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The Budget Guide to Florence
Firenze a meno
(Translation by Michael San Filippo)
Note: in Florence the street numbers are either blue or black for residences and red for commercial activities. When an address number is followed by an r (ex. 15/r) it means that the number is red. Also, the red numbers follow a separate order than the blue numbers.
BUSES - Remember that tickets for city buses must be bought before getting on, from newstands, bars or tobacco shops that display the bus company sign 'Biglietti e abbonamenti Ataf'. Tickets must be time-stamped at the machine at the front or rear of the bus. There are several types of tickets: # Biglietto ordinario (EUR 1): valid for 60 minutes unlimited travel from the time ticket is stamped (stamp only at beginning of trip). # Biglietto multiplo da quattro corse (EUR 3.90): each trip is valid 60 minutes (in practice consists of four standard tickets with a discount). # Biglietto da 3 ore (EUR 1.80): valid for 180 minutes unlimited travel from the time ticket is stamped (stamp only at beginning of trip). Recommended for long journeys or roundtrips. # Biglietto giornaliero (EUR 4): valid for 24 hours unlimited travel on all ATAF routes and destinations. Recommended for those who plan to use the bus frequently during a given day. Stamp the ticket only once at the beginning of your trip and check to see that the day and hour are correct. # At night: from 9 in the evening until 6 in the morning tickets can be purchased on the bus (EUR 2, ask the driver).
TRAINS (see 'Treni')
REGIONAL BUS COMPANIES (see 'Autolinee')
AIR TRAVEL - Peretola Airport "A.Vespucci", via del Termine 1, tel. 055 373498. Bus SITA-ATAF - direct line from via S. Caterina da Siena (near S. Maria Novella station) to the airport. # Pisa Airport "G. Galilei", tel. 050-500707. Air terminal servicing airport in Santa Maria Novella train station, tel. 055 216073. Direct train service to Pisa Airport.
INFORMATION - (see p.7) Tourist Information, piazza Stazione (adjacent to bus shelter), tel. 055 212245 - fax 055 2381226. # Tourist Information, via Cavour 1/r, tel. 055 290832 - fax 055 2760383. Office hours 8,00-14,00; summer 8,00-19,00. # Hotel Information and Reservations (only at the office desk), inside S.M.Novella station, tel. 055 282893 - fax 055 288429, hours 8,30-21,00. # In these offices, besides other information, there are free maps of Florence.
CONSULATES - Austria, lung.no Vespucci 58, tel. 055 2654222. Belgium, via dei Servi 28, tel. 055 282094. Brazil, piazza Pitti 5, tel. 055 222336. Denmark, via dei Servi 13, tel. 055 211007. Finland, via Strozzi 6, tel. 055 293228. France, piazza Ognissanti 2, tel. 055 2302556. Germany, lung.no Vespucci 30, tel. 055 294722. Great Britain, lung.no Corsini 2, tel. 055 284133. Hungary, via Belgio 2, tel. 055 6531817. Mexico, via Arte della Lana 4, tel. 055 217831. Netherlands, via Cavour 81, tel. 055 475249. Norway, via G.Capponi 26, tel. 055 2479321. Spain, via La Pira 21, tel. 055 217110. Switzerland, p.le Galileo 5, tel. 055 222434. Sweden, via Lupi 14, tel. 055 499536. United States, lung.no Vespucci 38, tel. 055 2398276. # For other consulates consult the Telephone Book.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE - Usually (but not always) commission rates are lower at a bank. Try Banca Commerciale Italiana, via Tornabuoni 16. Banking hours: 8.20-13.20 and 14.45-15.45. EUR 1 = ITL 1936.27
POST OFFICES AND TELEPHONES (see 'Poste e telefoni')
BICYCLE AND MOPED RENTALS (see 'Noleggio biciclette e motorini')
THEATRE AND SHOW TICKETS (see 'Biglietti teatro e spettacoli')
24 HOUR PHARMACIES (see 'Farmacie 24 ore')
POLICE, CARABINIERI, FIRST AID
In case of theft or any other crime: # Polizia, tel. 113, Commissariato di S. Giovanni, piazza Duomo 5. # Carabinieri, tel. 112, Caserma di Ognissanti, borgo Ognissanti 48.In case of medical emergency: # First aid, Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, piazza S. Maria Nuova, tel. 055 27581. # Ambulance: telephone 118 (no charge). # Tourist Medical Service, via Lorenzo il Magnifico 59, tel. 055 475411. English, French, German spoken.
SELF SERVICE LAUNDRY (see p.9, 'Lavanderie self service')
INTERNET/E-MAIL SERVICE (see p.10, 'Servizio internet e-mail')
PUBLIC TOILETS - Santa Maria Novella station; Mercato Centrale di S. Lorenzo; Palazzo Medici Riccardi; Palazzo Vecchio; Palazzo Pitti; Campo di Marte station. By law all bars should have a public toilet, but oftentimes an 'out of order' sign is posted to dissuade non-paying customers. In case of necessity try one of the grand cafes in the historic center. You have to buy something, but a coffee at the counter costs the same as in a regular bar (be sure to look at the price list first though).
