You enjoyed your visit to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Uffizi Gallery, saw David of Michelangelo, and went sightseeing on Florence’s Ponte Vecchio, so now your vacation in Florence is almost coming to an end. But your journey is not yet finished though and you need to consider some important steps to come back home nice, safe, and stressless. Here is some advice from us on this behalf!
- Plan your time for shopping at Florence’s artisan markets or local stores if you want to buy special gifts or souvenirs for your friends and family. You may find some really special and unique art pieces for a reasonable price. If you don’t live in the European Union and want to go and do some shopping for yourself, make good use of tax-free shopping. For instance, if you stay in the Tornabuoni luxury resort in Florence, you may ask the receptionists for recommendations or a list of shops where this option is available and they will happily assist you. Alternatively, try to ask your host or look for a Tax-Free Shopping badge in the stores, then ask the shop assistants how to get your VAT back. They will be also there to provide you with all the info.
- If you’re staying in a b’n’b or a hotel, have in mind to respect the checkout time. You may also have some outstanding bills to pay at your checkout, so think of it in advance to avoid any last-minute surprises when you will be returning your apartment’s keys.
- Create digital copies of all necessary travel papers, including IDs and passports, and keep them safe in cloud storage and/or send backup copies to yourself via email. Notify your bank or credit card company of your upcoming journey to prevent any possible problems when using your cards abroad. By doing this you will reduce the risk of fraud alerts and unanticipated card blocks.
- To prepare for any possible weather-related travel delays, review the weather forecast a day before your departure date and organize accordingly. This may help you a lot! Also, be mindful of any public holidays and/or celebrations occurring on your departure date. This as well could have an impact on service availability and transportation timetables, and the holidays and celebrations in Italy aren’t that rare.
- Make it a priority to stay hydrated and rested, and get enough sleep before you depart, moreover if you have a long trip ahead of you. We recommend always having a water bottle with you, and taking short stops to rest your feet and refuel as needed.
- Understand how to travel to Florence’s main Airport Peretola if you’re departing from there. Organize your transport and take into consideration possible traffic and journey time. If you’re traveling from Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station, try get familiar with it in advance as well before traveling. Check the train timetable and platform, it is possible to do this online and through the Trenitalia mobile application.
We are sure your departure from Florence will be easier and will make you 1000% satisfied about having visited this wonderful city by keeping these tips in mind. We’re sure, after this pleasant journey, you will be coming back very soon!