This was a nice apartment with an ideal location! It's right on Ponte Vecchio, and so easy to walk across the bridge to a less touristy part of Florence, but still only a 5 minute walk to Duomo. We stayed mid-March and it wasn't too cold or hot. And we were also fortunate that we didn't get a lot of street noise like others. There are lots of people walking by, but it was quiet at night which was nice.

We have mixed feelings on the overall stay, however, as we unfortunately did not receive the same hospitality as other reviewers. To be honest, the rules book was a little off-putting as it made us feel more like hotel guests than welcomed guest of a typical airbnb host. It ended up making us feel like we had to be very careful in her house so as to not break any rules. We really like our airbnb experiences because they're normally so welcoming and give that sense of community, but this felt more like a business transaction. That's just us, but for the price and the limited amenities, we probably would've considered alternative options.

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We provided some tips below that can hopefully come in handy for other visitors!

1. Check-in Time: We weren't able to make it off the plane and to the apartment in the 50 minute window Barbara had given us after we gave her our arrival time, so were rushed through the walk-through. For those taking a taxi from the airport, the lines get pretty long so give yourself at least an hour to make it from the airport to the flat. If you end up taking the shuttle like we did, give yourself even more time.

2. Contacting Barbara: be sure to send messages through airbnb directly (and not by replying to an airbnb message via your email) if you want a quick response! It took Barbara 48 hours to respond to our request for laundry instructions (skipped during our abbreviated check-in session), but by that point, we were already leaving.

3. Safety: When Barbara explains how to lock the doors and windows, it's for good reason. Lock the bolted doors and shut the metal windows! There was a break-in on our last night (to the building, not the apartment). We were in the apartment when it happened, and as visitors who didn't speak the language, this was a little frightening.

4. Amenities: Shampoo is provided, but bring hand soap. Hot water was enough for both of our showers, but don't take long showers just in case.

5. Wifi: Spotty, so do any extensive research before arriving.