Mario was a great host. We got in late, he met us at the train in Florence and took us by bus to the apartment. Since all the places nearby were closed to eat, he invited us to his place where he cooked us a great Italian dinner! Apartment was very clean and has everything you need including a washing machine. The apartment is very close to the train station, within 100 yards, so very convenient to hop on and get into Florence which is just 10 minutes by train (1.40 Euro/person). Make sure you have some coins though for the kiosk, as it does not take bills. Don't miss out on all the churches in Florence as they are hidden gems that are well worth a look. If you like museums, the Florence Card is worth the money (50 Euro/person), but be prepared to pay cash as only some outlets will accept credit cards. If you want to get away from the crowds, take a side trip to Lucca. We did a loop one day and spent a couple of hours in Pisa, then the rest of the day in Lucca.