Travel Money Diaries: 3.5 Days in Florence for €60 a day
Where: Florence, Italy
When: Early May, 2018
The Basics
Data Plan: €20 for a month on Vodafone
Insurance: €56 using AXA Schengen Travel Insurance
90-Day Tourist Schengen Visa: €58.59
Train from Rome to Florence: €9.90 using .italo, bought three months in advance. Quick tip: Roma Tremini updates which platform to be on, on the big screen. There are people dressed in uniforms pretending to be helpful staff but they’re going to hold on to your luggage and ‘request’ for a tip. So watch out for them! - €9.90
Bus from Florence to Nice (my next destination): €17.27 with Flixbus, with a transfer in Genoa. I bought this three months in advance. - €17.27
Accommodation: €23.53 a night at a 6-bed dormitory room in Florence Plus. If you’re ever in Florence and looking for a great hostel, check this one out. Impeccable service, clean beds with private bathrooms, an indoor swimming pool, sauna, turkish bath, its own bar, a rooftop with the classic Florence view… it’s insane. I cant stop raving about this place. I booked this with a cashback website called ShopBack and Booking.com three months in advance to save even more money and got €3.97 of cashback. - €66.62
Day One
8 AM - The hostel was a 20-minute walk from the train station, which is great. I left my luggage and paid the €6 city tax. I went to the cafe across the street, which is where the hostel staff says they usually have their breakfast (meaning: cheap!) and bought two pastries and a cappuccino to start the day (€2.30). Quick tip: if you want to blend in with the locals, never order a cappuccino to accompany your lunch or dinner. It’s just too rich. - €8.30
9 AM - I had some time to kill so I walked around town to familiarize myself.
11 AM - I joined a free walking tour lead by a local who had a background in architecture and city planning, so she took us around the city and shared the history and details that I would have overlooked.
12 PM - Coffee break! I bought a schiacciata which my Italian friend recommended me to get. I had the sandwich with cheese, slices of pear, and pancetta. It’s so balanced. The sandwich was pretty filling so I saved the rest for dinner. - €5
2 PM - Who knew the Medicis were so petty? The tour lasted three hours but I wasn’t bored or tired for a single minute. I tipped the guide and told her how great she was! - €5
2.30 PM - I walked back to the hostel to get settled in my room and it’s super comfortable. I toured the amazing place and rested for a bit.
4 PM - Headed out again! I walked to Oltrarno and to Palazzo Pitti to get the combined ticket. After walking around the city, a friend of mine that I met on the walking tour asked me for aperitivo, and who says no to that? Before that, we met up at the Oltrarno quarter and I spent some time in the free rose garden which smells heavenly. - €38
6 PM - We made our way to Piazzale Michelangelo to sit at the steps to watch the sunset. It was packed and everyone was having beers and glasses of wine. We walked further to sit at the edge to enjoy the sights. When the sun came down, everyone clapped. I mean it’s beautiful and I felt compelled to be grateful, but clapping at sunsets is kind of on par with clapping when the plane lands. What do you think?
9.30 PM - My new friend invited another girl she met who happens to have Indonesian roots! They’re both absolute sweethearts. We went to the Piazza della Passera which is what our tour guide recommended. She told us that it used to be an area for prostitutes, but now it has really good bistros and munchies. We found a tiny bar and ordered white wine and aperol spritz (my summery drink of choice). I tried to order in Italian but I obviously did not pull it off since the kind bartender just replied me in English. We had access to a free buffet of nibbles since it’s aperitivo, so I added chips, pasta, and veggies to my plate. If it’s free, it’s mine! - €6
11.30 PM - We had a long chat at the place. We were sitting outside and were the only foreigners. The friend told us about Jersey Shore’s reboot and that they had a vacation in Florence and learned to make pizza. We went to the place: Pizzeria O'Vesuvio. Gotta balance the classy with the trashy, am I right? After imaging Snooki throw pizza dough up in the air, we laughed and walked home.
Daily Total: €62.30
Day Two
8.30 AM - Walked to the Uffizi for my 9 AM slot. If you’re planning to go to the Uffizi, go as early as you can because the line is really long. It’s massive and filled with beautiful artwork, even the ceiling is a work of art. Checkout How to Explore Florence like an Art History Major: The Uffizi (coming soon! Will update with link once it's up) for an easy to read guide of the art. I promise you’d appreciate them once you know the story.
11.30 AM - I bought two postcards of the beautiful Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. Every time I walk by I take time to appreciate it. If you go around Europe eventually you’d get sick of seeing cathedrals and churches (at least I do), but this one looks like nothing I’ve ever seen. - €1.90
12 PM - I went to Mercato Centrale, which is similar to Lisbon’s Time Out Market. Housing Italian cuisine by chefs at an affordable price, I was overwhelmed and I wanted to get everything. I settled for tortellinis with potato and pancetta filling, with browned butter and parmesan sauce (€13). The lady beside me was eating some truffle pasta and I asked her where she got it from. She also told me that her husband is a chef who buys emptied cheese wheels which he would then make pastas in. I now know the kind of man I need to marry. I also told her, “pasta is a religious experience”. She giggled, nodded, and we both ate a good forkful of pasta. - €13
3 PM - I crossed the bridge and bought a salad from the supermarket as a snack. I get so many sandwiches everywhere because it’s usually the cheapest, so my body constantly craves for vegetables. - €3.25
5 PM - I walked around Giardino Bardini. It’s gorgeous and the flowers are all in bloom! I can’t stop smelling them. At one point it drizzled and I got sleepy so I found a little shaded corner to eat my salad and take a nap. I then met a girl who asked my help to take a photo of her and that’s how travel friendships are usually formed (PS: she’s the contributor behind all the Florence Guides and David!). We spend the rest of the day strolling around the garden and to other places.
