Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Helvetia and Bristol, Florence
Facts in brief
Official star rating 5
Location 8 minute walk to the Ponte Vecchio
Annual opening All year
Closest airport Pisa
Distance from airport The hotel is about 90-minutes' drive from Pisa Airport
Closest railway station Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station
Distance from railway station The hotel is about 5-minutes drive from Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station
Hotel facilities and services
Gourmet Restaurant, Bar, Terrace, Lift, Room Service, WiFi, Parking (at a charge), Two Meeting Rooms, Concierge, Bicycle Hire, Luggage Deposit, Car Rental, Babysitting.
Out and about nearby
A stone's throw from Palazzo Strozzi, the Duomo, and high end boutiques on Via de' Tornabuoni. About two minutes' walk from the Piazza della Repubblica and about five minutes' walk from the cathedral.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Classic double or twin room for 3 nights
From about
£720
Holiday Code IE07
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Helvetia and Bristol, Florence
Situated just off the most important street for 'haute couture' in Florence and a couple of minutes' walk from the Piazza della Repubblica in the heart of the city, the luxury 5 star Helvetia and Bristol is an enchanting hotel, with the charm, character and personal service of a small hotel but with the first-class services and standards of luxury you would expect from a hotel of this category. The Helvetia and Bristol was built at the end of the 19th Century and its popularity first peaked in the Twenties and Thirties. The building combines a comfortable and historic feel and boasts luxourious furnishings. The ambience is city centre but very relaxing - its aim is to be a luxurious 'home from home' with potted plants, huge displays of flowers, paintings, ornaments and books and antique furniture everywhere. The lounge area very much typifies this with its open fire place, comfortable chairs, library corner, lamps and coffee tables. A special feature of the Hotel Helvetia and Bristol is the Winter Garden; under a stained glass roof, there are wicker-backed chairs, wrought-iron railings, wooden tables with marble tops and huge palms. The Helvetia and Bristol also features a delightful new bar and restaurant, the Hostaria Bibendum which boasts a relaxing alfresco terrace. The bedrooms number 65 plus two spacious and panoramic suites; they are all air-conditioned and decorated extremely comfortably in an individual and traditional style. The sound-proofed rooms are of a good size and all enjoy the comforts of marble bathrooms with towelling robes and hair-dryer.
Room descriptions
Hotel Helvetia & Bristol has 67 rooms with bath and wc, hairdryer, air-conditioning, satellite television, telephone, radio, mini-bar, desk and safe.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Classic double or twin room for 3 nights
From about
£720
Holiday Code IE07
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Helvetia and Bristol, Florence
The journey and how you get there
For a holiday to Hotel Helvetia and Bristol in Florence, our clients usually fly to Pisa airport, Florence airport or arrive by train at Florence Santa Maria Novella railway station. From the airport and the station, we recommend a private car transfer which we would include in our holiday price. If you are visiting Florence as part of a tailor-made touring holiday, we recommend returning your hire-car upon arrival in Florence, and then if you need a car to continue the itinerary, collecting another one when you leave.
Additional information
Children: One child (12 years or younger) may be accommodated in a cot or extra bed free of charge (including breakfast) when sharing with 2 adults in the same room. Rollaway beds based on availability. Family rooms and a babysitting service are available.
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Classic double or twin room for 3 nights
From about
£720
Holiday Code IE07
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Hotel Helvetia and Bristol, Florence
About Florence
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.
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!
