Metropolitan City of Florence travel guide and discussion

Some trains carry more than just passengers—they carry the legend of an era. In 2027, Belmond’s brand-new Paris–Florence Orient Express officially sets off. Departing from Paris, Île-de-France, it heads to the Renaissance city of Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, redefining luxury rail travel in Europe with a four-day, three-night pace. 🚆 Step aboard the new Belmond Venice Simplon Orient Express, where every carriage is crafted by a renowned design team, blending the elegance of the 20th century golden age with modern luxury. Vintage woodwork, artistic details, and exquisite service make every moment feel ceremonial. 🍷 Travel through the French countryside, the Alps, and northern Italy’s landscapes. Outside the window, Europe’s ever-changing scenery; inside, a slow-paced, elegant lifestyle. A glass of champagne and a Michelin-star meal turn the journey itself into the destination. 💆 Featuring spa healing and energy meditation experiences to relax body and mind on the journey, the train is more than a moving hotel—it’s a mobile wellness sanctuary. 🥂 Travel with just 2 people. Whether it’s an anniversary, honeymoon, or a milestone worth celebrating, create unique memories on the Orient Express. True luxury travel isn’t about how fast you go but about slowing down to savor the scenery and life along the way. From September 4 to 7, 2027, Paris to Florence, the legend begins. Tap the card below to start your Belmond Orient Express luxury rail journey.

Stepping into Hallstatt feels quite literally like walking straight into a living painting. Tucked away between the steep, dramatic slopes of the Dachstein Alps and the glassy, mirror-like waters of Lake Hallstatt, this tiny Austrian village is a masterpiece of pastel-colored houses, ivy-draped wooden balconies, and historic church spires. Wandering through its narrow, winding alleys in the crisp morning air, with the mist slowly lifting off the lake and revealing the towering peaks all around, was an enchanting, dreamlike experience that I will never forget. 🏔️💧 . 📅 What I experienced · The Classic Viewpoint: Standing at the famous postcard viewpoint looking over the village, the lake, and the Evangelical Church tower with the mountains rising behind it was a breathtaking sight that completely took my breath away. · The Hallstatt Salt Mine (Salzwelten): Venturing inside the world's oldest salt mine via a funicular ride and a miner's slide was an incredible journey back in time, offering a fascinating look at thousands of years of local history hidden deep within the mountain. · Renting an Electric Boat: Taking a quiet, self-driven wooden boat out onto the glassy waters of Lake Hallstatt in the afternoon provided a totally unique, peaceful perspective of the village framed by the sheer cliffs. . 🏨 Where I stayed · I stayed in a cozy, traditional lakeside guesthouse right in the historic center. Waking up early before the day-trippers arrived and watching the sunrise over the glassy water from my window was absolute magic. 🛏️🌿 . 🍴 My culinary highlights · After exploring the alpine trails, I loved trying traditional Austrian comfort food at a local lakeside tavern, enjoying fresh trout caught straight from the lake, followed by a warm, flaky slice of apple strudel paired with a rich coffee. 🐟🍰 . 📌 My tips for visiting · Stay Overnight: Hallstatt gets very busy during the middle of the day with tour buses. Staying at least one night allows you to experience the village in total peace and quiet during the early morning and evening hours. · Pack Comfortable Walking Shoes: The historic village is entirely pedestrianized, and exploring the upper alleys and paths involves climbing plenty of stone steps and slopes. · Respect Local Privacy: Because the village is so compact and popular, remember that people actually live here. Keep noise down in residential alleyways and respect private property signs when taking photos. 📸🎒 . #Hallstatt #AustriaTravel #VisitAustria #TravelDeep #DachsteinAlps #FairytaleVillage #LakeHallstatt #BucketList #ExploreAustria #TravelDiaries

Celebrating 3,005 days of travelling with Trip.com: Together, we've explored 67 cities worldwide; in 2025, I unlocked 21 new cities and was honoured with the title of Voyage Virtuoso#2025travelstory

