What's the best time to go to Florence?
As with most of Europe, Florence is at its finest in the spring (March to May) and fall (September to mid-November).
My favorite Florence season is autumn; less crowded than springtime, the weather is still pretty nice, and—since Tuscans are real hunter-gatherer types—the best time for true Tuscan cuisine.
October is the vendemmia (wine harvest)—vino novello new wine is released on November 6—November is the olive harvest (which means fresh olive oil). The wild boar hunt is on, folks gather chestnuts from the woods on weekends to create chestnut-flour sweets, and truffle hunting season gets in full swing. Things can get chilly at night, but that's just an excuse to buy a new leather jacket at the San Lorenzo market.
Summer (June to August) brings the biggest tourist crowds (and a tidal wave of American students on short summer study abroad programs)—not that springtime is much less crowded.
Winter (mid-November to February) is chilly but not brutally cold, and it can snow, but not much, and is the least crowded time of year.
Florence tourist information
Via Cavour 1R
tel. +39-055-290-832
www.firenzeturismo.it
Planning your day: Florence would well be worth a week, but you can still fit a lot into just a day or three.
To help you get the most out of your limited time in the Cradle of the Renaissance, here are some perfect itineraries, whether you have one, two, or three days to spend in Florence.
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Florence tourist information
Via Cavour 1R
tel. +39-055-290-832
www.firenzeturismo.it