The best area to stay in Florence: neighbourhood and district guide + top hotel picks you’ll love
An insider’s guide to the best area to stay in Florence: expert, Florence neighborhood guide to help you pick the best place to stay in Florence on your first visit.
Florence is one of the most visited cities in Italy and offers a staggering array of accommodation options suitable for all types visitors: hotels, apartments, campsites… no matter what your favorite type of accommodation is, there is a chance Florence offers it!
This variety is a boon and a curse for the traveler: a boon, because it means you have a high chance of finding somewhere suitable; a curse, because too much choice can quickly become overwhelming.
With infinite hotels claiming to be in the best place to stay in Florence and waxing lyrical about their neighborhood to be the best area to stay in Florence and see Florence must see sites, how can you be sure you pick the right one?
And is there a best area to stay in Florence anyway or are different districts all excellent, just hitting different vibes?
Thankfully, help is on hand!
I am very fond of the city of Florence and I have visited more times than I can remember and very happy to share my knowledge of the city with you.
In this Florence neighborhoods guide, I am going to share all my tips and recommendations so you have the knowledge and resources to pick where to stay in Florence with confidence. I have also added hotels I trust and provide links to prices and info, so you can go straight to the source.
Good to know: The overall size of Florence is small enough that matter where you book within the city, you’ll never be too far from the city’s Renaissance treasures, either on foot or by public transport.
This is important to keep in mind as I hear first time visitors getting very stresses about picking the perfect place to be in Florence, while the truth is: in Florence, different neighborhoods have different styles, atmosphere, and advantages, but most places in Florence city are suitable for a stay.
The main differences are distance to Florence main landmarks, vibe and budget. Let’s have a quick overview at what to expect in each.
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Best area to stay in Florence TL;DR (Summary)
Historic center: City center / Duomo is the best area to stay in Florence for first-time visitors, sightseeing and visitors who love the option of walking everywhere and do not mind a busy location.
Santa Croce: Just beside the city center, this is a local and lively area, perfect for visitors looking for a central location and lively area for dinners and evenings out
San Lorenzo: the best area to stay in Florence for foodies coming to indulge in the delicacies of famous Mercato Centrale
Oltrarno / Santo Spirito: best area to stay in Florence for a creative vibe, artisan shops and a chance of quiet evening close to the city center.
Santa Maria Novella / Station area: best area to stay in Forence for budget and easy access to the center and train.
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City Center (Duomo / Signoria / Repubblica)
At a glance: the best area to stay in Florence for first-time visitors, sightseeing, visitors who love the option of walking everywhere and do not mind a busy location.
Best for: first-time visitors, short stays, sightseeing.
- Pros: Walk everywhere, buzzing atmosphere, immersive experience
- Cons: Busy streets, pricier hotels, potential nightlife noise (always read reviews of accommodation noise levels very carefully).
The Renaissance heart of the city is the historic center, which is where the Duomo and the main Florence landmarks and tourist attractions are.
This area is right in the historical center of Florence and it is where you are likely to spend most of your time if visiting Florence for the first time.
Here you are walking distance from all Florence main attractions such as the Duomo, Piazza dell Signoria, Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Repubblica and more.
Since it is the geographical center of the city and since Florence is small, this area is also close to pretty much anywhere else! San Lorenzo and even Oltrarno, with Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens and even Piazzale Michelangelo all all within easy reach from here.
The inevitable downside to this area is that it can get busy, prices can be high and it is very much an inner-city location.
It is ideal if you want to be in the center of it all but not quite as ideal if you are hoping for a restful few days in a green setting. For that, the area of the hills around Florence is more suitable.
Some hotels to consider in this area are:
Mid-range: Hotel Davanzati – Family-run, welcoming, and superbly located near Piazza della Repubblica.
Budget: Hotel Dali – Clean and charming, just steps from the action at a good price point.
Luxury: Hotel Brunelleschi – Elegant rooms, fine dining, and a rooftop terrace overlooking the Duomo.
Santa Croce
At a glance: Just east of the Duomo, Santa Croce is still very central yet slightly more local as away froth main route followed by day trippers. The area has som artisan shops, markets (including the Florence Christmas market, during the holiday season), and the Basilica di Santa Croce which give this area its name. It’s a lively spot, with a fun nightlife scene.
Best for: local vibe close to the center. A sweet spot if you want to mix central convenience with neighborhood charm.
- Pros: Cultural landmarks, vibrant evenings, slightly fewer tourists.
- Cons: Can still be noisy at night.
The area of Santa Croce is within Florence city center and it is therefore good for sightseeing.
