Overtourism has been in the news recently with protests in Spain, Portugal, and Italy as residents come together to resist the soon-to-be-coming wave of tourists this summer. While we also believe overtourism is a problem, we don't believe it's entirely the tourists' fault.

So, how can you help? In this episode we offer seven pieces of advice that may help you be a more mindful tourist. Our goal is to encourage tourists to travel and benefit local communities rather than putting a strain on them.

If you have any thoughts on overtourism, or if you have any questions either about Italy or your upcoming trip, you can find us on our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠!

If you'd like to support the podcast, you can do so by using our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Booking.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ link when booking your trip to Italy or anywhere!

If you'd like to support us directly, you can donate to us on Ko-fi (pronounced "coffee"), linked ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

As always, thank you for listening!

From getting there and getting around, to food and museums, we're covering everything you need to know for visiting Florence! How many museums can I see in one day? What is classic Fiorentini food? What's the best way to get to and from the airport? We'll answer all of that and more!

Here are some helpful links that we mention in this episode:

AT Bus App: App for purchasing tickets with the Autolinee Toscane (Tuscany bus company who runs public transit in Florence)

The bus ticket office is here, near (but not inside of) the Santa Maria Novella train station.

App Taxi: App for requesting a taxi in Florence (and other cities)

There are two taxi companies in Florence, they are named after the last four digits of their phone numbers:

4242: +39 055 4242

4390: +39 055 4390

Firenze Card: Museum pass

Map of water fountains: this map loads quite slowly so you can also search "public water fountains" in Google Maps

Public drinking fountain in Piazza della Signora

Map of public bathrooms: keep in mind that these charge 50 cents to one euro to use

If you'd like to support the podcast, you can donate to us on Ko-fi (pronounced "coffee"), linked ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

You can also support us by using our ⁠Booking.com⁠ link when booking your trip to Italy or anywhere!

If you have any questions, you can find us on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠!

Thank you for listening!

Does Florence have an off-season? What's it like on the south side of the city? Where can you find good food without having to spend €20 on a plate of pasta? Where can I look for leather goods that are high-quality? In this episode we answer those questions and more! After visiting Florence back in February we intended to record this episode in the winter, but alas we did not, so here it is now!

It's going to be summer soon and the height of tourism, so stay tuned for next week's episode: Florence Condensed! We'll tell you the essentials for visiting Florence from transportation and food to museums and the David.

The restaurants, bars, and cafes we mentioned in this episode are:

On the south side of the Arno:

Trattoria Sabatino - Via Pisana, 2R, 50143 Firenze FI

Fuor di Porta - Via Pisana, 29/r, 50143 Firenze FI

Circolo Rondinella del Torrino - Lungarno Soderini, 2, 50124 Firenze FI

La Cité - Borgo S. Frediano, 20/R, 50124 Firenze FI

Piazza Santo Spirito (this is a piazza with many bars/cafes) - 50125 Firenze FI

On the north side of the Arno:

Trattoria Le Mossacce - Via del Proconsolo, 55r, 50122 Firenze FI

Caffè Gilli - Via Roma, 1r, 50123 Firenze FI

Il Mercato Centrale - Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Via dell'Ariento, 50123 Firenze FI

Vino Divino - (Neri is the name of the lovely owner) Via Taddea, 6, 50123 Firenze FI

Da' Vinattieri - Via Santa Margherita, 4/6r, 50122 Firenze FI

The leather school we mention is called Scuola del Cuoio - Via di S. Giuseppe, 5/R, 50122 Firenze FI

The roads Darcy mentioned with artisan and antique shops are Via Lambertesca, on the north side of the Arno, and Via Santo Spirito/Borgo San Frediano, on the south side of the Arno. As you walk over the Ponte Vecchio to the south you will end up on Via de' Guicciardini which is the road infant of the Pitti Palace, there are several great shops there as well and closer to the tourist attractions.

If you'd like to support the podcast, you can donate to us on Ko-fi (pronounced "coffee"), linked ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

You can also support us by using our Booking.com link when booking your trip to Italy or anywhere!

If you have any questions, you can find us on our ⁠website⁠⁠ or on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠!

Thank you so much for listening!