Five Weeks in Florence with a 2- and 4-Year-Old
Why It Was the Perfect Family Base for Exploring Italy
6/8/20264 min read
When most people think about visiting Florence, they picture a whirlwind two- or three-day stop filled with museums, churches, and Renaissance art. We decided to do something different. Instead of rushing through Tuscany, our family spent five weeks living in Florence with our two young children, ages two and four, using the city as a home base for exploring Italy and beyond.
Looking back, it was one of the best travel decisions we've ever made.
Finding the Perfect Home Base
We rented an apartment on Via del Giglio, located roughly halfway between Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station and the Duomo. The location turned out to be ideal. We could walk to nearly every major attraction in Florence within minutes, yet we were also close enough to the train station to easily take day trips and overnight excursions without relying on taxis or public transportation.
One of the biggest lessons we learned when traveling with young children in Italy is to pay close attention to the building itself, not just the apartment photos. Many historic buildings in Florence were built centuries before elevators existed. It is very common to find beautiful apartments located several flights up narrow staircases.
If you're traveling with a stroller or children who struggle with stairs, make sure to specifically confirm that the building has an elevator or book a ground-floor apartment. In Italy, what Americans consider the second floor is often called the first floor, so be sure to clarify exactly how many flights of stairs you'll need to climb.
Trust me—carrying sleeping children and luggage up four flights of stairs gets old very quickly.
Living Like Locals
One of the biggest advantages of staying for five weeks instead of five days was having the opportunity to settle into a routine.
Rather than eating every meal in restaurants, we regularly visited local grocery stores and neighborhood markets to buy fresh ingredients. Preparing simple dinners became one of our favorite parts of the trip. Fresh pasta, local cheeses, cured meats, seasonal vegetables, and bakery bread were inexpensive and incredibly high quality compared to what we're used to at home.
Many evenings were spent cooking dinner in the apartment after a day of sightseeing, which helped us save money while giving the kids a break from restaurants.
Living in Florence also allowed us to discover parts of the city that many tourists never see. We found local playgrounds where our children could run around and interact with Italian families. Even though we didn't share a common language, children have an amazing ability to play together regardless of where they're from.
One of our kids' favorite activities was riding the carousel in Piazza della Repubblica. While adults often walk past it on their way to more famous attractions, it became a regular stop for our family and one of the memories our children still talk about.
Winter Was the Perfect Time to Visit
We visited during the winter months, and for our family it was the ideal season.
The weather was cool enough to comfortably spend entire days walking through Florence without overheating, yet mild enough that we rarely felt restricted by the cold. Most days only required light jackets and comfortable walking shoes.
Perhaps the biggest advantage was the reduced crowds.
Florence can become extremely crowded during the summer tourist season. Narrow streets, packed museums, long restaurant waits, and crowded attractions can be challenging when traveling with small children.
During winter, we still encountered visitors, but the city felt significantly more manageable. We could enjoy major attractions without constantly navigating shoulder-to-shoulder crowds or waiting in long lines.
If you're traveling with young kids and have flexibility in your schedule, consider visiting during the shoulder or winter seasons.
Exploring Italy from Florence
Florence's central location made it an incredible base for exploring other destinations.
We took overnight trips to Venice, Rome, Paris, and the mountains of northern Tuscany. We also enjoyed day trips to Siena, Pisa, and Bologna.
The Italian high-speed rail system made many of these trips surprisingly easy. Instead of constantly packing and unpacking hotel rooms, we returned to the same apartment after most excursions. This created a sense of stability for our children while still allowing us to experience a variety of destinations.
Siena impressed us with its medieval charm and walkable city center. Bologna offered incredible food and a more local atmosphere. Pisa was worth visiting, especially for families wanting the classic Leaning Tower photo. Venice felt like stepping into a completely different world, while Rome provided endless history and iconic landmarks.
Having Florence as our home base gave us the best of both worlds: the comfort of routine and the excitement of exploration.
Tips for Visiting Florence with Young Children
After five weeks of family life in Florence, here are a few practical tips we'd recommend:
Bring a Lightweight Travel Stroller
Cobblestone streets are everywhere. A sturdy but lightweight stroller is far easier to manage than a large, heavy model.
Build Playground Time Into Your Schedule
Young children can only appreciate so much history and architecture in a single day. Regular playground breaks helped everyone stay happier and prevented sightseeing burnout.
Don't Overschedule
One of the greatest benefits of a longer stay is the freedom to slow down. Some of our favorite days involved nothing more than wandering through neighborhoods, stopping for gelato, and enjoying local parks.
Shop Local
The grocery stores, bakeries, and neighborhood markets became some of our favorite discoveries. They were affordable, convenient, and helped us feel more connected to daily life in Florence.
Expect Lots of Walking
Florence is incredibly walkable, but you'll likely walk far more than you expect. Comfortable shoes are essential for both adults and children.
Embrace the Slower Pace
Traveling with young children naturally slows things down. Rather than trying to see everything, focus on experiencing the city. Some of our most memorable moments came from simple activities like sharing pastries, watching street performers, or riding the carousel.
Final Thoughts
Florence turned out to be much more than a destination for us—it became a temporary home.
The combination of walkability, incredible food, family-friendly public spaces, excellent train connections, and manageable winter crowds made it an outstanding city for slow family travel.
While the museums, cathedrals, and famous landmarks are certainly worth visiting, what we'll remember most are the ordinary moments: shopping for fresh ingredients, playing at local playgrounds, evening walks through centuries-old streets, and watching our children experience a new culture at their own pace.
If you're considering an extended stay in Italy with young children, Florence deserves a spot at the top of your list. Five weeks wasn't enough to see everything, but it was more than enough to fall in love with the city.