Just sharing my thoughts while the memories are still fresh, hoping this helps those about to travel. Trip.com was incredibly useful; I booked flights, hotels (including B&Bs), train tickets, eSIMs, and attraction tickets all through it. Once booked, it generates an itinerary by date and sends reminder notifications as times approach. It even gave me a VIP lounge experience to enjoy! 🥳 We had a DIY family trip for 4 from July 3rd to July 29th, and we successfully nailed it! ✌️ We started in Rome and visited Vatican City, Naples, Sorrento, Florence, Venice, and finally Milan. We took planes, trains, buses, subways, trams, boats, and taxis. We ate pizza, pasta, T-bone steak, sandwiches, hot dogs, wraps, roast chicken, fried chicken, Korean food, risotto, supermarket microwave meals, KFC, McDonald’s, and countless coffees + Gelato. We also cooked for ourselves. From being completely lost at first to being pros by the end, AI helped answer many questions, but my kids were the real MVPs (they’ve really grown up 😭). Of course, there were hiccups: Grandma twisted her ankle and had to go to the ER. A train track fire near Sorrento caused us to miss our train from Naples to Florence, resulting in a hefty bill for new tickets. We also had a run-in with Gypsy pickpockets at the Milan Central Station elevator. Thankfully, everything was resolved safely and smoothly. 📣 Reflections: 1. Google Maps, Google AI, GPT, Apple Pay, and Google Translate are lifesavers... so having a phone + internet is vital! ‼️ 2. You really don't need much cash; almost everywhere takes cards. I exchanged €1000 and had about €140 left, which I spent during my layover in Istanbul. 3. Just plan a rough itinerary to keep your schedule flexible. You only need to check details for the next 1-2 days a day or two in advance. 4. Only buy tickets for major attractions (the ones you definitely will visit) ahead of time, otherwise, you'll be constantly rushing—which doesn't fit the relaxing European vibe. 5. If you see something you want to buy or a place you want to go, go for it right then. You might not get another chance. 6. Most toilets in Europe cost €1-€3. Use AI to find free ones; they're usually at major sights but not necessarily at stations. Otherwise, just buy a coffee or a meal to use the restroom. You can also try your luck at McDonald’s by finding a discarded receipt. 7. Try to stay near stations so you don't have to drag luggage too far. Aim for convenient transport and proximity to supermarkets to keep shopping easy and cheap. 8. Tap water in Europe is drinkable, and there are fountains on the street. However, we mostly bought 6-packs of mineral water from supermarkets since they’re very cheap. Note that restaurants charge for water, bread, and cover fees (coperto). 9. You can haggle with vendors at tourist spots if you buy multiple items. Clothes, bags, and shoes are often more expensive than a meal... 10. We stayed in 2 hotels + 3 B&Bs + 2 student dorms. B&Bs are common in big cities and are affordable and clean. For B&Bs, download WhatsApp to communicate with hosts; most have kitchens for cooking. Student dorms are cheap, usually in lively areas, and have affordable food nearby. 11. Don't just get basic travel/inconvenience insurance—compare policies and don't skimp. I didn't realize the differences beforehand, and because our train ticket issue was due to a track fire (and the insurance only covered flight/luggage issues), we had to pay out of pocket. 12. Buy train tickets for travel between major cities in advance, and leave plenty of time to get there. Buying on the day can be nearly 3x more expensive 😭... For our Sorrento to Florence trip, we had to get back to Naples for the national rail. Even though we checked out and left hours early because we bought local tickets that day, we still missed our train due to an accident. 13. European transport can be tricky. Subway, tram, and bus prices aren't always uniform and aren't distance-based; they use flat rates (valid for, say, 90 minutes). Prices vary by city (€1.5, €1.7, €2.2), so walk if it's close. Taxis: Rome Airport to nearby lodging €40 (15 mins), Sorrento station to mountain B&B €70 (15 mins), Sorrento station to city hospital €25 (10 mins), Florence station to Old Bridge B&B €18 (15 mins), Milan hotel to airport €114 (40 mins). Except for the hospital trip, these were for 4 people + 3 large and 1 small suitcase. Always ask the price and if they take cards beforehand; some drivers only want cash. Buses and trams might change stops due to roadwork or protests—don't just wait blindly; check for posted notices. Also, buses won't wait for you; we ran ourselves ragged once only to have a driver leave right in front of us even though he told us to move forward 😤. In Venice, buy a pass for unlimited buses, trains, and water buses. 14. If you need a tax refund, get to the airport very early. We had a 6:50 AM flight and arrived at 3:00 AM. The self-service kiosks crashed, the manual counters weren't open yet, and a crowd formed. We almost gave up since the amount wasn't huge, but one machine suddenly started working. I'm sure many people missed out because they ran out of time. 15. Italians have a relaxed pace—it's tough for impatient people 😓. They might stop to chat with someone while taking your order... A long line doesn't always mean a place is famous; it might just be a bottleneck. That's all for now. If I remember more, I'll add to it... Europe is absolutely beautiful and photogenic. My kids took so many photos they could publish a whole book 😂😂. I hope everyone has a great trip, takes beautiful photos, and stays safe... 🥰

