The difference between just “being a tourist” and truly experiencing a city can be seeing it through the eyes of a local. Marco & Cristiana Chiarantini, my hosts in Florence, made all the difference in the world during my recent 3-night stay.

No guidebook or travel website could ever compete with Cristiana’s knowledge of, and love for, her city. She took the time to understand what I was looking for in my stay, an unfailiingly pointed me in the right direction. In a city overrun by tourists at the height of the summer season, Cristiana directed me to several “off the map” trattorias and piazzas, as well as a daytrip of a lifetime, that served as splendid relief to the gabble of sightseers.

Their location is a five minute stroll from Santa Maria Novella train station and ten minutes from Il Duomo. The accommodations themselves are the ideal combination of comfortable hominess and impeccable cleanliness. Breakfast was light, fresh and delicious. And, even though you’re a guest in somebody’s home, you have all the privacy in the world. They’re there when you want them, but discreetly keep to themselves when you want quiet time. The perfect hosts.