Planning a Trip to Florence With Kids

Florence is one of my all-time favorite cities.  I first visited when I was a college backpacker and was fortunate to return 10 years later with my husband for an unforgettable weekend visiting friends in Tuscany.  It’s such an amazing city that I was excited to return with our three kids, aged 10, 8 and 3.  My prior visits had both been in March with perfect Spring weather. Even though our first family visit was during an exceptionally hot weekend in mid-July, we didn’t let the heat put a damper on our fun.   Our time in Florence was filled with delicious meals and iconic monuments, cathedrals, architectural sites and gardens.  With proper planning, a trip to Florence with kids can’t be ruined even by by scorching hot weather.

The Duomo

Travel to Florence With Kids

We traveled to Florence by a rental car, which we picked up in Bologna the previous day.  We spent the night in Pisa and toured the Field of Miracles in the morning and explored San Gimignano, a beautiful hilltop town in Tuscany known for its medieval towers, in the afternoon.  Renting a car was a convenient way to make several stops off the beaten path without having to worry about coordinating train schedules or storing luggage.  Luggage storage was definitely a concern with visiting multiple cities by train in the same day.  Not all Italian train stations have luggage storage, and this would have been particularly an issue in San Gimignano, which does not have either a train station or luggage storage facilities.  However, the speed limits, driving patterns and limited traffic zones were particularly confusing and somewhat challenging.  We brought our GPS, which had international maps, but it directed us directly into limited traffic zones on more than one occasion.  As a result, our preference was to travel by train between cities whenever possible.

Our rental car

Much of Florence is a limited traffic zone, and parking is not ideal.  We were glad to drop off our rental car upon arrival.

Not a typical parking garage

Because of easy train connections, Florence would be a great base to explore Tuscany.  Three of my favorite Tuscan towns, Pisa, Lucca and San Gimignano are each easy day trips from Florence.  There are frequent trains from Florence to Pisa and Lucca, and visitors can reach San Gimignano from Florence by taking a train to Poggibonsi and transferring to a bus.

Pisa’s Leaning Tower

View of San GImignano

Other nearby off the beaten path destinations in Tuscany include Orvieto, Panzano, Siena and Volterra.

When leaving Florence, we took Trenitalia to Rome, which was a quick 90 minute journey from city center to city center.  Our train fare cost €96 for our family of five.  There was no charge for our three year old, but she also did not have a seat reserved for her.

Trenitalia train

Accommodations in Florence With Kids

We stayed in an Airbnb about five minutes from the Duomo.  This traditionally decorated apartment was our most spacious accommodation during our European vacation and featured a separate kitchen and dining area in addition to two bedrooms and a living room.  It also had a flat screen television that we never turned on as well as a washing machine.  We were in Florence only two nights, but the size and ample storage available would make this apartment comfortable for a longer stay, especially for families using Florence as a base to explore Tuscan towns by train.  Irene is an Airbnb Superhost, and she let us store our bags in the apartment for about an hour after check out, which was extremely helpful.

Living room

Kitchen (with a washing machine hidden in one of the cabinets)

Local Transportation in Florence 

Florence was a very walkable city, and we did not used public transportation at all during our weekend stay.  Buses are available but not permitted in the area around the Duomo.  We did take a taxi from the rental car agency to our Airbnb.  It would have been a very long walk with luggage otherwise.

Packing for Florence 

Our entire trip was 17 days and 17 nights, but we were primarily staying at homestay apartments with washing machines.  We packed approximately five to six full outfits for each person, which was, as always, more than we really needed.  But, I worried that the promised laundry facilities might not be functioning in each of our locations and wanted to make sure that we did not have to visit a laundromat.  We also needed some bulky items like two Bubble Bum booster seats.  WOW air charges for each carry on larger than a personal item (e.g. backpack) and each checked bag, which cannot weigh over 44 pounds without incurring overweight fees.  So, we chose to check one bag and also bring two back packs with us, and we also packed a gym bag inside our checked suitcase, knowing that we would likely be returning with more than we brought with us.

I had read extensively that cathedrals and churches in Italy require covered knees and shoulders, so we also each packed a few pairs of pants, and I did not bring any sleeveless dresses.  The rules may have been relaxed because of the heat, but the covered knees rule was not enforced at any church we visited.  We probably visited two dozen churches and cathedrals in Italy, and covered shoulders were required only at the Sistine Chapel, Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin.  Shawls or scarves were available for visitors to purchase or borrow at Saint Mark’s and the Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin, respectively.  Shorts and sundresses were appropriate outfits for the unseasonably warm weather we experienced, and I wish I brought more sundresses and a shawl or scarf and left all the pants that I had packed for my sons and me at home.  And, next time, we’re definitely going with a maximum of four to five outfits each.

Our luggage

I’ve never tried packing cubes, mostly because I don’t want one more thing to store and search for before a trip, but I have been intrigued by the organization of separate packing.  It’s amazing how challenging it can be to locate outfits from a large suitcase.  As an experiment, I rolled and packed each person’s clothes in zip lock bags and had separate bags with our pajamas and first day clothes packed into one of the backpacks.  This helped with the organization of the large suitcase and provided a back up in case our suitcase was delayed at the beginning of the trip.  Luckily, we had no trouble retrieving our suitcase at Charles de Gaulle Airport upon our arrival in Europe.  However, on the way back, we made the rookie mistake of packing our pajamas and remaining clean clothes into our backpacks along with our cameras and breakables and packed all of our new clothes and shoes and toiletries into the suitcase.  We also forgot to remove cash from the locked pocket before checking our suitcase.  When it didn’t make the connection in Reykjavik, we worried if we’d ever see it again and realized that so many things we had packed were irreplaceable because they were simply not available in the US.  Luckily, our bag arrived via FedEx Ground four days later.

