Where to Stay in Florence: Best Neighborhoods and the Hotel We Loved

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Deciding where to stay in Florence is the first big call of any trip, because this is a city made for walking and your neighborhood shapes everything. The historic center is compact, the sights are stacked within a few minutes of each other, and the streets themselves are half the reason to come. The other question worth settling early is whether to bring a car (short answer: leave it at home). This guide covers the best neighborhoods, the hotel we loved, and how to do Florence entirely on foot.

If you are here to eat as well, keep our Florence Food Guide open alongside this one. We point back to it for the bistecca, the truffles, and the sandwich shop that made our favorite lunch of the trip.

First, a Note on Driving in Florence: Don’t

We brought our rental car into Florence, parked it at the hotel, and paid a hefty daily price for the privilege. We also had to call the hotel ahead of time to register our license plate for the ZTL (the limited-traffic zone that covers the historic center), or we would have been fined by the cameras. It worked out, but the lesson was clear: you do not want a car in Florence.

The city is genuinely made for walking, and the obstacles to driving are real: the ZTL, narrow one-way lanes, and high parking prices. If you are planning day trips into Tuscany, either take a tour that drives you or pick up a rental on your way out of the city. In the center itself, a car is nothing but a cost and a headache.

Where to Stay in Florence: Best Neighborhoods

Florence rewards staying central and walking everywhere. Three areas cover almost everyone:

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Duomo and Centro Storico is the historic heart, and our pick for first-timers. You are within a few minutes of the Duomo, the Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio and the best of the city. It is the most convenient base by far, and while it can be busier and pricier, for a first visit the walk-everywhere location is hard to argue with.

Santo Spirito and the Oltrarno sit just across the Arno: more local, more artisan workshops and neighborhood trattorias, and a little quieter than the center. A great choice if you want an authentic feel and do not mind a five to ten minute walk over the river to the big sights.

San Lorenzo puts you next to the Mercato Centrale, Florence’s wonderful food hall, and close to the main train station if you are arriving by rail. Ideal for foodies who want morning market access and traditional restaurants on the doorstep.

Our Base: The Westin Excelsior Florence

We stayed at the Westin Excelsior for three nights and would absolutely book it again. It was welcoming and comfortable, the facilities were top notch, and the staff were genuinely warm and helpful. The location was a real highlight too: close to everything, from the museums and the Arno to Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo. There is a large square right outside that gets some traffic, but the spot still felt like a quiet corner tucked away from the worst of the tourist crush.

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The best part, though, was the rooftop bar. We spent our evenings up there with a spritz and aperitivo, watching the sun go down over the square, the Arno and the whole city. It is the kind of view you plan a trip around.

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And it gave us one of the most surreal moments of the trip. One evening, while we were up on the roof taking sunset photos, we looked down to see Phil, the host of The Amazing Race, standing on the big red mat with cameras and spotlights pointed at him. We ended up watching a live taping: contestants sprinting to the mat, giving their speeches, talking to Phil, and then walking straight into our hotel to spend the night. We even spotted a couple of them in the lobby later. Not to brag, but we are now TV famous for about three seconds of an episode.

Florence on Foot: Everything Is Walkable

Here is why the car stays parked: almost everything you came to see is a short walk apart. This is a city you experience best by wandering, and a few beats stood out for us.

Climb the Duomo, and start early. The tour is absolutely worth it. You go inside the cathedral, climb the stairs to the top of the interior, and then head up through the inside of the dome itself to the very top. It is a tiring climb (a family with young kids near us gave up about halfway), but the views over Florence from the top are astonishing and make for some of the best photos of the trip.

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Do the sandwich thing. After a morning in two of the museums we were starving, so we tracked down a Florentine sandwich shop we had read about, grabbed a couple of enormous focaccia sandwiches, and found a shady spot to sit and people-watch while we refueled. It was one of our favorite lunches of the whole trip. (The specifics are in our Florence Food Guide.)

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Walk Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi. The old bridge with its jewelry shops and the Uffizi’s galleries are both a few minutes from the center, and both are best reached the way Florence is meant to be seen: on foot.

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A Few Florence Booking Tips

• Book early. We booked almost a year out. Marriott-family hotels (like the Westin Excelsior) open for booking about a year ahead, and the best-located rooms go first.
• Watch for discounts before you commit. Check rates both on weekends and midweek, over several weeks, before locking in. Discounts tend to pop up if you keep an eye out.
• Stay central and walkable. The Duomo area, Oltrarno or San Lorenzo all put you within an easy walk of the main sights.
• Skip the car. Do not drive into the center. Rent on the way out for day trips, or take a tour that drives you.
• Start the Duomo early. The climb is popular and the stairs are tiring, so beat the heat and the crowds.

Do You Need a Car in Florence?

No. The historic center is compact and walkable, driving is genuinely stressful thanks to the ZTL and one-way lanes, and parking is expensive. Rent a car only for day trips into the Tuscan countryside, and pick it up as you leave the city. For the Chianti wine country, we actually skipped driving altogether and took a small-group tour, which we cover in our guide to day trips from Florence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should first-timers stay in Florence?

The Duomo area and Centro Storico, so you can walk to the cathedral, the Uffizi and Ponte Vecchio in minutes. The Oltrarno (across the Arno) is the more local, quieter alternative, and San Lorenzo is best if you want the Mercato Centrale food hall on your doorstep.

Do you need a car in Florence?

No. The center is made for walking, and a car is a liability: the ZTL zone fines unregistered vehicles, the lanes are narrow, and parking is expensive. Rent one only for day trips, and pick it up on your way out of the city.

Is climbing the Duomo worth it?

Yes. You go inside the cathedral, then climb through the interior and up inside the dome to the very top. It is a tiring climb, but the views over Florence are astonishing. Book a time slot and go early.

How far ahead should you book Florence hotels?

As early as you can. We booked almost a year out. Marriott-family hotels open roughly a year ahead, and the best central rooms go quickly. Keep checking for discounts on weekends and midweek before you commit.

Is the Westin Excelsior Florence worth it?

For us, yes. The location is excellent, the service was warm, and the rooftop bar has one of the best sunset views in the city. It is a splurge, but it made our stay feel special (and we got a surprise Amazing Race taping thrown in).