Venice vs Florence: the battle of the best Italian escape

Venice and Florence are two very popular destinations and, in an ideal world, you should see both. However, if you have limited time in Italy and need to prioritize one over the other, I will tell you what my overall pick is, and then go over the pros and cons of Venice vs Florence so you can pick which destination sounds like a better fit to you. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.

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Venice vs Florence: my overall pick

If you’re like me, you want an answer to the Venice vs Florence debate, not to read a long blog post that says “it depends”. My favorite out of the two is Venice because it’s such a beautiful city.

Venice offers breathtaking canals and picturesque streets and bridges. It’s one of the most unique cities I’ve ever been to. It won’t feel real when you first see it. You will think you’re in a fairytale. Everything in Venice is gorgeous: the houses, the little streets, the major attractions, the bridges, the gondolas.

For me it was love at first sight. Since Venice has this wow factor that you can’t really find anywhere else (except maybe Amsterdam, but Amsterdam has a different vibe), I highly recommend you see this city at least once in your lifetime.

Ok, now that you have the answer to the Venice vs Florence question, let’s go over some FAQs for both cities, so you have all the facts and can decide for yourself which city to visit.

Venice

How to get to Venice

If you come from abroad you can fly into the Venice airport. However, it’s a small airport and you won’t have that many direct flights compared to other Italian cities like Rome or Milan.

If you also plan on visiting Milan I highly recommend you take the train to get to Venice. TrenItalia has high-speed trains. They are reliable and it’s very easy to get train tickets online or at the train station. You’ll be at the Venice Santa Lucia station from Milan in about 2 hours. And that view when you come out of the train station in Venice: priceless!

Things to do in Venice

Piazza San Marco

St. Mark’s Square is one of the main attractions in Venice. It’s the main square and you can find St. Marks’s Basilica and St. Mark’s Campanile here. It’s a must visit place even though it does get pretty crowded.

Caffè Florian

outdoor sitting at cafe florian in venice, one of the many instagrammable places in Italy

Caffè Florian is the oldest Italian coffeehouse and it has been operating since the 1700’s. It is located in Piazza San Marco. Just imagine sipping on a cappuccino in the same spot as people from centuries ago. So amazing! Plus, the entire place is so beautiful.

They have both outdoor and indoor seating. Outdoors they have a live orchestra that plays music to the delight of guests from all over the world. They create a wonderful atmosphere by chatting with the patrons. They ask the guests where they are from, what brings them to Venice, and then they dedicate a song to them.

It makes everyone feel very special. It was an extra special experience for me because all members of the live orchestra are Romanian. So we chatted in Romanian for a few minutes and they played a Romanian song for me (Drumurile Noastre by Dan Spătaru). A memory that I’ll cherish forever.

indoor seating at cafe florian in venice

The indoor seating makes you feel like you’re royalty. Red velvet (literally, not the cake), golden decor, adorned ceilings. It’s entirely up to you if you want to sit indoors or outdoors, and there’s no wrong choice. The caffè is on the pricy side, but I think it’s worth visiting.

Grand Canal

The Grand Canal offers some of the most impressive views of Venice. There are countless gondolas floating on the Grand Canal and the sound of gondoliers singing “Volare oh-oh, Cantare oh-oh-oh-oh” to tourists is still such a vivid memory for me. It’s a must stop for pictures, both from the shore and from a gondola.

Gondola Ride

Taking a gondola ride is a must while in Venice. It’s a bucket list activity. Plus, it’s such a great way to take in all the views. If you want to avoid gondola traffic, catch a ride from a less crowded gondola spot instead of the Grand Canal. The price of a gondola ride is 90 euros during the day and 110 euros at night time. I know it’s expensive, but this is a once in a lifetime activity, so I think it’s worth splurging.

Rialto Bridge

Venice is the city of canals, so it has over 400 bridges. Rialto Bridge is probably the most famous one. It offers an amazing view of the canal, and it’s bigger than the other bridges.

