Florence

Florence is the capital of the Italian region of Tuscany. Florence is known in Italian as Firenze and Tuscany as Toscana.

The historical center of Florence was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and is known around the world for its high concentration of medieval and especially Renaissance masterpieces- painting, sculpture and architecture.

Several of the most important art museums in Italy are located in Florence, including the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Gallery and the Bargello Museum. Science enthusiasts will enjoy the History of Science Museum (with Galileo's original telescopes) and the Specola Museum.

CouchSurfing in Florence

Florence boasts a growing CouchSurfing community. At present, there are close to 250 registered CouchSurfers in the city, and well over 300 listed for the region of Tuscany. The current CouchSurfing Community is growing and getting more and more involved and active. A small group af active local surfers has formed the Firenze Working Group. The group is hard at work on planning upcoming events, writing this wiki, and a number of other ideas for CouchSurfing in Florence. All local members are welcome to join the group. Members in other nearby Tuscan towns and cities ar also welcome to join, and particularly encouraged to organize events and build community on their own neighborhoods!

Also take a llok to this useful map of good stuff in Florence: Florence good stuff

Upcoming Couch Surfing Events and Meetings

1st Firenze Working Group Meeting

• September 14 at 8pm - Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. Elliot braun, Via Ponte alle Mosse, 117r Firenze.

Welcome Back to Town! Come share your tales of Summer Travels with the local CS group!

Past Florence Couch Surfing Events and Meetings

• August 10 at 7pm - Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. In Florence at the Bar "Elliot Braun" - Via Ponte alle Mosse, 117r from 8pm till late night!

• July 13 8 at 7pm - Dario and Karla will be sharing their "Nowhere" pictures. Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. In Florence at the Bar "Elliot Braun" - Via Ponte alle Mosse, 117r from 8pm till late night!

• June 8 at 7pm - Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. Art Bar, via del Moro 4/r Firenze.

Come out for the best tropical Cocktails in town- no better way to start the summer!!!

• May 11 at 8pm - Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. Souvenir Night- wear the best (or worst) souvenirs from your travels- tacky t-shirts, hats, jewelery and more. In Florence at the Bar "Elliot Braun" - Via Ponte alle Mosse, 117r from 8pm till late night!

• April 13 at 8pm - Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. Bar Elliot Braun - Via Ponte alle Mosse, 117r
  "Cappellaio Matto" (Mad Hatter) Night Wear your craziest hat tonight and get a 10% discount on food and drinks. The best hats will win silly prizes!

• March 8 - STRIZZI GARDEN with DJ SET BY Couch Surfer MATTEO LP- We had a great time listening to Matteo's music and chatting outside in the chilly March weather!!!
• March 9 at 8pm - Regular Firenze Couch Surfing Meeting. Bar Elliot Braun - Via Ponte alle Mosse, 117r
  CS Card Night Be sure to print out your CS Firenze card for a 10% discount on food and drinks!

tan gram

• March 16' - Special Event TAN GRAM
  FRUIT SALAD mixed by Couch Surfing DJ MATTEO LP funky elettro break music dub starts at 10pm. FRUIT SALAD is a selection of juicy musical "fruit" with a funky, soul, break, elettro,jazz beat for a fresh evening. Relax and have fun with the refined and persistent flavor of music for all seasons, to be tasted with a glass of wine or a cocktail in this laid-back atmosphere. Matteo Lp dates his musical birth to 1994 when, after a year of radio experience, he brought electronic music to clubs. Nowadays he loves listening to hundreds of records on his quest to find sounds for his DJ set.
  

Useful Information for Visiting Florence

Tourist Offices and Information

• Tourism agency of Florence (APT) - Via A. Manzoni, 16, 50121 Firenze Tel: 055.23320, Fax: 055.234.6286
• There's another one just in front of the train station (Piazza Santa Maria Novella).

Getting there and getting around

• ATAF - Bus company in Florence - Timetables and routes
  The cheapest bus ticket is the electronic card "Carta Agile" 10 euros for 10 for 70 minute rides or 20 euros for 21 for 70 minute rides. More than one person can share the card at the same time, pass the card in front of the scanner once for each person. Single bus tickets cost 1,20 euro for 70 minutes. A 4-ride ticket costs 4,50 euros.

• Trenitalia - Trains in Italy - Train schedules and prices in English

Special Sights of Interest

Alternatives to Expensive Tours

Before signing up for an expensive walking tour, consider planning one on your own! The center of Florence is very easy to walk. You can actually get closer to a number of monuments on foot than you will even with the (expensive) red double-decker tourist bus.

