Florence is one of my favorite cities to visit because you get a little bit of everything in close proximity. I’ve probably been there six or seven times, the last time being three years ago. That’s when I learned about the FirenzeCard and all it had to offer. If you’ve done your research, you know that for a flat fee of 85 Euro, the card allows you access to many of the museums and historic sites for 72 hours.
However, between 2016 and now there have been changes to the card which should be considered before making a purchase. In the past, card holders skipped the lines. Although the website still says you will (their term is priority access), I think that it’s a matter of semantics here- or a matter of how you define “priority.” Perhaps they should include that phrase in quotes on their website, because they don’t really mean it.
Here’s how it works in 2019. You buy a pass for anyone over 18 in your group (in our case with two teens, after checking documents and asserting that they were minors- each of them was “attached” to our cards). Next, you need to call and make reservations for the climb up the Duomo, Accademia Gallery (to see David) and the Uffizi Gallery (this is a totally new process than what I experienced in 2016). Then, even with your confirmation number and your card, you have to wait in line to get a ticket and you can only arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled time. I’m not sure about you, but this is not “skipping the line” or “priority” in my book. Some of those lines lasted for 30-40 minutes.
If you put it out of your head that you’re going to be “priority,” then this card may still prove to be a good deal, nevertheless, even with the changes. If you start to add up all the entrance fees, you could save money, but you need to do your research on this point. Keep in mind though that because so many museums are included, there’s a possibility to see things that you wouldn’t have normally seen otherwise. For example, I would not have paid to see the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum, but because we had the card, we decided why not? It was cool for the teens to see the fashion and learn about the textiles. It’s a small museum and we had a half hour to kill so it gave us something to do while we were waiting.
My advice to you here is to really consider the type of traveler you are- Do you like to do things on a whim? Do you prefer to fill your time? Will you make the most of this card? -and that should help you to decide if this is a good option for you.