Libreria Acqua Alta

This is probably one of the most famous bookstores in the world. The owners did such a great job of creating cute spots across the entire shop. There’s a gondola with books inside, and mountains of books in the little courtyard outside.

This bookstore became an Instagram sensation and nowadays it’s always packed with people who just want to snap a picture. If you go here make sure you take a look at the books as well, and even buy something if you can, so we can all ensure this bookstore continues to thrive over the years.

Safety

I felt very safe in Venice even when I was walking by places with a lot of crowds like Rialto Bridge or Libreria Acqua Alta. I know the Venice lady became famous by yelling at pickpockets, but when I visited in September I didn’t see any. And I also didn’t see this lady.

Accommodation options in Venice

Budget hotels

Venice has some budget friendly hotels such as Leone Hotel, Hotel Tiziano, and Hotel Antigo Trovatore.

Mid-budget hotels

I always pick mid-budget hotels when I travel. Some good options in Venice include Ruzzini Palace Hotel, Palazzo San Lorenzo, and Excess Venice.

Luxury hotels

If you are looking for high-end hotels, some amazing options are the St Regis Venice, Hotel Cipriani, and the Gritti Palace.

Hostels

Unfortunately, I am not the right person to recommend you any hostels. I am in my 30s and I value comfort, so I will always choose to stay at a hotel vs a hostel. I can see how a hostel is a great option for younger people, but I’m at a different stage in life, so I prefer hotels.

Airbnb

I also tend to pick hotels over Airbnbs because I feel like it’s less of a risk and it’s a more reliable option. One time when I visited Miami with my friends we booked an Airbnb that looked great in pictures but looked really bad in reality. We ended up going to a hotel instead. After that experience I tend to avoid Airbnbs altogether.

Food options in Venice

view from gio's restaurant in venice — View from Gio’s Restaurant in Venice

Food in Venice is great, but Florence is the winner here because it has more restaurants and it also offers more traditional Tuscan dishes. That being said, you’ll find plenty of good food options in Venice. The gelato at Gelateria Gallonetto is to die for. If you want to splurge on a meal with a view of the Grand Canal then do yourself a favor and book a table at Gio’s.

Cost

Venice, like Florence, was somewhere in the middle in terms of cost. Not too expensive, but not cheap either. Gelato is only about 4 euros, so that’s a win. Hotels are pricier than Florence and it can cost you a few hundred per night, depending on location.

Florence

How to get to Florence

You can fly into Florence airport if Florence is your main destination in Italy. The Florence airport is smaller compared to international airports in other cities in Italy like Rome or Milan, so there will be fewer direct flight options.

If you also plan on visiting Milan you can take the train to get to Florence. Taking a high speed train from Milan will bring you to Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station in about 2.5 hours.

Things to do in Florence

Accademia Gallery

Florence is a dream for art lovers because it has so many museums and art galleries. Besides being a city of art, it is also the birthplace of the Renaissance. Accademia Gallery is home to the famous David sculpture by Michelangelo. There are always long lines and large crowds here. The museum tries to create a smooth process for visiting, but in reality, it’s a bit complicated and it involves a lot of waiting in lines with a lot of people. But don’t worry, I’ll give you all the details.

First, I highly encourage you to buy entry tickets online in advance. Otherwise, your waiting time increases by a few hours in Florence.

Once you get to the Accademia Gallery the day of your visit, you have to pass by the people waiting in line and go to a ticket booth where they exchange your online voucher for a paper ticket. It’s located on the left-hand side if you come to the Gallery from the Duomo.

After you get the paper ticket, come back and wait in line. The staff will let you know what time slot they are letting in. They are strict about it, so if you have a ticket for 10:30am, but they are letting in the 10:15am ticket holders, they will ask you to wait in line until they switch to the 10:30am group.

Once you’re in the Gallery you have to pass by security, similar to what you do at the airport. I highly recommend to not bring large bags when you visit. Then you’re finally in. The Accademia Gallery is a relatively small museum and the most famous work of art there is David’s statue. You can probably visit the entire museum in an hour.

