How To Spend Eight Hours In Florence

The words Florence and day trip should *never* be sewn together. 

Florence is a vast city that's brimming with potent charm and hidden mystery, while eight hours could easily amount to the total sum of time spent doing a shift at work or deep cleaning your home. But my partner and I did end up putting the two together, when we decided to embark on a spontaneous day trip from his family home in the forgotten corners of Lombardy to the Tuscan capital while visiting his parents in September 2023. 

Summer had already passed and my October birthday was beginning to loom overhead, yet, most parts of Italy were still pushing 30 degrees during the period of our stay. We took the direct Italo service from Milano Centrale to Stazione di Santa Maria Novella Station in Florence, and the following is a select round up of everything we spotted and adored that we'd like to share just in time for your next trip to the artistic city.