Fabulous apartment in Florence!!! We completely enjoyed our stay. The apartment included everything we required for a comfortable 10 day stay - the apartment was even stocked with coffee and a bottle of wine! Gabriel greeted us upon arrival and gave a thorough tour of the apartment, along with suggestions for local attractions, transportation and restaurants. We called him two days later and he cheerfully answered additional questions and promptly reset the hot tub timer while we were out for the day. Gabriel is fabulous - he even scheduled a taxi for our airport departure. The apartment is a great home away from home. It was nice to make coffee and sit on the patio in the morning. Coming home to the hot tub after a long day of touring was heavenly! Our daughter, who is studying in Florence, certainly enjoyed a few home cooked meals and fresh baked brownies.
The apartment is conveniently located and most attractions are within walking distance. We used It-Taxi when our feet were tired! (It helps to hand the driver the address on a notecard - unless you're fluent in Italian) Nearby supermarket (Conad), pharmacy and discount stores carry everything you may require. (bring advil/tylenol from home and slippers for the tile floors) The food is amazing - Rooster Cafe for brunch, Trattoria Dall Oste for Florentine Steak, Acquacotta -(Via dei Pilastri)- delicious steak with a chianti sauce, and Pazkowski's for a casual meal in heated outdoor seating -(Piazza della Repubblica).
Book tours and plan itinerary before you go to make the most of your visit. With reservations we rarely waited on line. So many sites to see - the Duomo is beautiful. We enjoyed Santa Croce, da Vinci Museum, walking to Ponte Vecchio, shopping in Mercato Nouvo, the sculpture gardens, living statues, sidewalk chalk artists, and panoramic view from Piazzale Michelangelo. The Walkabout tours - Pizza and Gelato cooking class in a Tuscan farmhouse was great fun and highly recommended! Florence is a beautiful city and centrally located in Italy. We booked trains through Trenitallia.com to Rome, Verona and Milan - S.M.Novella to each city was under 2 hrs. (Book taxi for the train station the night before and the driver will text before arrival)
Grazie Gabriel, Marco & Laura for your wonderful hospitality!!! We hope to visit again soon.
Denise