"How to Make the Most of a Month in Florence with a baby: Tips for Travelling with an 8 Month Old"
- lightfootandfood
- Jun 11, 2024
- 13 min read
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat yes. But I’d be lying if I said it was not without its challenges. Florence is an exceptionally beautiful and historic city - that’s why we picked it as our base for the month of April. The problem is, millions of others think the same so the city centre gets very, very busy - think Piccadilly Circus in rush hour, at Christmas… during the sales.
The journey
It was our first time on a flight as a family and that was surprisingly stress free - ideally we would have loved to have taken the train the entire way but after a landslide in the east of France, resulting in the closed line from Paris to Milan, (due to sort itself out soon we hear!) the costs kept racking up adding to the complications. So we promised ourselves we would take the train when travelling in Europe in future, and booked a flight. Gone are the days of cheap flights when you have to pick travel times that work best around naps and the bedtime routine. Once you’ve added your checked bags, as baby paraphernalia is yet to become compact enough to squeeze into hand luggage, you are then left with an eye watering ticket cost, both of us wincing at each other saying “but at least it's still marginally cheaper than the train” as we pressed the “Buy Flight” button.
Packing for a baby
Car Seat
Airlines typically allow 2 extra ‘baby items’ for free in the hold. We opted to take the car seat as it was unlikely that any taxis had one spare, plus if we hired a car at any point we knew we were all set. The surprise advantage of taking a car seat is the car seat bag. Get one big enough to fit the seat then you’ll need a bit of padding. For us that looked like a couple of packs of nappies, plenty of wipes, even a spare pair of shoes for me that I couldn’t fit in my bag. It all helps look after the seat (we also used some large bubble wrap) plus you get that all important extra bit of space.
Pram / Stroller
Although we invested in a Yo-yo Zen, on the basis that it is approved as hand-luggage and fits neatly in my car boot, we opted to check this at the gate as we really didn’t need it until we landed. If you have a transfer and think you’ll need your stroller for naps or just getting around the airport then you can opt to check a stroller at the gate and ask for it to be delivered at the plane. You get to keep it throughout the airport, hand it over as you board, then it's waiting for you as you disembark - this was really helpful for me on a separate trip via Schipol when I couldn’t take the risk of the stroller not making the second flight, which can happen when you have a really fast transfer.
Where to stay and what to stay in
Staying for a month gets you a decent discount on an Airbnb, and having an apartment with more than one bedroom, is pretty much a deal breaker with a baby. A hotel room is no use as we’d all be going to bed at the same time, plus a kitchen to be able to cook most evenings as well as baby meals, means your daily restaurant budget doesn't need to be astronomical. Though I did make the most of the lunch time menus with this saving in mind!
A washing machine was also a big help, even if it did rattle the old bones of the apartment to its core every time it went into spin mode. Dotted around the city you'll find plenty of launderettes that offer both self service or dry cleaning for a decent price. I didn't mind spending our last morning at a cafe with a book, round the corner from our local lavenderia as I waited for two bags of clothes to dry. This was €6 well spent and avoided the dreaded suitcase tip out onto the kitchen floor for three days straight of clothes washing.
Where to stay really is a personal preference, but the city is great for walking, so being away from the main centre, i.e. the Duomo, is likely to cost less and be a bit more peaceful. We stayed close to San Spirito in the Oltrana district which worked for us for this trip, though next time I’ll probably look to be a little further out in San Freidano.
Our palazzo was a beautiful old building split over four floors that at some time would have been a private residence for the rich and famous of Renaissance Florence. I came to love the dark wooden ceilings and gigantic grand main door. Crucially, they had a tiny elevator that was a godsend, especially for me on my own with the pram, the day’s shopping and the evening’s supply of wine. I did have to traverse the wide stone staircase a number of times but that elevator was worth the Airbnb service fee alone.
Getting around
Florence does have a bus and a tram that’s now tap on/tap off. So no more buying tickets at the newsagents next to the bus stop while your bus whizzes on by without you. However the city is small enough to get around on foot. A couple of exceptions to this are getting all the way up into the hills to places like San Miniato de Monte or Piazza Michelangelo as it's a bit of a hike with a pram, a good decent walk on a lovely day, and there are a couple of places to stop for a lunch like La Loggia and Chalet Fontana.
There are plenty of cobbled streets as to be expected in an ancient city and while your stroller wheels won’t thank you, your baby just might as these worked a treat to ‘bump’ our little one off to sleep at pretty much every nap time. That’s after I’d gotten over the daily embarrassment of the baby making a loud ‘arrrrrrrrr’ noise as she liked the way this sounded over cobbles.
Baby feeding and nappy changes
We are lucky enough to breastfeed so I didn't take bottles with us on this trip. That said, most places were so accommodating that asking for hot water etc is unlikely to be an issue. It took me a while to get comfortable to find places to breastfeed so I used a cover up for the first time in over 6 months, that was really just for me until I found my feet. Once I figured out the best parks for me, I was happy to find a quiet bench and feed there but apart from that, I was pretty much relying on coffee shops. The beauty of this is that a cup of coffee is usually just €1.20, and a pastry is similar, so have a bit of change on you and head to a coffee shop, settle down and feed.
