Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
City museums are
open 9am-7pm
daily and private
museum hours
vary. In the coun-
try, most diocese
museums (next to
each town's
duomo
) close at
noon and reopen
late afternoon.
are usually free. Small towns
often have a toilet near the
main parking area. Carrying
tissue paper and hand sanitiz-
er is recommended.
TAXES AND TIPPING
A 20% tax is included in the
price of goods and services.
In restaurants there is usually
a €1-3
coperto
(cover charge),
so leave extra only for superb
service. It is not necessary to
tip a taxi driver, although they
often expect the fare to be
rounded up to the next euro.
ADMISSION
PRICES
Admission costs for
museums average
€6-10. Some chur-
ches also charge a
small entrance fee.
Booking in advance
is advisable for the
Accademia
and
Uffizi
via the official
website or by phone
(see
p299)
.
Amici dei Musei
offers
an annual pass for state muse-
ums, and there are ongoing
plans to introduce a city-wide
museum pass.
TRAVELLERS WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS
Facilities for the disabled
traveller in Tuscany are limit-
ed. Pavements are often nar-
row and difficult to navigate
with a wheelchair. Always
request an accessible hotel
room in advance. Package
tour representatives can
arrange assistance at airports
and hotels.
Accessible
Italy
is
a specialized non-profit
organization that can help you
plan your trip and arrange
the help you need on-site.
Trenitalia
provides
passenger assistance for all
trains. Many Italian stations
have a
Sala Blu
(Blue Hall),
which is an assistance point
for disabled travellers - there
is one in Florence Santa Maria
Novella Station
(see p308)
.
You may reserve services in
advance by email or phone.
Visitors in Santa Maria Novella, Florence
VISITING CHURCHES
Churches enforce a strict
dress code: knees and
shoulders must be covered
when entering any church.
Women should carry a shawl
to cover up, while men
should avoid wearing shorts.
Hemlines at the knee or
below are usually fine.
PUBLIC CONVENIENCES
Gabinetto
means public toilet,
though signs often say WC.
Availability is improving
throughout Tuscany, although
standards vary. There are toi-
lets at almost all museums
and cafés. In a bar it is polite
to make a small purchase
before using their facilities.
A small fee may be charged
at the Duomo and train sta-
tions, but elsewhere toilets
LANGUAGE
Italian is the only official
language in Italy, though
English is taught in schools.
Young people and those in
the tourist industry all speak
some English, while the
elderly and those in small
towns will be less likely to
know other languages. Effort
to speak a few words of
Italian is always appreciated.
OPENING HOURS
Opening times tend to vary
widely, though in general
most museums are closed on
Mondays. There are three
main museum types: state,
city and private, and each has
its own opening hours. Plan
your time carefully.
Generally, state museums
such as the Uffizi, Galleria
dell' Accademia and Palazzo
Pitti tend to open Tue-Sun,
8:15am-6:50pm. Others such
as the Bargello and San Marco
are open mornings only, with
occasional Monday openings.
Tourists and buskers outside the Uffizi