Museum lines in Florence can be extremely long. For about €3 extra, you can book museum tickets in advance and enter at a special door for people holding reservations. Be sure to get there a bit before your scheduled time so you don't miss your tour. To book tickets, call Firenze Musei Tel: +39 055 294883. This is the official ticket window for the Uffizzi and Accademia Galleries. You can also book tickets through a number of internet sites, but be aware that they will add an additional service charge, since basically you will be paying them to call that number for you.

Also take a look at the Curiosities in Florence page- these might be fun to print out to use for your own walking tour. And remember to contact some of the local CouchSurfers- the local group gets together quite often for coffee, drinks or a pizza and many of them would be happy to meet you during your stay in Florence! Don't forget to sign up on the Florence Group to see what the most recent events are- many events get posted at the very last minute!

Good restaurants at a good price

• Il Vegetariano - via delle Ruote, 30r Tel: 055.475.030 (Traditional vegetarian Restaurant.)

• La Bisboccia - via F. Corridoni, 21r Tel: 055.422.1341 (Good Pizza and really really cheap, not in the center.)

• Chiaroscuro - Via del Corso, 36r. Tel: 055.214.247 (Really good coffee and pastries.)

• I Fratellini - Via dei Cimatori, 38 (Traditional sandwich stand in the center, inexpensive wine. Standing in the street.)

• Palle d'Oro - via S.Antonino, 43-45/r, Tel: 055.288.383 (Traditional Tuscan Trattoria, also serve sandwiches at lunch.)

• La Casalinga - via Michelozzi 9/r (just off Piazza S. Spirito) Tel: 055.218.624 (Traditional Tuscan Trattoria, family style.)

• La Luna - via Gioberti 93r (nearby Piazza Beccaria) Tel: 055 663810 (good pizzeria just out of downtown but minutes walks)

• Trattoria Mario - in the square behind San Lorenzo Market - open only for lunch - Tel: 055218550 - Traditional menu - favorite of local workers for a cheap lunch

• Giubbe Rosse - Piazza della Repubblica 13/R - Tel: 055212280 - Lunch as much food as you want for 5 Euros

• Il Pirata - Via de' Ginori 56 r - Dinner for 7 Euros

• Grom - Via del Campanile angolo via delle Och Tel. 055.216158 - One of the best icecream in the city - http://www.grom.it/eng/index.htm

• Cardillac - Via degli Alfani 57/R - Lunch 1 pizza + 1 drink for 7 Euros

Tips for Florence from Locals

• Watch out for pickpockets on the busses and in the downtown streets!
• Ask first before sitting in bars- the same food costs double if you sit... same for icecream (gelato) ask the price of the cup or cone BEFORE ordering!
• Don't buy tickets for the red double-decker tourist bus. The center of Florence is closed to cars and the bus does not go near the monuments. The ticket is 20 euros.
• The historical center is small and you can easily walk around it.

Local Festivals and Special Events

• Fiorentina football team official website www.acffiorentina.it to buy on line tickets for the 1st division match (Serie A) and european competition (UEFA Cup). To be uptated about Fiorentina football team join Garrisca al Vento il labaro Viola group http://www2.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=4980 managed by Drive67

Historical and Artistic Curiosities

Firenze CouchSurfer Giampaolo loves the history and offbeat stories of his city, and has composed a list of Curiosities in Florence that every CouchSurfer should see in Florence.

Whoever has been to Firenze carries a deep sense of admiration for the exceptional artistic patrimony of this town, bright testimony to its secular creative ferment. But Firenze isn’t just an open air museum, a unique example of the way art and culture, history and tradition can mix together to generate beauty. Firenze is first of all it’s people, their stories and the every day life of who lived it up by working, joking, drinking wine and simply loving it for its veracity, not for its fame. Such people and their stories are still among us. You just have to be a bit curious and willing to know them. You just have to walk through the city, smell it, touch it and feel it.

Be sure: Firenze has many stories to tell, many more than your guide book will ever report. Here are a few of the Curiosities in Florence. We hope you enjoy them.

Alternatives to Couch Surfing

Hostels

• Youth Hostel Firenze 2000 - V.le R.Sanzio, 16 Tel: 055.233.5558

• Hostel Europa Villa Camerata - Viale Augusto Righi, 2/4 Tel: 055.601.451 Last stop on bus #17 direction Viale Verga

• Hostels in Florence

• Hostel Archi Rossi - Via Faenza, 94r Tel: 055.290804 5 min. walking from central railway station

• Ostello Ospitale delle Rifiorenze - Piazza Piattellina 1 Tel: 329.072.0783 Fax: 055.720.128

Inexpensive Hotels

• Soggiorno Santa Reparata - via Santa Reparata, 27 Tel: 055.265.4536

Campings

• Campeggio Michelangelo - Viale Michelangelo Tel. 00 39 0556811977 fax. 00 39 055689348wikitravel:Florence