Walking in Italy..?

Question

How much do the average Italian tourists walk in a day? I'm visiting Florence and was interested if anyone has any insight.

Answer 1

I'm sorry, but this is a really strange question.  You walk as much as you want to walk.  If you will be in Florence, I'm sure you will be staying in the center.  You can pretty much walk anywhere.  If you don't know how far something is, just ask at the hotel.  If they tell you it only takes 10 minutes I don't think 10 minutes is too much.  If they say it's far, take a taxi or catch a bus.  I live in Italy.

Answer 2

Florence is about a 45 minute walk max straight from side to side. There are taxis available but it's almost impossible to hail a cab. You have to go to a taxi stand where they'll be waiting for fares. It is possible to spend the entire day (or days) on your feet in this city and it's very pedestrian friendly.

One piece of advice I can offer however, is be very careful if you're going to be walking around alone at night as a female. Some of the men can get very aggressive with American women, especially at night. It's very important to try and walk with someone else around certain parts of the city at night.

Answer 3

Figure at least 4 miles. The price of gas is about $25.00 a gallon and no one wants to drive. You think it's high here? I'll be in italy in 9 more days. Can't wait.

Answer 4

You will walk A LOT! Believe me.  I took a 9 day tour of Italy (visited all the major cities) and averaged 17,953 steps per day.  I used a pedometer.  In Florence it was about 20,000 steps per day, or roughly 10 miles.  Bring good shoes, wear comfortable clothes, carry water with you, and sit whenever you see a bench!

You will have the time of your life!  You'll just be able to fall asleep easily that night.

Answer 5

We lived in Italy for 5 years and every time we visited a city/town we walked for hours.  Even when we took public transportation or opted for the tourist hop on hop off bus we still walked quite a bit.  The benefit to walking is that you get to really experience the feel of the city.   Plus, it can be really enjoyable to get to stop at a cafe that looks good and get some coffee or gelato.  I would just recommend getting some comfortable shoes and not minding that most Italians walk around in shoes that would kill an average tourist.  Believe me, I made that mistake and paid for it by being miserable.  I hope that you have a wonderful time in Florence!

Answer 6

You will absolutely, without a doubt, walk your patootie off!

Seriously, I was there for all of December.  One of the best things I bought in anticipation of my trip was a great pair of good quality (yes, expensive ) shoes.

Was I ever glad!  I've been on lots of trips and I've never walked that much in my life.  Plus, think narrow and really crowded sidewalks - so tons of "slanted" type walking.  Lots of cobblestones too...they can be murder on your feet when you're not used to them.

Have fun!

Answer 7

I live in Italy and often go exploring using the train system. Most places that I visit, I see on foot - usually several hours per day. The train stations are generally close to the attractions and you will see more walking than taking public transportation. Florence is very compact and easily walked. Unless you go to Fiesole, or somewhere else out of the city, you'll be walking a lot to see the museums, etc. I go to Florence frequently for a day and usually spend 7 or 8 hours a day walking there and only sit for meals, coffee, ice cream, ..

Answer 8

is it a question? Walk how much you want... wait, don't come here, keep feeding your fat ***.

Answer 9

Florence is actually pretty compact, but take some good shoes anyway!

Answer 10

Americans don't walk as much as the should. But if your young and in good health you shouldn't have a problem. Florence is a small city and everything you need to see is within 2 miles of each other. As everyone says bring a good comfortable pair of shoes. You'll probably feel tired at first mostly due to jet lag. But it will pass quickly. Try a gelato at the ice cream shop at the north end of the old bridge on the left side!! And don't forget to have it with freshly made whip cream!! You'll never want cool whip again!! Also when your there you have to try "Lemon Soda"!! If you like lemonade you'll love this!!!!!