However, it has a bigger concentration of restaurants and bars and it is therefore particularly suited for people who want to enjoy the vibrant Florence’s nightlife.The area has slightly cheaper accommodation options than the duomo area and has some nice hotels and apartments.
Smaller streets and higher-end properties make this a nice area for families too, especially if you enjoy having a fun family meal out in the evening (Florence dining scene is kid friendly).
Hotels in Santa Croce
- Luxury: Palazzo Firenze by Baglioni Hotels & Resorts – Stunning palazzo with elegant touches and the level of service you expect from a luxury property .
- Mid-range: La Maison du Sage – Boutique stay with views of the basilica.
San Lorenzo/ San Marco
At a glance: characterized but the famous San Lorenzo Market and Mercato Centrale, this is a vibrant, fun area to stay in Florence perfect for foodies and market lovers.
- Pros: Cultural landmarks, convenient location walkable to the city center proper.
- Cons: Can get very busy
The area of San Lorenzo is so central I could have easily bundles up with the historic center proper but I felt it deserved its own paragraph due to the presence of one important attraction: the famous Mercato Centrale!
Foodie travel trends have made Mercato Centrale one of the top destinations in Florence and if your stay in the city has this market as one its main stops, you may wonder if staying close to it is a good choice. It definitely can be!
The area of San Lorenzo is pretty, convenient and well served. The one downside is that it gets busy so it is best suited to people who are ok with a buzzy, busy vibe.
Good to know! Immediately above San Lorenzo, you have the lovely area of San Marco, also lovely for a stay and only a little further away from the main sites. If you want to stay in this area, you have the lovely Hoxton Hotel and also some nice restaurants such as the popular Fuovo Matto, great for steak especially!
Santa Maria Novella/ Station area
At a glance: close to the station and walking distance from Florence main landmarks, this area is beautiful, convenient and well served. The presence of the station makes it great for accessibly and day trips
- Pros: Cultural landmarks, convenient location walkable to the city center proper.
- Cons: The station give parts of this area a somewhat gritty feel
The area of Santa Maria Novella gets mixed reviews: some people love it and report amazing staying in a beautiful, safe, convenient area of the city, home to some of Florence’s best luxury hotels.
Some report the area to be a little gritty in parts due to the presence of the train station.
Both things are true and depend on where in the area you are.
The main station square is large, busy and with the hectic, slightly unsettling feel of a train station area: people coming and going, noise, etc. However, as soon as you leave the station proper, you find yourself in one of the nicest area of Florence, and surrounded by shops, cafes, restaurants and lovely hotels and only about 10 minutes walk from the duomo!
This is an absolutely wonderful area to stay in Florence and one of the most convenient also due to a mix of property price points: some very high end, some on the more affordable end of the spectrum
Hotel Roma – Lovely Hotel perfectly locates overlooking the stunning Piazza Santa Maria Novella
Hotel H25 Piazza San Paolino – maybe the coolest hotel in Florence, with a Dante’s Divine Comedy theme! The rooms are themes Paradiso and Inferno, the feel is luxurious and the fun vibe guaranteed. A fantastic, super Florentine stay.
Grand Hotel Minerva – stunning luxury hotel overlooking Santa Maria Novella basilica, one of the best addresses in the city
Oltrarno & Santo Spirito
At a glance: the area of Oltrarno is a mixed area, with a vibrant nightlife but also some very nice, quiet, local streets perfect for a family stay.
This is an ideal area of Florence for those who want easy access to the Boboli Gardens and Piazzale Michelangelo and want to experience a slightly more local feel
Best for: food lovers, artisan shop lovers, and local experiences
- Pros: Local atmosphere, incredible food, a little less touristy.
- Cons: Further from the station, quieter streets late at night.
Oltrarno / Santo Spirito: the area of Oltrarno is on the other side of the Arno river from Florence city center proper (this is what the name means’).
It is close to the city center which you can still reach on foot, it is perfect to access Boboi Gardens and Piazzale Michelangelo and it is one of the best areas to stay in Florence for a creative vibe.
Artisan studios, wine bars (one of the famous Florence wine windows is here), and the lively Santo Spirito square give this area a slightly more local feel than the busy city center streets yet the area is so tourist friendly and so close to the center, you are still very much in the thick of things here!
Here you have plenty of restaurants and bars but also many quieter streets that make it good for a restful night too.
Beautiful accommodation options here are:
I hope you found this overview of the best areas to stay in Florence useful and it helped you pick the best hotel for you. Safe travel planning!