I also used coffee shops as my on-the-go bathroom breaks (for me). Again, have some change ready and most places were happy for me to use the bathroom, either for the price of a coffee or for €1 in the tip jar. Some places will formally charge €1 to use them too.
Baby changes were a whole different story, while I did find a few, they really were few and far between. Both me and the baby got comfortable with nappy changes al fresco, in the parks, or on the stone benches in a piazza. Piazza San Spirito has a great public bathroom for €1, that also has a family bathroom (a little toilet with an adult sized toilet) and a changing area.
Being on my own the stroller also meant that I needed to figure out bathrooms that were big enough to take the stroller in, or somewhere I’d feel comfortable leaving it outside (baby in arms). While the pastries are delicious, the famous Caffe Gilli has limited space for a pram, but right next door in Paszkowski’s you can ask to use the baby change / accessible bathroom, as you’ll need a key. Sophie Loren’s cafe (yep, google it) also has a sizeable bathroom to fit the stroller too.
If you’re south of the river in the Oltrano district, then Il Conventino is a lovely cafe with high chairs, changing tables and a simple food menu. As the name suggests, it's the grounds of an old convent that now houses a cafe and art space and various events, a perfect spot for a few hours.
Eating out with the baby
I’m going to add a whole other blog post on eating around Florence, but my top tips for dining with babies:
Book or grab a table as soon as service starts, so 12pm or even earlier. The later in the service, the busier it gets, so it can get more tricky to find space for a stroller. Most places will only serve lunch to 2pm or 2:30pm.
Your stroller may get moved out of the way, don’t worry it's safe but keep your valuables on you
Most places have highchairs but you will have to ask as it's not always presumed
Tuscan bread has no salt if you are just doing weaning so a handy snack at the table
Babies love ribollita! (Bread, kale, tomato, cannellini bean stew - will add recipe asap!)
And… enjoy it, pretty much every waiter was won over by the baby, even if they started out a little surly at first. I never felt rushed or that me and the baby were an inconvenience at any time, I came to adore our little lunches together
Shopping for a baby
All over the city you’ll find plenty of mini supermarkets to grab a few things, they are pretty decent with fresh veg, bread, some pre-cooked hot food like roast potatoes and chicken, pizza slices etc, but these small places are a nightmare with a pram as the aisles are tiny, plus there are limited options for baby food and nappies there, though they will have a few bits.
The biggest place within walking distance for me was Essenlunga, Aldi prices in a slightly bigger than Aldi, supermarket. I also found IdealBimbo for all of my nappies, wipes and baby food. I even managed to get a spare Yo-yo Zen parasol here after we lost ours somewhere between Pisa and Florence. Save these two spots.
Fresh veg markets seem to pop up all over the place during my walks and I couldn’t keep track of the days but in San Spirito, you’ll often find local producers selling seasonal fruit and veg. Downstairs in both markets, Mercarto Centrale and Sant'ambrogio have seasonal, local fruit and veg, fresh seafood and decent butchers and cheese stalls though Centrale is slightly more touristy and definitely a lot busier.
Parks and Recreation
I would have to do a whole lot of research if I had a toddler aged child, but at 8 months, our girl was pretty content to be in the stroller or ‘world facing’ in the chest carrier and be part of our normal day. I tried to do some digging to find play cafes or something similar but I had no luck. (Please share in the comments if you know of anywhere).
Florence has beautiful gardens and on a good day you can brave the steep gravel paths (not ideal for light strollers) and enjoy Boboli or Bardini gardens. These are both €10 per entry so if you are there for any length of time, invest in the annual pass, or passepartout - €100 for an unlimited family pass (€70 for one person) to Boboli or Bardini gardens and the Uffizi and Pitti Palace for 12 months. (Five day passess are also available and great value too if you are there for a shorter trip). Being able to stroll around the gardens everyday was great for day time naps. And there’s something quite special about being able to pop in and out of the Uffizzi art gallery as many times as you like to enjoy it bit by bit. Crucially the passport also means you don’t have to queue at any of the places mentioned.
The closest free park to my Airbnb, near Porto Romana, was Giardino della Scuderie Reali, a simple, quiet and free park, ideal for nap times and some shade during the warmer days. There are plenty of other smaller spaces dotted around, but expect a fair amount of graffiti and some ‘unloved’ play equipment. A little hidden gem of a family friendly community garden is Giardino dell'Ardiglione, but check opening times as it tends to only open after school for local children.
On good weather days, when I really wanted to stretch my legs and have a break from the crowds in the centre or Boboli, I’d walk up to Parco di Villa Strozzi and on to Chiesa di San Bartolomeo a Monte Oliveto, there’s an unbelievable panorama of the city and I don’t think I ever saw more than two other people on those walks.
