Luxury hotel holidays to Florence

Luxury holidays to Florence: luxury hotel holidays, touring holidays and special interest holidays

An Expressions tailor-made holiday to Florence is one of the ‘must see’ places of all art lovers. Florence is the centre of the Renaissance movement and the Uffizi Gallery houses a phenomenal collection of painting from this era, as does the Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s statue of David. However, it is the atmosphere of the city which is overwhelmingly Renaissance as everywhere you turn there is yet another reminder of the period either artistic or architectural and this creates a superb museum like ambience to the historic centre. All the sites are easily reached on foot from the Ponte Vecchio to the Church of Santa Maria Novella, to the Accademia, to the Duomo and it is by visiting on foot that you can soak up the amazing atmosphere of the city.

Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be

● Single centre or multi-centre
● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to Italy and within Italy, combining flights, hire-car, rail, ferries and private transfers

Our special interest holidays to Florence

● Cultural tours for individuals
● Private guided sightseeing
● Art, history and heritage holidays
● City breaks
● Food and wine holidays

Included in all our holidays

● Concierge service
● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday

Call us on 01392 441245

Highlights of Florence

The markets in Florence are great for browsing for leather bags and shoes, but be prepared to haggle the price, as these markets are now really geared up for tourists and you can end up paying more than you need to. Fiesole can be reach by train or bus and has lovely views of the city. The Boboli gardens are an enchanting place to spend a few lazy hours and can be reached on foot over the other side of the River Arno from the main sites. Hire a car and visit Siena, Lucca, San Gimignano, Chianti, Montepulciano, Perugia and many more fascinating mediaeval towns nearby.

Cultural highlights of Florence

The Duomo, The Battistero, Uffizi Gallery, Accademia Gallery, the mausoleum of the Medici family in the Medici Chapel, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, The Piazza della Signoria.

Festivals in Florence

There are a wide range of fashion shows held in Florence in January, which can make finding hotel availability difficult during the show period. Otherwise, Florence holds any wonderful festivals throughout the year including the Scoppio del Carro or the explosion of the cart on Easter Sunday, which is really a firework display, but the atmosphere is tremendous. Calcio in Costume in June is a fun spectacle and a slightly different take on ‘Calcio’ or football! Alternatively, in September there is the Festa della Rificolana where children carrying candlelit lanterns converge on the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata to celebrate the eve of the birth of the Virgin Mary. The most notable festival in the area however, is of course the Palio in Siena, just south of Florence and easily reachable by train, which takes place in July and August. Early booking is essential.

Gastronomy in Florence

Florence is famous for its food, namely Bistecca alla Fiorentina and many grilled meats and game dishes, but of course it is the centre of the Chianti wine producing region and thereby has access to some of the most prestigious wines from Chianti and the hearty reds of Southern Tuscany. Olive oil is also in abundance here and is used with everything, from cooking to dipping and even tasting!

Florence travel information

Florence is reached very easily from the UK by air and rail. We can arrange for you to travel by train with overnight stops.

By air

British Airways has daily flights from London to Florence Peretola airport, or to Pisa. There is an excellent rail service from Pisa airport to Florence Santa Maria Novella station, which takes about 40 minutes or we can arrange a private car transfer.

Car hire

There is no need to hire a car in Florence as most of the key sites are within pedestrianized areas, but you may wish to hire a car to visit Tuscany and the surrounding areas.

Rail travel

Florence is easily accessible by train from London by taking the Eurostar to Paris, and then the overnight sleeper service to Milan. You change trains in Milan and can be in Florence by about 09.00 hrs.

Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be

● Single centre or multi-centre
● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to Italy and within Italy, combining flights, hire-car, rail, ferries and private transfers

Our special interest holidays to Florence

● Cultural tours for individuals
● Private guided sightseeing
● Art, history and heritage holidays
● City breaks
● Food and wine holidays

Included in all our holidays

● Concierge service
● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday

Call us on 01392 441245

Here you will find a map of Florence showing the locations of the hotels that we offer

Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be

● Single centre or multi-centre
● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to Italy and within Italy, combining flights, hire-car, rail, ferries and private transfers

Our special interest holidays to Florence

● Cultural tours for individuals
● Private guided sightseeing
● Art, history and heritage holidays
● City breaks
● Food and wine holidays

