Direct flights between Prague and Florence launched today, Friday March 22nd!
The timings are excellent for a Friday to Monday long weekend, in either Florence or surrounding Tuscany.
Here’s our guide to maximising three days in this magical part of Italy.
New Direct Flights Between Prague and Florence
Volotea just launched this flight route. There are two flights per week until the first week in November, on Fridays and Mondays.
Depart Prague 12:10 on a Friday, arrive back in Prague at 20:00 on Monday.
Or you can depart Prague 20:30 on a Monday, then arrive back at 11:35 on Friday.
With three nights and the best part of four days, there are two good directions to travel.
Choose a city break in Florence. Or head out into the Tuscan countryside.
A Long Weekend in Florence
Florence is a sightseeing city, so rich in architecture and art, so full of museums and galleries.
Famously it’s the cradle of the Renaissance, where you gaze upon wonders by Michelangelo, da Vinci, Botticelli, Medici, Machiavelli, Dante and Galileo.
Understandably it’s a touristic place, especially during the summer. The Uffizi Gallery complex is among the world’s most visited museums, with over 4 million annual visitors.
However, with local guides there’s a lot more to Florence than classical sights. This is also a city packed with surprises.
Where to Stay in Florence
Our favourite two Florence hotels are not in the heart of the city, next to the iconic sights. They benefit from more space, fewer crowds, and a less touristic location to the north of the centre.
Four Seasons Hotel Firenze is a Renaissance palace turned hotel, evoking the design and style of old Florence.
You get the Four Seasons signatures, like a Michelin-starred restaurant, good pool area, kids club, marble bathroom and the best spa in the city. And you enjoy Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits when booking with EliteVoyage.
But this is not a copy and paste hotel, you’re really experiencing Florence of yesteryear, especially the huge gardens which are ideal for a picnic lunch. It’s a beautiful city palace hotel.
Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, is a countryside estate 20 minutes drive outside the city.
Michelangelo painted some of the facade of this former Franciscan monastery (yes, the Michelangelo), so you are staying amid all the Renaissance charm Florence is known for.
It’s a very peaceful retreat for couples, dominated by gardens and views. The junior suites are very good value, especially for their size, although the property doesn’t have a spa.
Choose this one for a relaxing weekend, with a couple of trips into central Florence. Don’t miss their amazing on-site cooking school. And enjoy exclusive Belmond Bellini club benefits too.
What to do in Florence
Of course there’s Ponte Vecchio, climbing Giotto’s Campanile in the Duomo, and watching the sunset from Piazza Michelangelo. Plus many more highly touristic attractions.
We wouldn’t recommend more than one day amid these famous places. Then go off the beaten path a little for your other two to three days in and around the city.
1. Visit private art galleries and enjoy some known galleries, before or after they open for the day.
2. Florence is huge for fashion and shopping is likely to be part of your trip.
3. Enjoy workshops with artisans: leather, colourful mosaics, stone, wood carving, jewellery and perfume are all possibilities.
4. Delve deep into Medici, following the Grand Duke of Tuscany from Florence to Poggio a Caiano, a four-hour who-done-it art history tour.
5. Rent an Italian supercar and spend a day exploring the winding roads of Tuscany.
6. Listen to live music – Florence is full of it, at places like La Ménagère, Florence Jazz Club and Le Murate.
7. Explore Florence’s street art and contemporary architecture – the Renaissance is just the start, there are many other eras tourists forget in the city.
8. Love the food: like markets, cooking classes, and getting reservations at standout Florentine restaurants like Santa Elisabetta.
Or just book yourself in for three nights in a beautiful hotel and wander the city’s charming streets.
What to do in Florence depends on you. We will advise you personally and curate a program specifically to your interests and aspirations.
A Long Weekend in Tuscany
Tuscany is a relaxed region. The experience is about the people you meet, the people who guide you through this beautiful place.
It’s famous for its landscapes of course. Everywhere you go seems to be cypress hills, rolling hills and vineyards. Places like Val d’Orcia should be experienced once in any lifetime.
And it’s Italy, so you can get around in an Italian vintage or supersports car.
There’s a lot to discover. But come here primarily to relax. For most clients going to Tuscany we create a program with a couple of extraordinary experiences. The rest of the time is about casual exploration on your own, with the help of the hotel concierge. Consider:
1. Wine tasting galore, including Brunello di Montalcino in Montalcino, Nobile di Montepulciano, and the Chianti wines.
2. Towns of cobblestone and intrigue, like San Gimignano, where we can privatise one of the medieval towers for a dining experience.
3. Pienza is a little gem and legendary old cities like Siena are well worth your time.
4. Tuscany is a great destination to go truffle hunting (along with many other food-based experiences).
With three nights you can’t explore all of Tuscany. It’s quite a large region and the windy roads mean it takes time to travel between destinations.
We recommend selecting one base and exploring its immediate area. The hard thing is picking your base, when there are so many excellent options.
Where to Stay in Tuscany
It would take a dozen trips to Tuscany to enjoy the beautiful hotels on offer. No other region in the world has such a collection of the highest quality countryside estates.
Relais Borgo Santo Pietro is a stunning retreat: tranquil, intimate, and very authentic.
The most impressive of all Tuscan estates is Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco. The quality is impeccable and so many classic Tuscan experiences are possible on site.
Formerly owned and lovingly developed by the Ferragamo family, it’s a 5,000-acre estate in Val d’Orcia, now a charming and private medieval-style village.
It’s complete with Italy’s only private 18-hole golf course, a legendary Brunello wine production, 42 suites, 11 villas and 13 swimming pools.
Castello di Reschio is a super romantic renovated castle, worth the 150-kilometre journey south from Florence. We highly recommend their Tower Suite for an authentic and exclusive couple’s experience.
Castello di Casole has a great location for a first-time trip to Tuscany, close to the Volterra, Montalcino, Siena and San Gimignano. It’s a sublime Belmond property that feels like its own village, but only has 39 rooms and suites.
We also know little hidden gems dotted across Tuscany, like Hotel Lupaia, ideal for slow-paced isolation and authentic Tuscan hospitality.
Your Holiday in Florence and Tuscany
We’re here to curate one-of-a-kind holidays, because what you want to experience in Tuscany is different to the next person.
This Q&A with Stepan Borovec about Tuscany will guide you through some of the opening questions our travel designers ask.
By understanding you and what you like, we can start creating a personalised holiday. The more we know you, the more personalised we can be – just ask all our clients who go on multiple holidays per year with us, every year.
So…what’s your initial idea of a Tuscany or Florence holiday?