Ziplock organization

We neglected to pack a supply of small soap bars and shampoo, which were typically not available in our Airbnbs.  But, we were able to find these items easily in local shops.  I also made an unfortunate assumption that our converter also had adapter capabilities when I brought my flat iron, which turned out to be unusable for the duration of our trip (and then delayed).

With a three year old who would need to nap on the go, we decided to bring a small umbrella stroller with us.  While there were some challenges on cobble streets all over Italy, including in Florence, we found that much easier than carrying our daughter, especially when she was sleeping.  She typically hopped out whenever we reached stairs to make the stroller easier to manage, and my ten year old was an expert in helping when she was sleeping.  We do look forward to being stroller-free soon but will miss the built-in storage and bottle holders.

Food in Florence 

A major benefit of using our feet as a main mode of transportation in Italy was that we could enjoy amazing Italian meals guilt free.  We typically sat down for lunch and dinner every day but made reservations only once (because we knew exactly what time we would eat dinner due to England’s semi-final World Cup match).  Even during peak tourist season, we never had to wait more than five minutes for a table.  We learned that a trattoria is more formal than an oysteria and less formal than a ristorante.  Hosts or hostesses often stand outside to encourage anyone passing by to take a look.  A few times, we were put off by a hard sell and moved on.

Our favorite restaurant in Florence was I Ghibellini.  We enjoyed our dinner so much that we returned for lunch the next afternoon before our departure.

I Ghibellini

Each region had its own specialties, and menus were generally posted out front.  We noticed that chicken was not really available at any of the restaurants we visited, but we all tried a variety of dishes.  My older son was particularly adventurous, and my younger son developed a love of margarita pizza.  I particularly enjoyed several amazing meals of seafood risotto.  At dinner, my husband and I regularly shared house wine and were never disappointed.  We found that restaurants did not provide tap water, so we always ended up purchasing a large bottle or two with every meal.  Cut watermelon was a special dessert treat.

We did not prepare any meals in our Airbnb apartments but occasionally warmed up leftovers for breakfast.  We didn’t find a grocery in Florence but did pick up water at corner shops.  We made sure to have a daily afternoon dose of gelato and watermelon, especially in Florence.

Our most artistic gelato

Cell Service in Florence 

We researched relatively inexpensive options to add voice/data to our Verizon mobiles while in Italy but only used cell service on our first day in Florence.  We turned on international usage as soon as we arrived to contact our host, who escorted us up to our apartment.   Then, the next morning, my husband used his phone to connect with his friend who was meeting us in the city. While WiFi was usually available at restaurants, we were able to mostly unplug during the day and use WiFi at our accommodation in the evenings.

Currency in Florence

We definitely needed to use euros at times in Italy, so it was essential to get some local currency.  We traveled with about €200 in cash and then withdrew money twice from ATMs during the trip.

Language Barrier in Florence?

Most people in the Italian tourist industry speak English, and almost all menus were translated into English as well.  My husband and I both learned some key Italian words and phrases, which were helpful in exchanging pleasantries but were rarely necessary.  We experienced no language barriers in Florence.

Pickpocketing Warning in Florence

We had read many reports of pick pockets active in Italy and were extremely cautious.  I carried a Travelon anti-theft messenger bag, and diligently kept the clasps locked.  If I ever felt slightly unsafe, I would hold the edge of the bag covering the clasp.  We had one run in with likely pickpocketers in the Rome train station but remained alert and careful and did not fall victim to their ploy.  Top pickpocket locations in Florence include Ponte Vecchio, Santa Maria Novella train station, the Basilica of San Lorenzo and market, the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi Gallery.

Itinerary for Florence 

We spent a weekend in Florence, arriving in the evening on Friday and departing mid-afternoon on Sunday.  The highs reached into the mid-90s every day of our visit.  We purposely chose to have a few laid back days and did not visit the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Gallery or any churches (except the Duomo).  Even though we weren’t in full tourist mode, we still saw many amazing sights.

Here is our basic daily itinerary for our time in Florence:

Day One

• Arrive in Florence at 7 pm
• Take a taxi to our Airbnb
• Visit the Duomo at night

Day Two 

• Palazzo Vecchio
• David Replica
• Santa Croce
• Santa Maria Novella
• Boboli Gardens

Day Three

• Attend Mass at the Duomo
• Roam around Florence
• Mid-afternoon train to Rome

Why We Loved Florence 

Florence is a walkable and amazing Italian city.  The Duomo is one of the world’s most famous cathedrals, and there is also world renowned art, monuments, architecture and gardens.  Even in the extreme heat, we enjoyed every minute.  Considering a trip to Florence with kids?  Make sure to check out the rest of our blog posts on Florence with kids, our other blog posts about Rome and Venice and our listing of all destinations in Italy!