a stop-over for a day trip to Pisa. We arrived there early evening after our horrendous exit to Venice thanks to a national transport strike.
Our hotel in Florence was fantastic. I cannot say this enough. We were hot, tired and stressed when we arrived at the hotel and were thrilled when they offered us a complimentary welcome drink. The room was a family room but was one of the few hotels where my kids had genuine single beds (no pull out/fold out sofas or cot beds!). The staff were friendly and helpful and gave us fantastic tips on getting around. The breakfast was delicious and the owner even went out of his way to drive us to the train station on two occasions. I cannot recommend this hotel more and suggest that if you are taking a trip to Florence then book the Hotel Giglio.
We found Pisa - like most of Italy - hot! I bought one of those lacy tourist fans for a couple of Euros in a stall across from the Leaning Tower and declared that it was the best two euros that I'd spent on the whole trip. The tower itself was interesting although we decided not to climb it. We did take the 'holding up the tower' pictures that every tourist puts on their 'must do' list when visiting there.
BEST SIGHT-SEEING EXPERIENCE......We loved the markets in Florence. Fantastic shopping to be had!
OTHER THINGS WE DID.....We went to Pisa by train then took a bus to the Leaning Tower.
CULINARY DELIGHTS.......We had dinner at a restaurant called 'Trattoria Da Tito'. This was a recommendation from the hotel that we stayed at. It was a great place to eat with friendly, helpful staff who delighted us with a complimentary tomato bruscetta to go with our meal. I would definitely recommend this place to my friends.
THE KIDS RECOMMEND......The markets in Florence. The spent a lot of money there!
BEST TIP.......Buy leather goods in Florence. This was by far the place that we visited that sold the best price and quality leather. There are so many to choose from as well so you can afford to be picky and bargain with the sellers.
NEXT TIME....We would definitely stay longer in Florence. We didn't even get to see a lot of the main sites in this city. We had intended to see the Statue of David but were too hot and tired to bother in the end and went back to the air conditioning of the hotel.