Included in all our holidays

● Concierge service
● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday

Call us on 01392 441245

Farmhouse in green rolling fields surrounded by cypress trees in swirling mist

EXPLORE SOUTHERN TUSCANY RAIL-DRIVE TOUR

8-night touring holiday by train and hire-car via Switzerland to Florence, Chianti, Cortona. Return with an overnight stop in northern Italy or Switzerland. From £3,050 per person.
Green hills with cypress trees and orange coloured farmhouse in Tuscany

FLORENCE AND TUSCANY BY RAIL TOUR

10-night rail and car touring holiday of Tuscany by train and car via Switzerland to Florence and the Chianti region. From £2,770 per person.
Ornate mural in white on grey stone of a wall in Florence

TUSCANY AND UMBRIA TOUR BY RAIL AND CAR

9-night touring holiday with an overnight stop each way, train to Florence return, then hire-car for touring and stays in Chianti and Umbria. From £2,610 per person.
Baroque fountain of Neptune with water around and ochre houses at the Piazza Navona in Rome

VENICE, FLORENCE AND ROME BY TRAIN TOUR

11-night holiday by train to Venice, Florence and Rome with rail travel on Eurostar and overnight stops each way. From about £3,260 per person.
Iron lamp outside St Mark's Basilica and pink Doge's Palace in Venice

VENICE, FLORENCE AND ROME FLY-RAIL TOUR

9-night fly-rail touring holiday from Venice to Rome, also stopping in Florence. Choice of hotels and add extra nights if desired. From £3,090 per person.
Ornate, Baroque fountain with statues in Palermo

SICILY BY TRAIN HOLIDAY

11-night luxury rail holiday by from London to Sicily by train, with stops in Zurich in Switzerland, Florence and Naples before Taormina and Palermo in Sicily. The train goes on the ferry to Messina. Return by air from Palermo. From £3,490 per person.
Statue of David with the terracotta cupola of the cathedral in Florence

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF MICHELANGELO HOLIDAY

6-night holiday following in the work of Michelangelo in Florence and Rome, and visit places associated with the great artist and his works of art in both cities. From £1,680 per person.
Grand Hotel Minerva Florence blue waters of rooftop pool

GRAND HOTEL MINERVA Florence

The Grand Hotel Minerva in Florence has 97 rooms offering views of some of the city’s major landmarks. Rooftop terrace with outdoor swimming pool, sky lounge, two restaurants and rooftop bar.
Hotel Bernini Palace

HOTEL BERNINI PALACE Florence

This 5-star hotel is located just off the Piazza della Signoria, next to the Palazzo Vecchio, and has rich historical links from its 15th century building to the Sala Parlamento breakfast room. Rooms furinished with antiques and pure linen sheets.
Hotel Brunelleschi Florence exterior lit up windows old architecture

HOTEL BRUNELLESCHI Florence

This is a vibrant, boutique-style 4-star hotel in the historic centre of Florence, with a choice of rooms and suites, some with Duomo view. There are two well-known restaurants and outside space for drinks and dining.
Helvetia and Bristol Florence hotel exterior by night

HOTEL HELVETIA & BRISTOL Florence

A grand 5-star hotel full of history, warmth and character in the centre of Florence near the Via Tornabuoni. Rooms are spacious and richly decorated. Highlights are the cosy public areas: bar, restaurant and Winter Garden.
Hotel Lungarno Florence terrace breakfast views of the Duomo

HOTEL LUNGARNO Florence

Right on the banks of the River Arno, this is a 5-star boutique hotel a few steps from the Ponto Vecchio and a short walk to the Boboli gardens. Some rooms have river and cathedral view.
Relais Santa Croce Florence exterior hotel building flags Italian flag European union flag

RELAIS SANTA CROCE Florence

A Relais & Chateaux 5-star boutique hotel with sumptuous suites and classically contemporary rooms in the Santa Croce quarter of Florence. Oustanding restaurant and cookery offered.
Beige stone exterior of grand hotel Savoy in Florence with awnings outside

ROCCO FORTE HOTEL SAVOY Florence

Rocco Forte’s Hotel Savoy in Florence is housed in a luxurious palace-style building befitting of its esteemed central location within the city. It offers 80 elegantly-appointed rooms and suites, a traditional Florentine bistro, terrace and gym.