My best friend and I traveled in Italy for two weeks, and stayed in Elena's place while we were in Florence for four days. Elena was incredible! She met us early after our train arrived ahead of schedule, she stocked the fridge with a few necessities... bread, butter and water. She provided maps, tourist information, recommendations of what to see and how to get there. She speaks excellent English, and is warm, friendly and enthusiastic. Her place is very cute. The location is perfect, just minutes from the train station, less than a block from the river, and a short walk to most of the wonderful attractions of Florence--- the Santa Maria Novella, the Duomo, the Palazzo Vecchio. The bed is comfortable, the bathroom very nice. The kitchen is small but functional. We were able to cook, do laundry and have a great base of operations in Florence. Elena's place was nicer than the similarly-priced apartments we stayed in in Rome and Riomaggiore.

We had a few minor issues- we blew a fuse trying to cook and couldn't get the power back on at first. Elena had warned us that might happen, and responded within fifteen minutes when I contacted her for help. She told me how to get the power back on and after that there was no problem. Her place is small, but we found it cozy. The street below the balcony is a little noisy, and while we were there, a loud concert in the piazza down the street was a bit of an annoyance. Nothing a few earplugs couldn't fix!

Seriously, Elena is awesome, and he place is a great deal. If you need a place in FLorence, I totally recommend it. She's a fantastic resource, too. I contacted her for help when I realized I needed to print some important documents, and she recommended a place nearby that was cheap and easy for my printing needs.