Florence Warnings Or Dangers Tips by mariocibelli Top 5 Page for this destination

Museum Tickets

Watch out for sites that let you book tickets and charge huge fees for the service.

It is very SIMPLE to book tickets:

Avoid the two-hour peak-season midday wait by making a telephone reservation. It's easy, slick, and costs only €3 (in addition to the €9.50 admission fee). Dial 055-294-883 during office hours (Mon-Fri 8:30-18:30, Sat 8:30-12:30, closed Sun) at least a day before your visit and ideally at least a few days in advance for a better selection. With the help of an English-speaking operator, you'll get an entry slot (15-min window) and a six-digit confirmation number. Off-season, it can be possible to get a same-day reservation. Using the same phone number, you can reserve in advance for the Accademia, Bargello, Medici Chapels, and Pitti Palace; of these, the Accademia has the worst lines.

Water, water everywhere... Public Restrooms Review

I don't have to tell you about the toilet situation in Floville.

First of all, in Italy ALL toilets are considered public, in the since that you really cannot enforce the bathroom for paying customers only. It is polite to buy at least a glass of water or something if your bathroom going is too obvious.

THere are good toilets in the COIN and RINASCENTE departments stores, not to mention the EDISON and MARTELLI booksotres - but please no more VIVA MEXICO and ANTI USA graffitti!

Be alert, almost all the toilets in all the big train stations are pay toilets and the fare for the one way ride is now 70 cents!!

There is also a public toilet inside the Mercato Centrale as well as in one of the side streets off of the Mercato San Lorenzo (follow the signs).

Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves!

Florence is home to a wide variety of entertaining street people, I will try and identify the main groups you may see on the street and how to deal with them:

1. Gypsies: They work alone or in pairs (like a slinky) - there is the hand under the newspaper / sign, naked baby thrown in your face or sometimes a flash of Rom-cleavage. Ignore them, but be firm like you mean business, smiling and being kind will only egg them on - get away from them and hold on to your Euros!

2. Tramps: Not the lady of the evening variety - basically we do have some homeless people on the street, whoare generally mentally disturbed, they are harmless, however you might see groups of unwashed 20-something Anarchists with cute puupy dogs playing horrible plastic flutes asking for money. They are also harmless, most of them come from middle-class homes.

3. Theives - Come in more flavors than Baskin Robbins. The main thing to look out for are pickpockets - especially on the bus (No. 7 to Fiesole) and in crowded areas, the station and Via Cerretani (the horrible street that leads from the station to the Duomo).