Travel to Florence

Coffee at the hotel, no rush. Check out and make your way to Roma Termini. You don't need to be up at dawn — aim for a departure around 10:00–11:00 AM.

Italy's high-speed rail at its best — 170 miles in 1 hour 36 minutes. Your seats are Car 2, 17A & 17B (1st class). Show the conductor your PNR: WFMZTN — no need to print, phone is fine. Tickets are pre-validated, no need to stamp at the platform machines.

Arriving Florence by 12:46 gives you a full first afternoon in the city.

Cab or rideshare from Santa Maria Novella to the apartment. Check in, unpack, take a breath — this is home for the next five nights.

Via dei Servi is one of the most extraordinary addresses in Florence: steps from the Duomo, the street runs straight toward the cathedral. That first glimpse of Brunelleschi's dome at the end of the street is going to hit hard. It always does.

Florence's great covered market — two floors of everything you need. The ground floor is vendors selling fresh produce, meat, fish, cheese, and pasta. The upper floor is a food hall with prepared food stalls. Great for getting oriented, picking up breakfast supplies for the week, and simply absorbing the city's energy.

Stock up on coffee, pastries, fruit, and whatever else you want to have in the apartment for mornings. Coffee and a cornetto from a local bar each morning is one of the great Italian rituals.

Wander the immediate neighborhood — Piazza del Duomo, Via dei Calzaiuoli, the streets around your apartment. Just get your bearings. You don't need to accomplish anything today beyond arriving and absorbing Florence for the first time.

The Duomo from the outside is worth ten minutes simply standing and looking at it. Brunelleschi's dome is still the largest brick dome ever constructed — and it was built in the 15th century without modern equipment.

Tonight is locked in. One of Florence's oldest trattorias — founded in 1886 — unfussy, very reasonable, and exactly what it promises: honest Florentine food in a comfortable setting. The perfect relaxed welcome to the city after a travel day. Bistecca alla Fiorentina, ribollita, and Tuscan classics done right.

Boisterous, shared tables, solid Tuscan food, and very fun for a first night. Long communal tables, lots of energy, the kind of place where you end up talking to the strangers sitting next to you. Classic bistecca alla Fiorentina, ribollita, and house wine that keeps appearing. Go early or expect a wait.

Reliably good, not fancy, solid Florentine classics. A neighborhood trattoria that does bistecca, ribollita, and pasta very well without any fuss. Perfect for a low-key first night when you just want good food and a glass of Chianti.