I have been eagerly anticipating sharing this post with you guys for so many weeks now – the official reveal of my apartment in Florence. I got to stay in the cutest little place, in a homey little neighborhood, and it really couldn’t have felt any more Italian or be more adorable than it was.
Since I was spending 3 weeks in Florence, renting an apartment was really my best option for this trip. Plus, since everything is so easy and accessible nowadays to find and rent an apartment with all of the online companies, I felt really comfortable with the process. I have had both family and friends that have had a lot of success with renting from HomeAway, so I chose that as my first place for apartment hunting.
Now in terms of what I was looking for, well, I had a tall order (by Italian standards) – WiFi and a washing machine were both non-negotiables for me, and very quickly eliminated most of what was on offer. Additionally, I wanted to find an apartment that was in a little bit of a quieter (and safe) neighborhood, and also a little more economically minded since we will be gone for so long. Luckily I found an apartment that checked off all of my must-haves, and then some. (Actually, it completely exceeded my expectations.)
When I arrived to a rainy and cold Florence, I was happy to find myself in a very welcoming space (the owners rent 2 different apartments as a heads up, mine was the smaller one) – a full kitchen, separate bedroom, en-suite bathroom, and a full closet…I definitely lucked out and was excited to get myself unpacked and settled in.
I also got really lucky with the neighborhood. When I booked this apartment, I had a good idea of its location, but I wasn’t 100% sure on exactly where it would be situated. But it turned out to be perfect – just 3 blocks from Piazza Santo Spirito, a 10 minute walk to the Ponte Vecchio, and around the corner from endless wine bars and restaurants. But most importantly (to me), it was peaceful and quiet.
the daily market in Piazza Santo Spirito
il Santino wine bar
I had an almost daily ritual of watching the sun set from one of the bridges
This is not a tourists’ neighborhood, it is the where families, locals and expats live. And for me, that made it the perfect place to call home. I spent most of my days in the hustle and bustle of the tourist areas, so going home was a delightful respite where I was able to study, work and enjoy a glass of wine.
My friends and family have asked me if I would stay there again on a future visit to Florence, and the answer is a hands-down enthusiastic, “yes!” Nothing is better than feeling like you have a comfortable home that you enjoy going back to when traveling. And for me, getting to call Via del Campuccio 7 “home” for a couple of weeks definitely gave me those feeling, and I couldn’t have asked for more. It was truly more than just an apartment that I rented in Florence, it was my home away from home.