Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Avoid long ticket-buying lines at many sights and museums (especially the Uffizi and Acca-
demia) by buying a Firenze Card or making advance reservations. Unfortunately, no single
option works for every sight, so it's well worth your time to study the following options and
plan ahead.
The Firenze Card (€50) is pricey but convenient. This three-day sightseeing pass gives you
admission to many of Florence's sights, including the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia. Just
as important, it lets you skip the ticket-buying lines without making reservations. For busy
sightseers, the card can save some money. And for anyone, it can certainly save time. For
people seeing five or six major sights in a short time, the card is well worth it. (But if you
only want to see the Uffizi and Accademia, you'll save at least €20 by making individual
reservations instead; see “Advance Reservations,” later.)
With the card, you simply go to the entrance at a covered sight (if there's a “with reser-
vations” door, use it), show the card, and they let you in (though there may be delays on
especially crowded days).
The Firenze Card is valid for 72 hours from when you validate it at your first museum
(e.g., Tue at 15:00 until Fri at 15:00). It includes regular admission price as well as any tem-
porary exhibits (which are commonly tacked on at major sights such as the Uffizi). The card
is good for one visit per sight. It also gives you free use of Florence city buses. The card is
not shareable, and there are no family or senior discounts for Americans or Canadians.
To figure out if the Firenze Card is a good deal for you, tally up the entry fees of what
you want to see. For example, here's a list of popular sights and their admission fees:
• Uffizi Gallery (€6.50 base price, usually €11 with temporary exhibits, as much as €15
with €4 reservation fee)
• Accademia (same fees as Uffizi)
• Palazzo Vecchio (€6.50)
• Bargello (€4 base, €7 with exhibits)
• Medici Chapels (€6 base, €9 with exhibits)
• Museum of San Marco (€4)
• Medici-Riccardi Palace (€7)
If you saw these sights without the card you'd pay about €60, including the exhibit and
reservation fees. Other covered sights featured in this chapter include the various Duomo-
related sights (dome climb, Campanile, Duomo Museum, and Baptistery), Pitti Palace (both
Palatine Gallery and Boboli Gardens), Brancacci Chapel, Church of Santa Maria Novella,
MuseumofSantaMariaNovella,SantaCroceChurch,CasaBuonarroti,CasadiDante,Mu-
seumofPreciousStones,PalazzoDavanzati,andGalileoScienceMuseum.Thecardisgreat
