http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33700 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33700 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/30710 However if you go at 9pm on a Saturday evening in the summertime (when the gallery has late night opening), the windows are all open, the tourists have all gone, the cruise ships have set sail, you have the place to yourself.
The windows are all open to allow the summer breeze in and the live music being played by string quartets busking in the square below fills the rooms, making it one of the most amazing - unexpected - live music venues I have ever experienced.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/30710 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20819
You can join in advance but it is easy to do when you arrive. Membership is for the calendar year and not for 12 months from payment but it is still value for money and encourages you to go to museums 'little and often'. Varied costs but it is 100 Euros for a family.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20819 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19155
You can choose to visit Florence by bike, following the cycle tracks that reach the most famous historic sites.

What to see:
- Piazza della Signoria
- Piazzale Michelangelo
- Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square)
- The Bargello Museum
- Ponte Vecchio: To one side of the bridge there is the majestic bust of the most famous Florentine goldsmith, Benvenuto Cellini.

Scenic views:
- Bike along the romantic Viale dei Colli up to Piazzale Michelangelo to see the wonderful landscape of Florence
- Panoramic view of the Boboli Gardens

Bike rental estimated prices:
1 hour - about 3 Euro
1 day - from a minimum of 14 Euro to a maximum of 27 Euro]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19155 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18975
On a summer evening, sitting high above the almost unbelievably beautiful city, quivering in the haze below, is a genuine Florence must-do.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18975 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13731
The trip takes you about 1h and 50 min and it is all worth it. You dart through Tuscany at 200 km an hour on your way to Florence and you see for yourself the undulating hills, the cypress trees and on the top of the hill, villas and agriturismi Tuscany is known for.

And once you get to Florence go off the beaten tourist track – do visit the market of Florence and dive into the colourful atmosphere, the smell of leather and the art of bargaining. You can find there some great gift to carry home – especially the pashmina shawls and the silk ties.

I love going to Florence from Rome – even for a day and if you find the time to do it you will not regret it.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13731 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8641 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8641 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8616 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8616 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8610 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8610 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8603
Cappella Brancacci: Masaccio's masterpiece.

San Miniato: beautiful small church. Don’t forget the graveyard, and then there's the view of Florence.

San Lorenzo: the old sacristy as well as Brunelleschi's brilliant interior.

Oh and Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce, Cappelle Medici...]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8603 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8591 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8591 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8580 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8580 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8548 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8548 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5993 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5993 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5960 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5960 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5917 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/5917 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3679 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3679 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8600 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8600 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8550 25 euro for the under-26s, 60 euro for those above, and a family deal for 100 euro.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8550 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8396 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8396