9 PM - We ended the day at a restaurant. I had vesuvio (a type of pasta shape) with pesto and seafood which was unreal, and she had the risotto. I didn’t take note of the price but it would probably be around €9. - €9
Daily Total: €27.15
Day Three
9 AM - I spent the morning at Giardino Boboli. According to my guide from the walking tour (I told you she was full of knowledge!), Eleonora di Toledo, the wife of one of the Medicis insisted on having a beautiful garden. After years of bugging her husband for one, she finally got one to stroll around. A four hectare one to be exact. Oh how I wish I had a fraction of that.
12 PM - I walked back to Mercato Centrale but I bought a lampredotto sandwich outside. Why? It’s cheaper (€4 - the ones inside were €6) and I heard it’s better. I sat inside beside a family from Nashville or some place. They saw that I was really digging my sandwich and I explained to them what it is: cow’s intestine with a bit of green chilli sauce. It’s a local delicacy and it’s not bad. We talked and I’ve scored myself a place to stay when I’m in Nashville! They got me red beer and shared their food with me. I also got an aranchine, which is like a fried rice ball, cause Anthony Bourdain had it when he was in Rome (€3.50). - €7.50
4 PM - I met up with my friend after she finished her class. She’s on a two-week language immersion program, and I wish I was on one too. We checked out Orsanmichele, a church that houses the sculptures that were donated by the various guilds in Florence a long time ago. This place is practically a free museum! Since my friend had a background in Art History, she pointed out all the things I would’ve missed out, and I learned to appreciate the details in sculptures.
6 PM - We headed to lingerie store so I could buy a bra that I’ve been eyeing for. I try not to buy too much stuff but I have a soft spot for lingerie and books. It was €39.90 which was good given it’s quality and that it’s made out of lace. - €39.90
6.45 PM - We bumped into a guy my friend knew from the gelateria and scored ourselves two free scoops of gelato. The place actually has bad gelato, since it had all the signs: bright colored gelato, they had a lot of flavors, and the gelato was piled high in the display. Why is this a bad sign? This means that they don’t make it fresh daily and the quality of ingredients isn’t that great. I could vouch for that since I went in the basement and saw a full fridge of pre-made gelato.
7.30 PM - We both walked out of the gelateria after an ‘incident’ which is absolutely hilarious and crazy. I promised I wouldn’t share but let’s just say never go to the basement of a gelateria alone!
8.30 PM - I found a photoautomat! The last time I saw one was in Berlin, and so we had to take one. We were laughing so hard and having fun and got ourselves one each. - €2
8.45 PM - It was my last night in Florence and I can’t believe time flies here! My friend and I decided to get aperols and enjoy the free chips that come with it. We promised to stay in touch (note: it’s been months after this and I still talk to her! Cheers to travel friendships.). - €6
Daily Total: €55.40
Day Four
7 AM - My bus leaves at 11.30 and I haven’t gone to Palazzo Pitti since it was closed yesterday. I rushed through the place and I wish I had more time. The apartment rooms and the ceilings were a feast for the eyes.
9.30 AM - I bought some local milk and a huge bag of chocolate biscuits. The last time I had the biscuits was in Venice at a local friend’s home for breakfast and it was really chocolatey for a supermarket generic brand. I had them later on the bus with the milk and I kid you not the milk was amazing. It sounds weird to rave about milk but it was so creamy without being sickening. I know understand why my Italian friends get really passionate about their local milk. I saved the biscuits as travel snacks for the other cities. - €2.10
10 AM - Flixbus moved the bus stop to another part of town, which is annoying cause now I have to buy a ticket at the tabaccheria to take the metro to go there. - €1.20
11.30 AM - On the bus, leaving Florence. This city is the right blend of things for a tourist: it was full of people but you wouldn’t feel like a tourist, because there were no people trying to get you to buy selfie sticks or go on a bus tour like in Rome, it had plenty of things to see and do, and the food was incredible. I wish I spent more time here so I could take a day trip to the nearby Tuscan towns. This calls for another visit in the future.
Daily Total: €3.30
Budgeting Takeaway: Get Combined Tickets
If you know you’d go to multiple places, be smart about getting tickets. Research online if they have discounts. The best are student tickets so bring your student ID if you are one! Also, get combined tickets because it would save you so much. For Florence, the €38 combined ticket would save you money and time since the queue in the Uffizi is ridiculous. For €38, you would get access to the Uffizi (and go on the shorter ‘Reserved’ queue!), Palazzo Pitti, Giardino Bardini, and Giardino Boboli.
Written by Nadia Pritta Wibisono. All photographs are taken by the author.