The culture bit
This for me, is what Florence is all about and the main reason we opted to take our pre-walking, pre-talking, fairly laid back little one at this age. I’m not sure how I’d have managed in the busy galleries with a toddler (I’ll write a blog post next year!) Most places are fairly accessible with a pram or stroller but I did improve my upper body strength by lifting her up and down the stone steps at the entrance of the Uffizi a few times, but typically everyone was more than helpful for me with the baby. I had a chest carrier and while I didn’t have to use it all of the time, the baba was more than content being pushed around the galleries. I did find a baby changing table in the Uffizi and there are also elevators which help skip the queues on the stairs.
The churches are a bit different, not many are as accessible as they should be, though Sante Croche luckily does have an accessible ramp, for those that don't want to miss the tombs of Michelangelo and Dante. I tended to use the baby carrier most of the time and more often than not, the baba was entertained enough so I felt that I got plenty of time to see what was on offer.
One of the beautiful things about Florence is there is so much beauty subtly dotted around the city - while people queue for an hour to get into the Duomo, there will be hardly anyone in Chiesa di Santa Felicita church where it will cost you just €1 in the light box to see a spectacular Pontormo, and you’ll probably only bump into the elderly Nonna / caretaker in Chiesa di san Felice in Piazza where another crucifix attributed to Giotto’s workshop from 1330 AD is completely free to view. You’ll only need to work around the mass times (of which there are many.. daily) to see the incredible free frescoes of SS Annunziata.
Of course the Botticelli collection in Uffizi is unbelievable and worth seeing in real life, but for me, the gems can be found absolutely everywhere, and that’s what makes Florence the city that is today. The takeaway from this, do the famous sites, they are worth it and they are majestic... BUT, keep walking and stay curious. You won't be disappointed.
Day trips
Standing in the station at Florence Santa Maria Novella, facing the tracks ahead of you, if you look to the right you’ll see the old departures board, then squint a bit and this works best if you’re wearing sepia sunglasses, you can just about pretend that you’re in 1950s, the world’s your oyster and you are free to travel to gems of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna by train. This being 2024 means you know have the option of whizzing both under and overground at around 300kmph. So you can be in Bologna or Pisa in just over an hour. The fast trains are pricey though, but I think worth it.
There’s a slower more local train that will take you to days out in Empoli or San Miniato, also worth exploring especially on market days.
Siena is a 90 minute bus ride and of course if you hire a car then the possibilities are endless. While we didn’t take a car we did take the car seat, we found this really helpful on trains and buses if we had to fold the pram down at any stage.
School-run Spritz
My absolute favourite time of day was around 4pm, away from the major tourist hubs, and in either Piazza San Spirito or somewhere in San Frediano, you can see the parents on the way home from the school run, stopping somewhere to catch up and have a spritz. The kids play together, the parents chat, there’s laughter, a church bell tolls somewhere, maybe a market is still on especially in Piazza San Spirito, there’s enough warmth left in the day if you sit facing the sun, perhaps on the steps of a church. For me, it meant just one more hour until I was no longer solo parenting, and it also meant time for the first spritz of the day. (Let’s be honest, I’d have wine with lunch earlier).
In the UK we are very familiar with Aperol spritz these days, and you’ll find a decent one in Florence, but there’s also Campari spritz, Hugo spritz (made with elderflower syrup) my fave, a bitter Venetian Cynar spritz and a limoncello version too. Have a look at this blog for more descriptions and some background - my point being, mix it up a bit and try them all!
Top spots for a spritz with a view of the whole city are up in Piazza Michelangelo or the very lush outdoor bar inside Bardini gardens.
But my favourite sundowner spot was back in Piazza San Spirito in the historic Hotel Palazzo Guadangi, you will have to book a table but it's absolutely worth it for the cocktails with a view. We somehow managed early sundowners without messing up the bedtime routine for two consecutive Fridays, it's one of my proudest achievements.
So Florence with children?
Italians love babies, in a way that we have forgotten in the UK, but perhaps our Grandmothers would still remember. Everyone from the shop assistant to the waiter interacted with our 8 month old like she was the apple of their eye. Our daughter was spoilt rotten by so much attention and she absolutely revelled in it. I was chased across Piazza Carmine as a passerby didn’t get a good enough look at the baby as we crossed paths and she needed to see her, another time I looked back in the supermarket to find a woman fixing my child’s sock like she had known her her whole life. I’m almost sure that an American tourist held up his entire tour group so that he could play peek-a-boo at a porchetta stand with her too.
By the end of the trip she was positively livid if a table of other diners in the restaurant hadn’t interacted with her and told her she was bellissima. I couldn’t have been prouder of how she has yet to learn fear of strangers so every single face that greeted her she smiled and waved at. From this she has perfected her one handed wave, even if it is a bit Italian, and learned to clap with two hands.
While I was a bit apprehensive about what the change of scene might do to such a young baby and her development, I needn’t have worried. Over the month we were away, Aurie learned to sit unaided in Boboli gardens, she sprouted three top teeth and only gave us one tough night with this. When the temperature shot up to 28c in early April, she used a tippy cup of water for the first time and mastered it almost right away. She also, in the quiet of the morning while no one else was around, very quietly whispered Mama for the first time, and that, to me, is absolutely priceless.
Makes me wish that I could go back ten years, have another baby and go spend a month in Florence!