Wagging Review…3 dog wags
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I arrived in July and it was hot, crowded and busy! People where everywhere and it was a little hard to navigate through the crowds.
What’s Florence like in July?
The month of July in Florence feels like the city is absolutely overrun with every last tourist on earth, the temperature is hot, hot, hot and my owners sometimes had to carry me due to the ground was too hot for my paws. In fact we had to change our walks to early in the morning, when the streets were cool and the tourists were still sleeping. These walks were wonderful due to we basically had Florence to ourselves and we were always lucky in finding excellent seats at one of the local cafes for my owner’s morning cappuccino. The evening walks were wonderful too and considering I was welcomed at all the restaurants it was a nice way to enjoy the city and have some excellent Italian food too.
I would recommend going on cooler months like early Spring or Late fall, the city will be a little less crowded and much more comfortable for your dog.
Getting There
Car – We arrived by car, and it was a little daunting navigating the streets to get to our hotel. We were staying in the heart of the Historical Centre of the town. Our hotel, the Grand Hotel Cavour was located on Via del Proconsolo, minutes from the Duomo of Florence. This meant we had to navigate the narrow streets and zig zagging, tourist, mopeds zooming in all directions and being awe struck by the beauty of the city to find our hotel. Most of the historical district is restricted to cars. We only one mistake, and ended driving on the plaza of the Cathedral, but besides that we made.
Train– Arriving by train might be a better option. The train Station, Firenze Santa Maria Novella (in English Florence Santa Maria Novella) or Stazione di Santa Maria Novella – Firenze SMN is the main national and international train station in Florence, Italy. The station is used by 59 million people every year and is one of the busiest in Italy. The train station is located in the center of Florence. Most tourist attractions are within walking distance of the station. There is also a great green park like area just outside that is great to walk your dog after your train trip.
There is also a tourist information office to the left as you exit the station from your train. It’s open from 8:30 AM to 9Pm. You can book a hotel there for a fee.
Air – Jet set dogs need to know a few things about arriving in Florence. Florence Airport (“Aeroporto di Firenze”) or Amerigo Vespucci Airport (Airport Code – IATA: FLR, ICAO: LIRQ) is an airport located close to Florence, Italy. It is one of two main airports in the Tuscany region, the other being Galileo Galilei Airport in Pisa. Florence airport is small and mostly takes planes from Europe. It is located about 4 km from the center of Florence. A taxi trip is about 15 minutes and the bus, which will take drop you off at the station is about 20 minutes.
If you are looking for a direct flight into Florence from the USA or Hong Kong for example, you are probably using Galileo Galilei airport, closer to Pisa.
When booking a hotel you have many options to choose from regardless of your budget. If you are going to stay for more than a few days I would suggest choosing a location close to a dog park or green area so that your dog can get some good sniffing and perhaps meet a local dog or two.
Make sure you check out my tips on:
Buses and Taxis
Buses: Dog friendly in a sense, however for medium and large size dogs you’re going to have to wear a muzzle!
Taxis: Usually taxi-drivers will accept you and your owner, but you might find a few of them that will refuse you. You can easily solve this problem by calling for a taxi, have the hotel do this for you and specify that your a dog travelling with your owner
Things to do with your dog in Florence
Best thing about Florence is that it is a strolling town and the best way to see it by paw is to take a walking tour.
Six Legs Walking Tour of Florence
Florence, Cathedral Square
Florence, IT 50100
Tel: +39 3473425096
info@guideonflorence.com
Walking tour of the historical centre of Florence with you and your owner in tow: You get to see all the most important monuments of Florence, guided by Mila, a Licenced Tourist Guide of Florence. You’ll get to see: The Cathedral, Brunelleschi dome, Giotto bell- tower, Baptistry, Signoria Palace. Uffizi Palace, copy of Michelangelo’s David, the Old Bridge, the Straw Market, and the Republic Square. She schedules the tours for Early morning, late afternoon or evening. I would suggest the early morning or late evening so that you do not get too hot.
Restaurants and Bars all welcome dogs, so make sure your owners find a great spot for dog and people viewing. We never had a problem at any of the open air restaurants or wine bars so you will basically have your choice. Eating inside did not cause a problem either, in fact we went to this great restaurant that keep sneaking me bits of meat just for me from the kitchen.
Check out my tips on
Great Walks
Florence has a few dog-parks for dogs to hang out and meet other dogs which is simply amazing. Considering as a dog your invited everywhere, shopping, dining, banking and anywhere else you owner likes to hang out, the need for a traditional dog park is not as urgent. You will see dogs everywhere, in bike baskets, strolling, in chic dog bags and I even saw one dog on a scooter! However if you are looking to put your lease down a park just might be the answer. Just remember to clean up after your dog!
[quote_left]However in the historical center of Florence, there are no dog parks,about a 20 minute walk from the main railway station, there’s a beautiful dog-friendly park: Le Cascine.[/quote_left] Parks for dogs:- Oltro arno area: there are a few parks and green areas, mainly near piazza michelangelo, which while have signs excluding dogs, are routinely ignored by everyone.
- Fiesole and Mount Ceceri: About 15 minutes outside of Florence, where you can take your dog through the trails on weekends. There is the park by the Stibbert (an amazing arms museum)
- Ponte Rosso park: where you can let them off the leash.
<h2>Pet Shops</h2>
Here are a couple of pet shops to pick up either fancy for your pooch, or just the basic necessities
+39 055 2477909
Piero toilette
Viale Francesco Petrarca, 90
If your touring the Tuscany region of Italy, stopping off in Florence for a couple of days could be just want is needed when looking for a little culture and some shopping. The people were wonderful and that is where I got my nickname “Beagalino”
[map]Florence, Italy[/map]