On these pages you can find a list of several hostels and other similar lodgings, including all of the camp sites and economical hotels in Florence. For each of these you will find: category (1 or 2 stars), address, telephone and, if available, fax and e-mail .
HOSTELS, LODGING, DORMITORIES... (see 'Ostelli, alloggi, dormitori...')
CAMPING (see 'Campeggi')
BUDGET HOTELS - (see 'Alberghi e pensioni'). Warning. This is not a list of recommended hotels, but rather a list of all hotels in the city of Florence that charge less than EUR 86 (breakfast included) or less than EUR 84 (without breakfast) for a double room with bath. This list provides only the location without expressing any opinion - trust yourselves to decide which are reasonable. In any case, if it's not essential to have a tv or a mini-bar in your room then the majority of these hotels should suit most tastes.
The most economical way to eat is to prepare your own meals. Therefore, we recommend you take into consideration, besides the usual bars and restaurants, the so-called 'pizzicherie' (or delis), bakeries and sweet shops, markets (especially for fruit) and supermarkets (where a bottle of water or can of soda costs much less than at a bar). For restaurants we have limited ourselves to selecting only those places where it's possible to sit and eat for less than EUR 13: but stay alert to what you order, and remember to add in service charge, tax, cover, and any other extras...
MARKETS AND SUPERMARKETS (see 'Mercati e supermercati')
GROCERY SHOPS AND BAKERIES (see 'Negozi di alimentari e panetterie')
SCHOOL CAFETERIAS AND SELF-SERVICE (see 'Mense e self-service')
SANDWICHES, SNACKS, RESTAURANTS... (see 'Panini, snack, ristoranti, trattorie...')- Many restaurants offer a tourist menu for about 20/25000 lire. We recommend that when choosing a 'tourist menu' be sure it is clearly written that the price also includes beverage, service and cover charge, otherwise you risk having to pay a much higher bill. In any case anything that is not expressly written on the menu (for example coffee, fruit, dessert...) is considered extra. In addition, the tourist menus are almost always limited to midday meals, while evening meals are prized higher! On these pages you will find a list of places of various types (from bar to fast-food to restaurant) where it is possible to have a snack or satisfy your appetite at a reasonable price.
To find out the daily cinema and theatre listings we recommend the local pages of these three newspapers: La Repubblica, L'Unità, La Nazione and Il Giornale. For shows and musical performances during the month we recommend the magazine Firenze spettacolo (on newstands). # Films in English or other languages: Cinema Astro, piazza S.Simone. Also Cinema Goldoni, Cinema Odeon and Istituto Francese have programs in English or French.
CLUBS, BARS, DISCOS (see 'Locali')
DEPARTMENT STORES - (see 'Grandi magazzini') Coop, via Nazionale 32/r. # Standa, via Panzani 31/r. # Magazzini Oviesse, Via Nazionale 29. # Ciao Ciao, via Alamanni 7a; via Orti Oricellari 18/r (near Santa Maria Novella station).
MARKETS - Mercato delle Cascine, every Tuesday morning at the Cascine Park. It is the largest and you can find bargains of every type. Other markets (open every morning) include: # piazza S. Spirito, # piazza Cure (bus 1), # piazza Dalmazia (bus 14). # Mercato dei Liberi Artigiani, every Thursday, Loggia del Grano in via dei Neri: clothing, costume jewelry, etc. # The open-air market at San Lorenzo caters mostly to tourists, selling leather goods, t-shirts and souvenirs. For the best prices bargain at several stores before deciding.
BOOKS IN ENGLISH AND OTHER LANGUAGES - After Dark, via de' Ginori 47/r. # Feltrinelli International, via Cavour 12/r. # Paperback Exchange, via Fiesolana 31/r. # All the major bookstores in the center of town have books in English and other languages.
BOOKS: HALFPRICED AND USED (see 'Libri a metà prezzo o usati')
PHOTOS (see 'Foto')
USED CLOTHING (see 'Vestiti usati o d'occasione')
ANTIQUES AND BRIC-A-BRAC (see 'Piccolo antiquariato')
MUSEUMS, CHURCHES, MONUMENTS...
MUSEUMS - On these pages there is an alphabetical listing of (almost) all the museums of Florence with a few small recommendations. First of all, do not feel obligated to go to a museum, especially those most famous and frequented. At the Uffizi and Accademia, for example, there are usually long lines outside and noisy tour groups inside: go there only if you are genuinely interested. Otherwise take a leisurely stroll through the streets of the historic center, discover the stores, markets and shops, sit down at a table at a bar and enjoy the spectacle of a piazza or characteristic spot. Another suggestion is to go solo or in groups limited to two-four people, avoiding the hurried and noisy guided tours. Lastly, do not forget the many beautiful smaller museums, like the Museo Bardini, the Fondazione Horne, or the scientific museums like the Museo di Antropologia.
(S): this letter indicates State Museums. Closed during January 1, May 1 and December 25.
(C): this letter indicates City Museums. Closed during January 1, Easter, May 1, August 15 and December 25. 50% discount in all City Museums (Palazzo Vecchio, Cenacolo di S. Spirito, Museo Bardini, Museo di S. Maria Novella, etc.) purchasing a carnet (L.10000).
gr: this abbreviation indicates museums where entrance is free.
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