Florence · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
Florence crosses end to end in half an hour on foot, which removes the largest line from any budget.
Oltrarno and San Lorenzo
Hostels cluster around San Lorenzo and the station. The Oltrarno across the river is quieter, cheaper to eat in and five minutes from the Ponte Vecchio.
What a day costs
Dorm €25–45, a schiacciata sandwich €6–8, a trattoria dinner €15–20. Around €50–85 a day, roughly $55–95, less if lunch comes from a market.
Getting around cheap
The city walks. Trams T1 and T2 reach the airport and Scandicci for €1.70, and regional trains to Pisa or Siena cost under €10 each way.
Free by day
Piazzale Michelangelo's view, the church of San Miniato al Monte above it, and the Duomo's nave. State museums open free one Sunday a month.
Piazza Santo Spirito
The Oltrarno's square, where people sit on the church steps at dusk; free walking tours start over the river at Piazza della Repubblica.