Celebrating 2,374 days of travelling with Trip.com: Together, we've explored 22 cities worldwide; in 2025, I unlocked 12 new cities and was honoured with the title of Voyage Virtuoso#2025travelstory

Setting an alarm for 5:30 AM while on vacation feels like a self-inflicted punishment. Your bed is comfortable, the blackout curtains are doing their job, and every rational thought in your brain tells you to hit snooze. But there is a specific kind of magic that only exists during that brief thirty-minute window when a city transitions from total stillness to early morning light. Over my recent travels, I made it a personal habit to drag myself out of bed across different countries, simply to catch the first light. Looking back through my camera roll, every single missed hour of sleep was worth it. Here are seven completely different sunrise moments caught across Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Jordan—each with its own distinct mood, energy, and morning rhythm: 1-The Open Sea Edge: Barcelona Beach (Barcelona, Spain) Standing on the cold, soft sand of Barcelona before the city wakes up is an entirely different experience than visiting during the afternoon. The beach is completely empty save for a few early runners. The sun comes up directly over the horizon of the Mediterranean Sea, turning the gentle tide into liquid gold. There are no loud crowds, no street vendors, and no music—just the rhythmic, heavy sound of waves washing ashore against the quiet city backdrop. 2-The High-Angle Skyline: Barcelona Hotel Room View Sometimes you don't even need to leave your room to catch the magic. Stepping onto a hotel balcony just as the first pale light creeps over the horizon gives you a bird’s-eye perspective on the city. You watch the dark silhouettes of apartment blocks and grand avenues slowly gain color, the streetlights clicking off one by one, and the distant sea catching the very first glint of orange daylight while the streets below remain completely silent. 3-The Still Reflection: The Arno River (Pisa, Italy) If ocean sunrises are energetic, river sunrises are pure tranquility. Walking down to the Arno River in Pisa at dawn feels like stepping into a peaceful painting. The air is crisp and completely still, turning the surface of the river into a perfect, glassy mirror. The pastel pink and soft yellow hues of the sky reflect off the historic Italian facades lining the bank, with not a single tourist or tour bus in sight. 4-The Harbor Calm: Fethiye Marina View (Muğla, Turkey) Waking up in Fethiye to a hotel balcony view over the marina offers a distinct coastal charm. Early in the morning, the water inside the bay is as flat as glass. As the sun climbs over the surrounding pine-covered mountains, it casts long, warm rays across the harbor, lighting up the tall wooden masts of parked gulets and yachts. The only sound is the subtle clinking of boat ropes against masts and the distant call of seabirds. 5-The Mountain Cloud Oasis: Rize Bungalow Breakfast (Black Sea, Turkey) Far away from coastal beaches, sunrise in the green lush hills of Rize hits differently. Perched in a wooden bungalow overlooking steep tea plantations, the morning starts with heavy mist and low-hanging clouds rolling through the valleys. Watching the sun break through the mountain fog while sitting on a wooden deck with a spread of hot çay, local cheeses, freshly baked bread, and hazelnut butter is easily one of the most grounding travel experiences you can have. 6-The Golden Limestone Hills: Morning Streets of Amman (Jordan) There is a rugged, authentic beauty to watching sunrise in a hill city like Amman. As the sun rises over the eastern ridge, its warm golden light washes across the iconic white and cream limestone buildings stacked along the steep hillsides. The cool morning air carries the faint scent of fresh bread from neighborhood bakeries opening their doors, while the long shadows slowly shrink across the empty stone staircases and quiet residential streets. 7-The sunrise at the airplane ✈️. Looking through these moments, it becomes clear that every destination reveals its true, unfiltered character in the quiet of the morning before the rush of tourism takes over. So, I want to open this up to the community: Are you an early-bird traveler who sets alarms for sunrise photography, or are you strictly on team sleep-in until noon when you're on holiday? Out of these six styles, which sunrise setting speaks to you the most: beach waves, peaceful rivers, hotel room city views, mountain clouds over breakfast, harbor marinas, or quiet city streets? Drop your favorite morning travel photos and tips below—where is the best sunrise you've ever caught? 👇 #sunrisescenes #pisa #italytravel #italy #travel #spain #barcelona #jordan #airplane