ITALY - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1145

8:00-22:00,tel.[phone]).Theseareclosetorecommendedhotels:ViadeiServi102
red (near David ), Via del Sole 29 red and Via della Scala 52 red (between train station
and river), Via Ghibellina 143red (Palazzo Vecchio), and Via dei Serragli 87red (across
theriverinOltrarnoneighborhood).Formoreoptions,theTIhasacompletelistoflaun-
derettes.
Bike Rental: The city of Florence rents bikes cheaply at several locations: the train
station, Piazza Santa Croce, and Piazza Ghiberti (€2/1 hour, €5/5 hours, €10/day, tel.
055-650-5295; information at any TI). Florence by Bike rents two-wheelers of all sizes
(€3.50/hour, €9/5 hours, includes bike lock and helmet, child seat-€3 extra; April-Oct
daily 9:00-19:30; Nov-March Mon-Sat 9:00-13:00 & 15:30-19:30, closed Sun; Via San
Zanobi 120 red, tel. [phone], www.florencebybike.it , [e-mail] ) .
Travel Agency: While it's easy to buy train tickets to destinations within Italy at handy
machines at the station, travel agencies can be more convenient and helpful for getting
international tickets, reservations, and supplements. The cost may be the same, or there
may be a minimal charge. Ask your hotelier for the nearest travel agency.
Updates to this Topic: For updates to this topic, check www.ricksteves.com/update .
Getting Around Florence
I organize my sightseeing geographically and do it all on foot. I think of Florence as a
Renaissance treadmill—it requiresalotofwalking.Youlikelywon'tneedpublictransit,ex-
cept maybe to head up to Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato Church for the view, or to
Fiesole.
Buses: The city's full-size buses don't cover the old center well (the whole area around
the Duomo is off-limits to motorized traffic). The TI hands out a map of transit routes. Of
the many bus lines, I find these to be of most value for seeing outlying sights:
Buses #12 and #13 go from the train station to Porta Romana, up to San Miniato Church
and Piazzale Michelangelo, and on to Santa Croce.
Bus #7 goesfromPiazzaSanMarco(neartheAccademiaandMuseumofSanMarco)to
Fiesole, a small town with big views of Florence.
The train station and Piazza San Marco are two major hubs near the city center; to get
between these two, either walk (about 15 minutes) or take bus #1, #6, #14, or #23.
Fun little minibuses (many of them electric, elettrico ) wind through the tangled old cen-
teroftownandupanddowntheriver—just€1.20getsyoua90-minutejoyride.Thesebuses,
whichrunevery10minutes,arepopularwithsore-footedsightseersandeccentriclocalseni-
ors.
Bus #C1 stops behind the Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza Santa Croce, then heads north up
to Piazza Libertà.