Visiting Florence with Kids (Italy)
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Many consider Florence to be the artistic capital of Italy, and while I don’t know much about art, I’m totally confident in saying that it’s certainly the capital of gelato – which, in turn, definitely makes all of the art (and, by extension, visiting Florence with kids) a lot more tolerable for those of us who have zero appreciation for it.
We visited in early October, which everyone had us freaked out about. “It’s going to be too cold!” “Everything’s going to be closed!” “It gets dark too early!” Umm, no. None of the above. It was warm during the day and slightly cool at night – AKA perfect when visiting Florence with kids. There weren’t insane amounts of tourists, the prices were slightly cheaper, and the sights were still there, as they had been for thousands of years.
US News & World Report wrote a piece about how the ideal travel time for Florence is between May and September, but going during the beginning or end of that window – even though I know visiting Florence with kids already in school can be tough – is still my definite recommendation.
Scroll down for a list of the top sites to see, best foods to eat, and some tips on visiting Florence with kids – or if you’re impatient, click below to jump to a specific part of the page.
FLORENCE WITH KIDS: GENERAL INFORMATION
How to Get Around Florence with Kids
For the first time in our lives, we opted NOT to rent a car. At first, it seemed insane, but B was a year old and I was wary about renting a car seat overseas. I *thought* we’d have a shot at her sleeping during a train ride (hahahaha), so we took one of Italy’s high-speed trains – run by Trenitalia – from Venice to Florence’s “Firenze Santa Maria Novella” railway station. The ride took about 2 hours and would have been extremely painless if it wasn’t for B refusing to sleep for more than 20 minutes that whole day.
That said, since we didn’t have a car, we were entirely dependent on our feet for getting around once in Florence. Thankfully, that was a breeze because literally everything of interest is walkable or accessible via public transportation. In fact, having a car when visiting Florence with kids would be really difficult because parking would be virtually impossible for you to find and extremely expensive once you do.
Is It Kid-friendly?
ABSOLUTELY. Unlike other parts of Italy, Florence is a huge city – which means that you’ll actually find… wait for it… PAVED STREETS – and SOME even have small sidewalks! Can you believe it?! And they’re actually wider than the width of my thumb!! So while that may not completely dissolve the threat of getting run over by a car (because you still have to contend with the locals, who are complete lunatics behind the wheel), it does slightly minimize it.
In all seriousness, though, the city’s surprisingly clean, virtually everyone speaks English because it feels like at least half of the residents are U.S. exchange students, and the people are very accommodating, especially when a stroller with a “bambino” or “bambina” inside comes chugging along through the streets or into a café. And while the kids may not be awestruck by the art either, at least you’ve got your trump card – the gelato – to soothe the beast within.
FLORENCE WITH KIDS: TOP 5 THINGS TO SEE
1. Galleria dell’Accademia (“The David”/“Davide”)
- About: There aren’t many museums that can survive on a single work of art, but this is still the can’t-miss attraction when visiting Florence with kids. Michelangelo’s David statue is a 17-ft-tall marble sculpture that weights 12,478 lbs. For being a naked man, it’s pretty cool. It’s sorta like the Mona Lisa in Paris – you’ve gotta see it so you can say you saw it, but in my opinion, there’s probably no need to ever see it again… but note that it’s closed on Mondays.
- Kid-friendly? YES – just be prepared to move quickly because there’s literally ONE main thing to see and your kid will already be on the brink of a meltdown since you probably already stood in line for 30-45 minutes (even if you pre-booked your tickets, which you must do or you won’t get in).
- Total time to allow: Approx. 30-45 minutes once inside. The statue itself won’t take more than 10-15 minutes, but there are a couple of Michelangelo’s unfinished works along with a few smaller exhibits that you can check out while you’re waiting on a diaper change or pee break.
- More information: www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.beniculturali.it
2. Piazzale Michelangelo
- About: This is hands-down the best view of Florence that you will find. Chances are that the panoramic photos you’ve seen of the city – you know, the ones that made you actually want to go visit in the first place – were taken from here. Lots of red rooftops centered between yellow and white houses along the river, with a mountain ridge and blue sky off in the distance.
- Kid-friendly? YES, but only with public transportation. Do not be filled with false bravado that you are capable of walking there like we did. As we panted our way uphill for what felt like an eternity, cursing the busloads of happy tourists motoring past us, we realized the error of our ways – but only in time to reach the bottom of at least 100 of the tallest steps I have ever seen… with our stroller. I think my husband saw his life flash before his eyes, and if it wasn’t for the dozens of impressed Italians padding his ego by complimenting him as he dashed up those stairs, stroller in tow, I’m confident we would have either turned around or left B at the bottom (just kidding…). That said, once you get there, it’s flat, paved, and rather picturesque once your world stops spinning from heat exhaustion.
- Total time to allow: Approx. 1 hour if you take a bus to the top, maybe a little more if you want to take a leisurely stroll. If you try to walk, you’d better start now – maybe you’ll be back by the end of time.
