Hotel Class: 
5 Stars - 125 Opinions
Via degli Olmi 4 / 8, Bagno a Ripoli, Florence, Tuscany, 50012, Italy
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of people enjoy staying here
125 Opinions
Basilica di Santa Croce, Firenze (Florence)
Cellini's Perseus in the Loggia dei Lanzi
Inside Basilica di Santa Croce
Christmas chocolate window display
Is is desired to stay right in Florence or is it problematic to be a bit outside the city; say in Bagno a Ripoli at the Villa Olmi Resort? I believe its only 5-6 KM outside the city; does that sound right?
The web site for Villa Olmi Resort shows off the place as a bucolic retreat. It looks as if you can enjoy yourself if you elect to stay there. It maybe so nice that you will not want to leave to visit Florence :-)
Some of the "country" hotels/resorts run buses into Florence.
It is not recommended that you drive into Florence. Parking is expensive and tough to find.
If you would like to consider a hotel in Florence, I suggest Hotel Tornabuoni (www.tornabuonihotels.com/). It is a very friendly hotel. We loved our time there. Our room was spacious, as was the bathroom; all was spotless. Because the entrance is four flights up (there is an elevator) privacy is maximized.
Not only is the comment about parking being expensive and tough to find accurate, there are also ZTLs (limited traffic zones) in the city center where you are not allowed to drive and will be automagically ticketed when the traffic cameras shoot a photo of your license plate...and the locations are frequently not well marked from the tourist point of view...especially when you're driving in a strange city and looking at everything except the traffic signs ;-)
Actually, for this reason, people do sometimes stay outside the city center, for example, in Fiesole, the original Etruscan town in the hills above the city.
The key concern is bus transportation. Does the bucolic resort have a shuttle? If so, what are its hours? Does a city bus stop nearby? If so, what are the hours?
The limitation on staying outside of the city center is that public transportation in most Italian cities starts to wind down about 11 p.m. (midnight in the bigger cities and maybe 12:30 or 1:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday night in the largest). So the problem becomes, can you walk around Florence in the wee hours and still get back to your hotel? If you're not a wee hours person, this may be fine...but many people like the thought of walking around after a long evening of sightseeing, people watching, eating (and drinking), and they'd like the idea of not getting "home" until 1:00 a.m. - so do your homework ans see if you have transportation at the time you need it...(the hotel should know)...
Bill
You can climb the 414 steps to the top of the Cupolla. From there, you can enjoy wonderful views of the city.-
Se pueden subir los 414 escalones hacia el tope de la cúpula. Desde allí, se pueden admirar maravillosas vistas de la ciudad
You don't have to go far to find the beauty of a quiet Tuscan town. FIESOLE is for all intents and purposes a 'suburb' of Florence, yet has an atmosphere all its own.
To get there, just take the bus (ATAF bus #7) from either the train station or Pza. San Marco to Fiesole; it's about a 10 minute ride up the hill.
There's a cathedral, some nice cafes, shops and a theatre/concert hall, where you'll probably find something good during any season.
This little shop moved from the university area to this fantastic location in the historic center a few years ago. This also seemed to free up space to improve their selection. The staff all speak English and are very friendly and helpful.
This is the best source for a variety of English-language books in the city and - even better - is simply a neat, well-run bookstore. The cost per book is very reasonable and varies based on condition (for used books).
The SITA is how most people get to Siena and other bedroom suburbs of Florence, they also have an airport bus.
The bus station is located in S. Caterina di Siena, just in front of the station.
The Trattoria Baldovino in Piazza Croce was not a typical tourist eatery and only the people of Florence ate here, which made it a 'special' find. There pizza was the best and the wine matched it perfectly.
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