Florence

Currency

Euro. Ignore the exchange windows on Ponte Vecchio and around the Duomo — they are the worst rates in Italy.

ATMs & cards

Stick to Banca CR Firenze, Intesa or UniCredit machines. Refuse conversion at the ATM. Independent machines in the centre charge €5+.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Very safe. The main risks are pickpockets in museum queues and the heat in July and August. Book major museums online or lose hours in line.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date

Getting treated

EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment. Pharmacies handle a lot of minor problems directly and are the fastest route to advice.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Eat a lampredotto sandwich from a street cart — it is the real Florentine street food. For steak, bistecca alla fiorentina is sold by weight and served rare, no exceptions.

Getting around

• Walking — genuinely the only transport you need, the centre crosses in 25 minutes
• Tram — line T2 runs to the airport, T1 to Scandicci
• Bus — ATAF buses reach Fiesole and the outskirts
• Taxi — cannot be hailed on the street, call or use a rank
• Airport: Tram T2 from Peretola to Unità (20 min, €1.50)

Must-see

Things to do

• Book the Uffizi in advance
• Climb the Duomo dome
• See the David at the Accademia
• Watch sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo
• Cross into the Oltrarno for artisan workshops
• Visit the Boboli Gardens

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Italian

• HelloBuongiornobwon-JOR-no
• PleasePer favoreper fa-VO-reh
• Thank youGrazieGRAT-tsyeh
• Yes / NoSì / Nosee / no
• Excuse meScusiSKOO-zee
• How much is it?Quanto costa?KWAN-to KOS-ta
• The bill, pleaseIl conto, per favoreeel KON-to
• Cheers!Salute! / Cin cin!sa-LOO-teh / chin chin

Ciao is for people you know. With shopkeepers and waiters, buongiorno until evening, then buonasera.

Religion

Catholic

The Vatican is a sovereign state inside Rome. Dress codes are enforced at St Peter’s and most major churches: shoulders and knees covered, and they will turn you away.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Say buongiorno rather than ciao to anyone you do not know
• Drink cappuccino only before about 11:00; after a meal it is an espresso
• Cover shoulders and knees to enter churches, including the major basilicas
• Validate regional train tickets before boarding or risk a fine

Don't

• Do not ask for parmesan on seafood pasta — it is a genuine culinary offence here
• Do not sit on monument steps in Rome or Florence; both cities fine it
• Do not order a coffee "to go" and expect it to be normal
• Do not tip beyond rounding up; coperto already covers the cover charge