- More information (the piazza doesn’t have a website): https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-monuments/piazzale-michelangelo.html
3. Gallerie degli Uffizi (Uffizi Gallery)
- About: This museum is a massive collection of mostly-Renaissance art from the Medici family, displayed in approximately 100 different rooms on two levels. There are supposedly fewer people in the afternoon, but of course we had to conform to B’s nap schedule and thus went in the AM. Despite having prepaid tickets (recommended for peace of mind), we still found ourselves on a 60-minute line just to get in. The image gallery below (remember to scroll because there are a lot of photos) will show you some of the artwork you really should see – though it’s safe to say you won’t find everything on your list, either because the item’s not where it should be or that it’s no longer on display. Oh, and this is also closed on Mondays.
- Kid-friendly? YES – but try to get your child to nap or hope that s/he is having a good day and can be easily entertained. This is a large art museum, and B screamed every single time our stroller stopped moving – but you’ll ideally fare better. That said, if you’re in Florence, you’ve got to see this place, regardless of how painful it is for you and everyone nearby.
- Total time to allow: Approx. 2 hours. The recommended tour time is around 3, but we managed to see all of the major artworks in half that time by speeding along in our stroller (though we certainly didn’t spend much time in front of any one piece).
- More information: www.uffizi.it
4. Mercato Centrale/San Lorenzo (Central Market)
- About: This market actually consists of two parts: one that’s indoors and sells prepared foods and produce, and another outside one that sells regional leather goods and souvenirs. The inside one has clearly-marked prices where you can’t really wheel and deal on prices, whereas the outdoors is sheer bargaining mayhem. Florence is supposedly known for leather, so if you feel like buying what I can only assume is a knockoff instead, this is your place.
- Kid-friendly? YES – the market’s flat enough for a stroller and has a lot of different things for kids to watch and taste.
- Total time to allow: Approx. 2 hours, though you can cram it into an hour if you’re pressed for time and are just trying to get a feel for it.
- More information (the market doesn’t have a website): https://www.visitflorence.com/what-to-do-in-florence/shopping/san-lorenzo-central-market.html
5. Basilica di Santa Croce (Temple of Italian Glories)
- About: This church’s claim to fame is that it contains the burial places of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and the composer Rossini (“The Barber of Seville”), among others. Each burial spot is intensely decorated, and while the inside’s a little dark and gloomy (aren’t all European churches, though?) , the connected gardens (called the cloisters) are really beautiful and worth a visit. The image gallery below will show you some of the things you really should see, though definitely seek out Michelangelo and Galileo’s tombs (not pictured below) because my camera died before snapping those.
- Kid-friendly? YES – if your kid freaks out or starts racing back and forth (yup, that was us), you’ll probably get some looks from other tourists because it echoes and is sorta a “holy place,” but kids will definitely love running on the well-manicured gardens if they can make it through the church itself.
- Total time to allow: 20-30 minutes. You’re literally just walking in a giant circle, so if you just want to see the stuff and don’t care about reading every single plaque, you can easily fit this in while your little one’s awake. And when they start their downward spiral, let them watch you light a candle and you’ll buy yourself another 10 minutes.
- More information: www.santacroceopera.it/en
HONORABLE MENTION: Ponte Vecchio
It’s impossible to miss the Ponte Vecchio (“Old Bridge”), which is why I didn’t include it above. When I asked a local about the history, he told me that the term “bankrupt” actually originated here. Back in the day, street vendors would set up tables along the bridge, and if they couldn’t pay their lenders, those tables (“banchi”) would get tossed into the river – and, as you would assume, would then break (“rompere”, or, in past tense, “rotto”). Who knows if that’s true or not, but I get a chuckle every time… anyway, it’s totally kid-friendly and takes less than 10 minutes to walk across, unless you opt to check out one of the dozens of jewelry stores that now line its perimeter. Try to get one photo during the day and one at night because they’re both really pretty.
FLORENCE WITH KIDS: WHAT TO EAT
This is always my favorite part, and Florence is especially great to cover because there’s so much to say. Even the weird french fries across the street from our hotel were good, which may be valuable information for you when stuck in Florence with kids who may have picky palates.
Famous Dishes
- Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine Steak): this is a purist carnivore’s dream. Hardly anything is done to the steak – not much seasoning (just salt and pepper) and certainly not much actual cooking. I like my steak medium-rare and these come out borderline blue, so be prepared to endure an eye roll and being written off as an American if you ask for Mr. Moo to spend a little more time over the flame.
- Porchetta: this is essentially really thinly-sliced roast pork (think slightly larger than coldcut size) with a lot of Italian spices and a few things you’re better off not thinking about (liver, fat, etc. are all added back into it for flavor). It’s slow-roasted forever, so it ends up being really tender.
- Gelato: Florence is regarded as the capital of Italian ice cream, and that’s not just because gelaterias exist every two feet from each other (though that’s true) – it’s also because they’re all pretty amazing. The locals say it was actually invented there, and they’ve been perfecting it ever since. Two of the best gelaterias are La Strega Nocciola and Rivareno Gelato. All the flavors are amazing, and you can mix them if you’re rebellious like that. The only thing that matters is that you eat gelato at least twice a day when in Florence with kids (or without them) – and I’m not kidding.
