Transportation
BUSES:
A great option when you’re trying to go somewhere close by in Italy, they’re used all the time. You can buy a local ticket at any tabacchi store (the equivalent of a tobacco store, they’re on every corner and usually have a big white “T” sign with a blue background hanging in front of them) and tickets are very cheap – you can also buy postage stamps here. Once you get your ticket and get on the bus, you must validate your ticket immediately because the bus driver won’t check you’re ticket. There are little machines at the front and back of the bus where you put the ticket in and it will stamp it with the date and time. If you forget to validate your ticket and ATAF staff come on board, they can ask to see your ticket and fine you 50 euros for not having done so because they have no way of telling how long you’ve been on the bus for. While I do that a lot of people usually don’t get caught and if you don’t validate your ticket you can save it to use again, but one of my friends got fined and if you don’t pay that fine within 5 days it jumps up to 240 euros so you’re much better off safe than sorry!
TRAINS:
I used the train system a lot more than I thought I would initially. Florence’s main train station, Firenze Santa Maria Novella was a 10 minute walk from the Duomo. The Italian train system is Trenitalia and they have a high speed train that goes from Florence to Rome (and vice versa) in 90 minutes which is helpful if you’re flying out of Rome which we did a few times because it was cheaper to fly out of Rome than Florence. It’s very easy to buy a train ticket online and I would recommend it to anyone
Food
Their dinner usually starts around 7:30 or later than I think most of us are used to so keep that in mind when making reservations or plans. Before dinner especially on the weekends most Italians will go to an aperitivo and have a few pre-dinner snacks and drinks after work to pass the time from work to dinner.
Breakfast isn’t nearly as much of a meal as it is in America, and odds are you’ll get a strange look if you order a cappuccino after 11am.
In general, food will most likely be cheaper the farther away you get from the Duomo. Not by much but they know that tourists will be happy to go to their shops if they’re close by the more touristy places so just keep that in mind
Apps
Download WhatsApp before you go which is a free messaging app that you can get on your iPhone or other smartphone. It uses wi-fi or data to let you message/call friends and family. There aren’t any fees, you can send multimedia messages, group chat, and you can use the same number you had before you left if you end up getting an SMS card with an Italian number while you’re there
Download “PocketGuide Audio Travel Guide with Offline Maps” – it’s free and has 150 major cities into it so you can download the map of the city you’re staying in or going to on wifi, and it will still work even if you’re not connected to data or wifi.
Banking
There are plenty of BNL banks in Florence which are the equivalent to Bank of America. It’s also probably a better idea to take out more money at once or before you go then hide it as opposed to taking out money frequently. Also don’t toss your coins away as quickly as you would in the US. Those 1 and 2 euro coins are great for small purchases like gelato and paninis!
Electronics
There’s an Apple store located in Piazza della Repubblica by the carousel that was a huge life saver for me. I was pick-pocketed twice abroad in Paris and London but thankfully had friends and family coming over who brought me old used iPhones. Whether you need a new charger, to figure out the wifi situation or a new phone (hopefully you don’t!), it’s nice to know that it’s there if you need it
Try to buy European chargers/hair straighteners/dryers before you go, you can get or rent them abroad too but they will probably be more expensive and they take up little space in your suitcase
Misc.
SUNDAYS: Sundays in Italy are generally seen as a day to go to church and be with your family so a lot of small stores will be closed on Sunday’s so owners can be with their families. The grocery store and a few small stores will be open, usually with limited hours but just plan accordingly if there’s somewhere specific you want to go
LAUNDRY: Very rarely in an Italian apartment will they have a dryer for your clothes. Many accommodations will either have a small washing machine and foldable drying rack instead of a dryer. Unless you’re 5 feet tall like me and rely on the dryer to re-shrink your clothes every time to fit you, you really shouldn’t have a problem with this. You’ll see a lot of clotheslines out, especially across the river in the more authentic neighborhoods. The most realistic option if you’re only there for a week or so and not an extended amount of time would be to bring a little detergent or soap, wash the few dirty clothes in the sink and hang them to dry while you go out and explore. They air dry pretty quickly and while there are laundry services you can bring your clothes too but those are pretty expensive per piece of clothing and I would rather spend that 15 or 20 euro on more gelato and pizza!
SHOES: Bring very comfortable shoes (also bonus points if you have a fit bit because you’ll walk more than you’ve ever imagined)