My Weekend in Florence, Italy
One of my favorite weekends abroad was when I took a solo trip to Florence, Italy.
It was getting to the end of the semester and I planned to go to Florence to get some last minute shopping done.
I didn’t necessarily do the typical Florence tourist attractions, I didn’t even see the David of Michelangelo.
If you want learn some unique things to do during your next trip to Florence then keep reading!
Arriving in Florence
To get to Florence I had to take a train from my host city, Perugia.
I booked my train ticket online with the trainline app, trenitalia is also a popular train line app to get tickets from.
The ride to Florence was direct and only took around two hours.
If you go to Florence by train you will most likely arrive at the Santa Maria Novella train station, Florence’s most central train station.
Where I stayed
During my weekend in Florence I stayed at Hotel Rosso 23 which I highly recommend for solo travelers!
The hotel sits in the gorgeous Piazza Santa Maria Novella, and has various restaurants and cafes right outside your doorstep.
Hotel Rosso 23 sits at a perfect location with just a 5 minute walk from the Duomo and Santa Maria Novella train station.
The Rosso 23 offers a free-buffet style breakfast with fresh fruit, pastries, coffees, meats, cheeses and yogurts.
If you want to stay in a prime location hotel in Florence, you can’t go wrong with Hotel Rosso 23.
Book your stay at the hotel here.
Day 1
Ponte Vecchio
After checking in to the hotel, I walked out of the Piazza and made my way to Ponte Vecchio.
This wasn’t my first time in Florence, so I had already seen most of the famous attractions already.
But the Ponte Vecchio will never get old, it’s absolutely stunning and such a great place to hangout.
Shopping Day-Trip
If you are looking to shop in Florence, and I mean shop till you drop, you need to go to The Mall Firenze.
If you love shopping designer this outlet mall will be like heaven to you.
The Mall Florence also known as “The Mall Firenze” is a famous luxury outlet near Florence, which offers awesome discounts on some of the biggest European brands.
The outlet stores here are known for offering steep discounts on European luxury goods ranging from 35% to 70%, compared to retail prices. Famous brands include Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo, Moncler, Armani, Valentino, Burberry, Yves Saint Laurent, and more.
This luxury outlet is located in the small town of Leccio (Tuscany), just 35 kilometers away from Florence city.
The best way to get there is to take The Mall’s “Direct Bus.”
I took this bus, which I highly recommend it was a fast and comfortable ride.
The Direct Bus leaves from the Busitalia bus station, which is a short three-minute walk from the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station in florence.
The bus ticket costs 7 Euro for a one-way trip, and 13 Euro for a round-trip. You can purchase the tickets right on the bus. However, I highly recommend buying advance online. Click here to purchase bus tickets.
The ride takes around 50 minutes to get to the mall. I loved the ride because you get to see amazing views of the green Tuscan hills.
I spent around 3 hours touring the outlets and going into all my favorite stores.
The trip to The Mall Firenze might have broke my bank account, but I purchased some amazing pieces.
Dinner at Mercato Centrale Firenze
For dinner I met up with some friends from home. They were studying abroad in Florence with the Syracuse University study abroad program.
I met them at their apartment which had an insane view of the infamous Duomo.
For dinner we walked to Mercato Centrale where there’s an upstairs food hall serving many different cuisines. Mercato Centrale is an open industrial style space with a lively atmosphere.
I highly recommend going to Mercato Centrale if your traveling with a group of people because there is something for everyone to choose here.
Day 2
Day-trip to Cinque Terre from Florence
Did you know that you can easily get to Cinque Terre from Florence?
Cinque Terre is the most beautiful place I have ever visited.
I decided to do a day-trip from Florence to Cinque Terre, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.
I created an entire separate blog about my time here and how you can purchase a guided tour that includes transportation to Cinque Terre.
Click here to read the blog post!
There are so many unique experiences that you can have right outside of Florence.
Between getting the best shopping in, or visiting a different town, these are just some of the various things you can do while you’re in Florence.
