Florence Question

[homeschoolmom3]

We have 12 hours in Florence but it starts quite early 6 AM to 6 PM. If we pre-order skip the line tickets, is it possible to visit Duomo, Accademia, Uffizi and Pisa in this time frame? Or do we have to choose between Accademia and Uffizi. (First time here)

Thanks.

[euro cruiser]

I think it depends on your definition of "visit".  You can run in and out of all of these places, I suppose, but what would be the point?

 

The Uffizi is huge and requires a lot of time, that's the one I'd probably leave off your list.  I suspect that most people dash into the Accademia, see David and the prisoners and leave immediately thereafter, so with timed entry you can be very efficient with this stop.  It's about a ten minute walk from the Duomo so it that doesn't add a lot of time.  

 

I just checked the Duomo website, the cathedral is free and no ticket is required, you just have to wait on line.  You surely don't have the time to climb the dome or the bell tower but the information about the tickets is here:  Access the monuments (duomo.firenze.it)

 

Finally, how are you getting there and back from the port?  If you're using a car service you'll have a little more time to work with.

 

Also, as for Pisa, what do you want to do there?  If you just want to get pictures of the tower, do it first on your way to Florence and avoid the crowds.

 

Edited March 15, 2022 by euro cruiser

[homeschoolmom3]

Thank you. While I have looked at the train by ourselves, we will probably use a service. We want to enjoy the places that we see, however Pisa is truly a photo stop.

[Langoustine]

Skip the Uffizi; it's like the Louvre (huge but wonderful) and you could easily spend the entire day there and only scratch the surface. Pisa is interesting if you like bad engineering projects. Take the train; you do NOT need a guide service. My wife and I spent four days in Florence in 2015 and only saw half of what we wanted to see. It's a wonderful city.

[euro cruiser]

With a car service, especially so early in the morning, I would stop at Pisa and get your pictures and then head on to Florence.

 

Assuming you leave the port with a driver at 6:30, stop at Pisa at 7 and depart again by 7:15, you can be in Florence by 9 AM.

 

For a 6 PM departure you'll need to be on board by 5:30 and I would expect that the driver will insist on leaving Florence no later than 3:30, to account for traffic and other issues you might hit on the road.

 

So you'd have about six and a half hours in Florence.

[slidergirl]

Oh my.  I spent hours in the Uffizi.  I went with 2 friends and they were a tad miffed at how long I took there.  I've never been in the Accademia - I satisfied my David craving by seeing the one out on the Piazza with the others.  My friends and I did the "walk by" the Leaning Tower in Pisa.  

Pick one or the other museums and do the "walk by" of the Tower if you must.

[cruisemom42]

Some other points to consider:  

 

Florence is a patchwork of different-day closures. The Uffizi and Accademia are both closed on Mondays, so hopefully that's not the day you'll be in Florence.

 

As others have said, the Uffizi takes time and is really best done when you can devote at least half a day to it.

 

I find the Duomo on its own to be a bit disappointing, but if you go take some binoculars or a camera with a good zoom to be able to really see the ceiling.  I actually find the Baptistry much more interesting but it does require a ticket. You can, however, see the famous bronze doors on the Baptistry from the outside (they are replicas, the real ones are in the Museum del Opera, also part of the Duomo complex).

 

For sheer wow factor in a short time, seeing David at the Accademia is hard to beat but definitely schedule your tickets in advance. My son is not an art afficionado by any stretch but even he was awed by this masterpiece.

 

[mchell810]

Unlike most posters I would not skip Uffizi.  Yes, you could spend a whole day there, but that can be said of any large museum; it's a wonderful place and worth any amount of time you can spend there. We had a guide there which helped us avoid feeling overwhelmed; and then we were able to stay longer and just wonder.   I would skip Pisa unless you have a burning desire to see it (or can get there early enough not to impede you day in Florence).  For me, Pisa just wasn't very special and I'd rather spend the time in Florence. 

 

I agree with @cruisemom42 regarding the David.

[Scottee25]

When everyone speaks about the Duomo, everyone is referring to climbing to the top?

[euro cruiser]

40 minutes ago, Scottee25 said:

When everyone speaks about the Duomo, everyone is referring to climbing to the top?

Not necessarily.  You can visit the church for free, although the dome is (in my opinion) the most interesting part of the building.

 

See the link in post #2 for visit options.

 

[Scottee25]

36 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

Not necessarily.  You can visit the church for free, although the dome is (in my opinion) the most interesting part of the building.

 

See the link in post #2 for visit options.

 

 

I have been there before. Climbed the 400+ steps to the top too 🙂 I was just asking because I was able to do the climb to the top, visit inside the cathedral and also visit Accademia in the same day. We visited in August 2003 and did not have any skip the line tickets so we spent a lot of time standing in 90+ degree heat waiting to get into these sites. We were planning to stop in Pisa on the way back to Livorno but were just exhausted. However, we did have enough time to stop in Pisa had we wanted to. We had similar port times as the OP (7AM-7PM) with an All Aboard of 6PM. 

[marazul]

2 hours ago, Scottee25 said:

When everyone speaks about the Duomo, everyone is referring to climbing to the top?

Duomo = cathedral

Cupola = dome

 

You go to the Duomo to climb the cupola.

[Scottee25]

14 hours ago, marazul said:

Duomo = cathedral

Cupola = dome

 

You go to the Duomo to climb the cupola.

Thank you for the clarification.