Touring Florence With Car Hire

E urope’s culture capital         including: a bank, Bureau de       can only get better with        Change for last minute euros,      car hire. Boasting more         cafés and bars. The airport is     galleries and museums than you        served by a number of              could shake a stick at, boredom       international airlines including:  in Florence is not an option.         Lufthansa, Swissair, Alitalia and  Unless of course, you don’t like      Air France. If driving, the        art. In that case, you can take       airport is accessible via the A1   to the scenic highways and byways     and A11 super highway.             of the surrounding countryside,                                          exploring Tuscany’s famous dolce      Things To See/Do in Florence:      vita to your heart’s content,                                            shopping and sampling tasty fare      Florence is one of Italy’s most    along the way. Whatever way you       popular city break destinations    choose to spend your time in          and it’s easy to see why. The      Florence, one thing’s for sure,       city is home to some of the        you’ll be counting down the days      world’s most beautiful and         until your next trip.                 important cultural attractions.                                          Here spectacular renaissance       Florence International Airport        architecture, world-class art      Mini Guide:                           galleries and fascinating                                                museums, vie for your undivided    Florence International Airport is     attention.                         situated 4km outside of the city                                         of Florence and 80km from Pisa.       A walking tour is one way to get   If driving, the airport is            to grips with the volume of        accessible via the A1 and A11         cultural attractions on offer.     super highway. The airport offers     The piazza del Duomo in the        a good range of services and          centre of the city is a good       facilities for passengers             place to start. It’s here you’ll   find the city’s famous 14th           explored by hire car. Pretty       century Duomo cathedral, designed     towns and villages such as Siena,  by renaissance architect              Arezzo, Lucca and Pisa are just    Brunelleschi. Wandering further       an hour’s drive from the city.     west of the square you’ll come        Meanwhile, the nearby Chianti      across the Museo dell’Opera del       region, with its sprawling         Duomo, which houses historical        vineyards and charming medieval    treasures and masterpieces like       castles, also offers plenty of     Piet Bandini by Michaelangelo.        scope for touring.                                                                                          Florence’s most famous tourist        Eating                             attractions and landmarks are to      Out/Nightlife/Accommodation in     be found on Piazza della              Florence:                          Signoria, where the 13th century                                         Palazzo Vecchio boasts a copy of      Eating out in Florence offers a    Michaelangelo’s iconic David          treat for every palate and         statue. Donatello’s Marzocco and      budget. Fine Italian cuisine can   Ammanati’s Neptune fountain are       be enjoyed at top-notch            also to be found here. However,       restaurants such as Targa on       by far the most popular draw is       lungarno C Colombo, while good     the Uffizzi Gallery, where            old-fashioned Trattorias like Da   Boticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’, as      Ruggiero on ViaSenese serve up     well as works by Michaelangelo        simple local classics like         and Titian. The famous Ponte          taglierini with lobster, risotto   Vecchio Bridge is situated not        dishes and roast pork and prunes.  far from the museum and is well       Those dining out on a thrifty      worth a visit.                        budget will find cheap eats at                                           family-run trattorias like         The surrounding Tuscan                Salumeria on via Ghibellina.       countryside is just waiting to be                                        Florence has a relaxed, laid back     to stay. However, good value and   nightlife. As darkness falls,         cheap rates are available to       locals like to take it easy at        those on a thrifty budget at       café bars on the main piazzas.        establishments like Dali on via    The liveliest area for young          dell’Oriuolo and Istituto Gould    people is the Oltrarno area of        on via dei Serragli. If money’s    the city, where many bars remain      no object, you’ll find plenty of   open until 3am. Popular               choice in terms of luxury          nightclubs in Florence include:       accommodation in Florence.         Be Bop on Via dei Servi, Central      Gallery Hotel Art offers premium   Park on Via Fosso Macinante and       suites at rates starting at €320   Universale on Via Pisana.             per night, while JK Place offers                                         equally lavish rooms complete      Accommodation in Florence tends       with roof terraces from €315 per   to be pricey, wherever you decide     night.                             About the Author Fiona writes for Argus Rentals and Car Hire Italy Published At: www.Isnare.com