Pisa & Florence - any recommendations...?

[PaoloRossiJohnson]

Off to Italy on holiday on Tuesday, staying in a town between Pisa & Florence (Lucca).

Any suggestions of places to go/avoid, recommendations, tips etc. etc., especially for children - taking a 6 and 4-year-old

Taaaa.

 

[Gully]

I have heard that Florence is entertaining, in a roundabout sort of way.

 

[pasty]

I have heard that Florence is entertaining, in a roundabout sort of way.

I see what you did there

 

[Beach Hut]

Ask DTG he's the expert

 

[PaoloRossiJohnson]

I have heard that Florence is entertaining, in a roundabout sort of way.

Magic response

 

[The Large One]

Florence is a lovely city, just don't bother hiring a car - you won't need it. If you get an opportunity, go to Siena. Great city, and a football stadium in Serie A to match Withdean.

But the real expert is Lord Bracknell. He lived in that neck of the woods - sometime around the Renaissance.

 

[Beach Hut]

But the real expert is Lord Bracknell. He lived in that neck of the woods - sometime around the Renaissance.

Didn't he help paint a ceiling once somewhere in Italy

 

[Hercules Rockerfeller]

Off to Italy on holiday on Tuesday, staying in a town between Pisa & Florence (Lucca).

Any suggestions of places to go/avoid, recommendations, tips etc. etc., especially for children - taking a 6 and 4-year-old

Taaaa.

Don't take too long going to Pisa. All that is there is the leaning tower with hundreds of people having their picture taken pretending to be holding it up. Pisa's football ground is just a short walk away too, so pop and have a look at that!

Florence is fantastic, but as someone already said, it is quite compact, well the bits you need to see anyway. Just wander round and take it all in.

 

[Al Bion]

Lucca is really nice, there's a good tower there that you can climb up, lots of steps but worth it when you reach the top.

When I was there we visited a dinosaur park, its at a town called Peccioli and called Parco Preistorico, I don't think it's too far from Lucca. There's lots of giant model dinosaurs, might be just right for your kids if they like that sort of thing, though the park is a bit rustic and it only takes an hour or so to go round the whole lot.

San Gimignano is also very pretty, lots of towers and cobbled streets though the road is very windy to get there (my son was travel sick all over the hire car!).

Loads of shops everywhere selling delicious ice cream though which I'm sure will go down well with the kids.

I'm sure you'll have a great time!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

But the real expert is Lord Bracknell. He lived in that neck of the woods - sometime around the Renaissance.

And, as far as my part of Italy was concerned, Florence was a foreign country at the time.

TLO is right, though. Visit Siena if you can.

If you have small children, just let the locals indulge them. They'll love it.

 

[Binney on acid]

There are 2 different bus trips with audio commentary around Florence. One of them goes quite a long way into the countryside. You need to do both of them. They really are a treat, but make sure that the audio device actually works before you depart.

 

[Brovion]

Went to Florence last month. Fantastic. We stayed quite near the station and as it's a medieaval city everything is within walking distance. We did all the tourist 'things': saw the statue of David, Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus' (familiar to all Monty Python fans), went round all the galleries, churches, etc.

Coming from Brighton, with the exception of draught lager, I was amazed at how cheap everything was. For Valentine's Day we had dinner in a lovey resturant right on the banks of the Arno river, we could see the pont de Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery. Three courses including wine and service came to just over £55 (just had the credit card statement). The previous year on Valentine's Day we went to The Tin Drum at Fiveways. For three courses wine and service the bill came to £80! Mind you we did get to look out on the glory that is Ditchling Road. How can Florence compare with that?

 

[Trufflehound]

Lucca is really nice, there's a good tower there that you can climb up, lots of steps but worth it when you reach the top.

Also, if you're into culture, it's Puccini's home town. You can go round the house he lived in, which has been turned into a museum. However, be warned if you don't like opera it's just an old house...

 

[Brovion]

Also, if you're into culture, it's Puccini's home town. You can go round the house he lived in, which has been turned into a museum. However, be warned if you don't like opera it's just an old house...

Yeah I was thinking that Florence isn't really great for young kids. I'm not sure how long PRJ is thinking of staying but I bet the kids get bored before he does. We only went because our museum-hating, amusement park-loving teenage son had gone ski-ing with the school. This meant we had a chance to do something 'cultural' without having a voice constantly going "This is SO BORING!"

 

[Dave the OAP]

Florence.

Thought it was great. Stayed about a mile north of the Duomo by the Roman Arch ( very busy junction of three roads). One bit of advice, dont sit on the steps of the main church/Duomo as you will be firstly politely asked to move, if you dont, you will then be TOLD. Go accross the bridge down from the Uffizi ( book up to go to the Uffizzi as queueing is a waste of time). Go the the pizzi palace which has some stunning scenery at the top of the hill behind it ( gallileo's house etc) - excellent artwork also. Try and get to the Church with dante's tomb in it...it is probably the best.

Go on the tourist bus. there are a couple of lines and both of them take you to the hill with the viewing platform over the City.

Pisa is a bit of a one horse place - full of Americans "holding" up the Tower and the Cathederal is ok, but i wouldnt spend more than a day there,

I have never been to Sienna but the reports are good.

 

[Brovion]

... Go the the pizzi palace which has some stunning scenery at the top of the hill behind it ( gallileo's house etc) ...

Isn't it the Pitti Palace? (Former home of the Medici family). If so it's the Boboli Gardens which are indeed stunning.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Yes...sorry "Pitti" palace.

 

[Reading Posh]

Went to Florence last month. Fantastic. We stayed quite near the station and as it's a medieaval city everything is within walking distance. We did all the tourist 'things': saw the statue of David, Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus' (familiar to all Monty Python fans), went round all the galleries, churches, etc.

Went to Florence as part of our honeymoon, my wife asked why there were crwods outside the Uffizi gallery - I said they were queuing to see David. "David who?" she says. Bless.

Make sure you climb to the top of the Duomo, great views of the city from up there and it's a weird climb.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Yeah I was thinking that Florence isn't really great for young kids. I'm not sure how long PRJ is thinking of staying but I bet the kids get bored before he does. We only went because our museum-hating, amusement park-loving teenage son had gone ski-ing with the school. This meant we had a chance to do something 'cultural' without having a voice constantly going "This is SO BORING!"

It's worth preparing children for the art that they are going to see, otherwise they will get bored.

But if they are looking forward to something special, even young kids can get excited. Take them to the Baptistry in Florence and they'll LOVE this:-

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/architecture/florencebaptistry.htm

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

went to florence last year. have to say, unoriginal suggested, the leaning tower was spectacular to look at, and i hate architecture!

the statues were amazing too. had a great time