Where to Stay in Florence

The main areas at a glance

Travel guides to the city split the center into five or six areas. Each one is known for a landmark and suits a different travel style. Use this table to shortlist one, then read the detail below.

Pick the area by where your tour starts

The easiest way to decide is to work backwards from what you have booked. A city tour starts in the center, so a central room means a short walk on the morning of the tour. A full-day trip into the countryside favours a base near the train station.

Check the meeting point of each tour, then book the room in the area closest to it.

Centro Storico and San Giovanni

This is the area around the Duomo. You step outside and the cathedral is there. It is the natural base for a first trip.

The catch is price. The Centro Storico is the most expensive part of the city, so expect to pay more for the same size of room.

San Lorenzo

San Lorenzo is the area of the Mercato Centrale. It suits travellers who want to stay next to the market and still walk to the Duomo.

Santa Croce

Santa Croce is the area guides pick for atmosphere. It suits travellers who want a local feel without leaving the walkable center.

Oltrarno and Santo Spirito

The Oltrarno is the artisan quarter across the river from the Duomo. Santo Spirito is its trendy heart. It has a residential vibe, but it has few places to stay, so book early if you want a room here.

San Marco and San Gallo

San Marco is the area of the David. Guides tie San Marco and San Gallo to families. The Four Seasons Firenze and The Hoxton Florence are two hotels named in this part of town.

Santa Maria Novella

Santa Maria Novella is the train station area. It suits budget stays and anyone planning day trips out of the city.

Why the center wins on a first trip

From the Centro Storico you can walk to every other area in about 15-20 minutes. That means one base covers the Duomo, the David in San Marco and the shops of the Oltrarno without a taxi.

A guided walk on your first morning helps you find your bearings. The Private Florence Tour: 3-Hour Walking Tour with a Licenced Guide costs $213.81 per person and is rated 5 from 240 reviews. If the cathedral is your priority, the Florence Duomo Complex Private Guided Tour costs $170.23 per person for 2 hours and is rated 5 from 43 reviews. Both offer free cancellation up to 24h ahead.

If the center is over budget

San Lorenzo and Santa Croce keep you close to the Duomo while stepping out of the priciest streets. Santa Maria Novella works too if you arrive by train.

Near the train station

Santa Maria Novella is the area guides tie to budget stays and day trips. You arrive by train and walk to your room. It also suits early starts on a full-day trip such as the Private Chianti Safari: Off Road Tuscany Wine Tour with Lunch from Florence, which runs 8 hours and costs $553.14 per person.

Reading the price tiers

Florence hotel guides list rooms by price tier, from $ to $$$$, inside each neighbourhood. Every area has a cheaper and a pricier end, so compare tiers inside the area you like before you switch areas to save money.

San Marco and San Gallo

This is the area of the David, within the same 15-20 minute walking range as everywhere else. The Four Seasons Firenze and The Hoxton Florence are named here.

Villa La Massa

Villa La Massa is recommended for families. It has family rooms, a large pool and a playground. A 20-minute complimentary shuttle runs from the Ponte Vecchio, so you can sightsee in town and sleep outside it.

With a baby

With a baby, a pushchair and short walks matter more than the view. A base in San Marco keeps every sight within a short stroll. Villa La Massa gives you family rooms and garden space, with the shuttle taking the strain out of the trip into town.

In the city

Santo Spirito, the trendy heart of the Oltrarno, has a residential vibe that suits slow dinners and evening walks. Santa Croce is the other pick for atmosphere.

In the hills

Hillside villa hotels outside the center are an escape from the crowds and the heat. Villa San Michele sits in the hills at Fiesole and reopened after 18 months of renovation with a Guerlain spa. Save this kind of stay for a longer trip, since the center is a ride away.

Choices that work against you

A room far from the center looks cheaper until you add the time and the taxis. A hillside villa is lovely, but on a two or three day city trip the ride in eats into sightseeing. The Centro Storico is the wrong pick if the budget is tight, since it is the most expensive part of the city.

The Oltrarno is the wrong pick if you book late, since it has few places to stay.

What it means for your booking

Because everything is close, the area you pick decides the feel of your stay more than your travel time. The one walk worth planning is the one on the morning of a booked tour. Pick a room near that meeting point and the rest of the city is within the same 15-20 minute range.

A guided walk is a good way to learn the routes on day one. Browse all private tours in florence italy to find one that starts near your hotel.

Matching nights to a base

Three nights cover the Duomo, the David and a guided walk from a central base. A fourth night leaves a full day for the countryside, which is when a base near the station starts to pay off.

Florence or Tuscany, Florence or Pisa

Keep Florence as the base and see the rest of the region on day trips. The Tuscany day trip and the Chianti Safari both start from Florence and bring you back the same evening. Pisa fits into the Cinque Terre tour, rated 4.9 from 186 reviews, so there is no need to move hotels to see it.