Duomo

The Duomo complex is comprised of 6 major attractions: the cathedral, Filippo Brunelleschi’s Dome, Giotto’s Bell Tower (Giotto’s Campanile), The Baptistery of St. John, Opera del Duomo Museum, and the ancient basilica of Santa Reparata. If you want to see them all your best bet is a 3-day pass.

I think it’s worth seeing them all since the Duomo complex is such a major attraction in Florence. As you can imagine, there will be a lot of people visiting, but these are some of those attractions that are must-do’s no matter how large the crowds are. After all, they are popular for a reason.

Get a glass of wine from a wine window

Woman getting a glass of wine from a wine window in Florence

Tuscany is one of the most famous wine regions in Italy. One of the coolest things you can do in Florence is to get a glass of wine from a wine window, or a buchetta del vino. They were used during the bubonic plague in the 17th century to serve wine with as little human contact as possible.

I love how people prioritized getting their vino no matter the century or the times. It’s safe to say they came in very handy during the recent pandemic too.

There are over 150 of them in Florence, but only a few of them are still functional. It’s an activity that you can only do in Tuscany, and it makes for a great memory.

Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio is Florence’s town hall and the majority of it is a museum that’s open to the public. It was built in 1299 and it used to be the residence of the Medici family. Palazzo Vecchio has some secret passages that were used by the Medici family to escape their enemies. History is so fascinating. I wish I could go back in time and be a fly on the wall to see how they lived. The Palazzo also has a replica of Michelangelo’s statue of David.

Piazza della Signoria

Palazzo Vecchio is located in Piazza della Signoria, the most famous square in Florence. You can also find Loggia dei Lanzi here. It’s basically an open-air museum with wide arches and a lot of statues. Tourists tend to sit down by the statues, so it’s also a place to hang out and catch your breath in between sightseeing.

Uffizi Gallery

You also have to pass by Piazza della Signoria to get to the Uffizi Gallery, which is adjacent to the plaza. Uffizi Gallery is one of the largest and most well-known museums in Italy and it has an impressive Italian Renaissance art collection. The art collection of the Medici family was given to the city of Florence and you can find a lot of those works of art here.

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio is a medieval bridge over the Arno River that’s close to the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria. It is the only bridge in Florence that was not destroyed during World War II and it’s a must visit during your Florence 4 day itinerary.

What is unique about it is that it has shops along the bridge. There have been shops on the bridge since the 13th century. Historically a lot of the shops were occupied by butchers and fishmongers. I can only imagine the smell on the bridge. Thankfully, this evolved and since the 16th century the shops turned into jewelry stores.

Basilica di Santa Croce

Basilica of Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan church of Florence. The construction of this church started in 1294. Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and many other famous Italians are buried here. This plaza is much less crowded than the Piazza del Duomo, so it’s a nice place to escape the crowds.

Pallazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens

The Pitti Palace (Palazzo Pitti) is a Renaissance palace that used to be the Medici family residence after Palazzo Vecchio. Today it is a museum and it houses a lot of works of art that were owned by the Medici family.

The Boboli Gardens are located right behind the Pitti Palace. The gardens were designed for the Medici family, and they are one of the first examples of an Italian garden. Other European courts mimicked this type of garden. They became open to the public in 1766. You will need a ticket to visit the Gardens.

Piazzale Michelangelo

Catch the sunset in Piazzale Michelangelo, the square with the most beautiful panoramic view of Florence. Giuseppe Poggi designed the Piazza, which has bronze replicas of Michelangelo’s statues. On the way to the Piazza you will pass by the Rose Garden, which, as the name suggests, is a beautiful park full of roses.

You will have to do a bit of hiking to get to the Piazzale Michelangelo, but it’s not too bad. It usually takes about 15 min to reach the top of hill and you can stop as many times as you want to take in the views. If you’re visiting during the summer months, make sure to bring a water bottle with you.