Florence for first-timers: How to rock 48 hours in the heart of Tuscany! 🇮🇹

Florence is a pretty straightforward city to navigate, but a few local quirks are worth knowing before you go. Keep these in your back pocket, and you’ll feel less like a tourist and more like a seasoned traveller.

📍 The Monday Museum Rule

Don’t get caught out! Most of the big state-run museums, including the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia, are closed on Mondays. Plan your itinerary accordingly and save your main museum visits for other days. Monday is a brilliant day for exploring the Oltrarno district, relaxing in the Boboli Gardens, visiting the Palazzo Vecchio, or simply getting lost in the city’s beautiful streets.

📍 The Church Dress Code

When you’re visiting churches like the Duomo or Santa Croce, a little modesty is required as a sign of respect. This generally means covering your shoulders and knees. It applies to everyone, men and women. For ladies, a light scarf or pashmina is your secret weapon – just pop it in your bag and you can drape it over your shoulders before entering. For gents, it means swapping shorts for trousers on days you plan to visit major churches.

📍 Stay Hydrated for Free 💧
You’ll see little public drinking fountains, known as fontanelle, dotted all over the city. The water is fresh, cold, and perfectly safe to drink. Carrying a refillable water bottle with you is a game-changer. It’ll save you a fair bit of money and it’s much better for the environment than buying endless plastic bottles, especially during the hot summer months.

📍 A Little Italian Goes a Long Way

No one expects you to be fluent, but learning a few basic phrases shows a bit of effort and is always appreciated by locals. It can be the difference between a transactional exchange and a warm, friendly interaction.

• Buongiorno / Buonasera – Good morning / Good evening
• Per favore – Please
• Grazie – Thank you
• Mi scusi – Excuse me / Sorry
• Il conto, per favore – The bill, please
• Ciao – A casual Hello / Goodbye (best used with people your age or younger)

📍 Validate, Validate, Validate!

This one’s important. When you use a bus or the tram, you must buy your ticket before you get on. You then need to immediately stamp it in one of the little validation machines on board. An unstamped ticket is the same as having no ticket at all in the eyes of an inspector. They don’t mess about, and the on-the-spot fines are hefty and can really put a damper on your day.

📍 Understanding the Coperto

When you sit down for a meal at a restaurant, you’ll almost always see a coperto (cover charge) of around €2-€3 per person added to your bill. This is not a scam or a tourist trap; it’s a standard charge for the bread, olive oil, and the service of having the table. It is not a tip, so don’t be surprised when you see it on the bill.