Where to Eat: Breakfast
Anywhere. Literally anywhere. You pay higher prices to sit down than if you stand at the bar, but it’s worth it to people-watch. And as long as you get some type of drink involving espresso, your day will improve.
Where to Eat: Lunch
- Trattoria Mario (Via Rosina, 2R, 50123 Firenze): best for lunch, this extremely cramped (and NOT very stroller-friendly) restaurant is famous for its tomato soup but is almost impossible to find – memorize the photo to the right to familiarize yourself with its outside. Since we were the unfortunate souls who had BROUGHT their stroller, we opted to get it to go (AKA “da portare via”). It turned out to be a phenomenal decision because it was a gorgeous day and there are a million piazzas where you can eat and people- and/or pigeon-watch at the same time. We ordered their specialty and picked up a porchetta sandwich from a street vendor to keep ourselves alive.
- All’antico Vinaio (Via dei Neri, 74 R, 50122 Firenze): if you stay anywhere near the center of Florence, you’ll likely encounter this place. Actually, let me rephrase that: you’ll encounter the LINES for this place. I can’t think of a single other dining establishment that is so popular it has a second location literally across the (narrow) street. We walked past it for 3 days in a row because of how long the lines were, but soon realized that they’re always long and thankfully DO move relatively quickly – but be prepared to know exactly what you want to eat by the time you get to the counter or you’ll be talked about in Italian among the employees. Also prepare to eat outside here too because it’s really loud and narrow in there. We had one porchetta sandwich and one with Soppressata (dried Italian salami with pepper chunks in it) and fresh mozzarella, with no regrets.
Where to Eat: Dinner
- Trattoria La Casalinga (Via dei Michelozzi, 9/R, 50125 Firenze): if you’re up for a small passeggiata (AKA walk) from the city center, this romantic but still kid-friendly place is fantastic, though you do need reservations or you’ll never get in (your hotel can likely make these for you, either ahead of time or when you arrive). Try the cotechino, which is an Italian pork sausage that’s slow-cooked and fast-clogging to your arteries. There’s nothing quite like cotechino, but the best example I can give is a combo between New Jersey’s pork roll and maybe bologna? But a hell of a lot better, and served hot. Walk through the right entrance or you’ll risk looking like us fools, who stood outside a very tall window thinking it was a door for 20 minutes until realizing that the people eating on the other side must have gotten in somehow… We ordered the cotechino as an appetizer and the tortellini al coniglio (pasta with rabbit – don’t judge, it was awesome) and spaghetti bolognese for our entrees. Both were epic.
- Trattoria Sabatino (Via Pisana, 2R, 50143 Firenze): if romance isn’t your thing (or if visiting Florence with kids has knocked the wind out of your sails by this point), head across the river to Trattoria Sabatino, which makes up for its lack of ambiance with a super-authentic menu of Florentine specialties, including some incredible pork (“prosciutto di miale al forno”) with roasted potatoes (“patate arrosto”, according to the menu) that you’ll never forget. Oh, and the menu items are under $5 a piece. Yup. Get in there! Since it’s a favorite among the locals, you’ll need reservations here too, but your hotel can make them for you. We ordered the pork, potatoes, and tagliatelle alla bolognese – all were delicious.
FLORENCE WITH KIDS: WHERE TO STAY
B&B Emozioni Charme (Via del Corso, 1, 50122 Firenze)
- I’m an extremely picky hotel-stayer, and I have nothing negative to say about this place. The room was HUGE. I mean HUGE. And we’re talking about Florence here, where you’re lucky if you’re not able to reach all four walls without getting out of bed.
- It was also SPOTLESS, and they were beyond accommodating of our daughter. A nice pack ‘n’ play was waiting for us in the room upon arrival and the room overlooked a cute little Italian alley that somehow shielded us from too much of the noise down below.
- The location was within walking distance of everything we wanted to see, which was a necessity since we didn’t have a car, but it was in the “nice” part of Florence – away from the train station, which seemed to be where the majority of the souvenir shops and more cheap-quality stores were located. Oh, and it had two gelaterias within a stone’s throw from the balcony, so how can you go wrong?
- One thing to note: there’s no elevator and the B&B is a few floors above, so this wouldn’t be appropriate for people with difficulty walking. That’s not that uncommon in Europe, though, so while it may seem like an inconvenience when doing Florence with kids (and all of their necessary “gear”), you may have to suck it up or pay for a full-fledged hotel chain instead.
- We stayed for 4 nights and it cost us 800 euros. I left this as my last bullet because I’m assuming you’ve mentally shut down after seeing this price, but the reality is that you’re going to be paying around 200 euros a night virtually anywhere in Florence because it’s not cheap. But it is definitely, definitely worth it, and if you do everything right, you’ll be spending close to that on gelato anyway…
