Florence for a day?

[justbefuddleme]

I am off to Venice for 5 days in a couple of weeks, I was thinking of maybe getting the train from Venice to Florence for the day, has anyone been who could advise me if it's worth it just for the day.

We have DC with us who are happy enough to walk around and see things all day but we are not too bothered about the usual tourist sights as long as we get to enjoy some of the culture.

Is there anything I should buy in Venice or Florence? I already have a list of cheeses and oils I want to bring back but anything beauty wise that I should look out for?

What culture are you expecting that doesn't include "usual tourist sights"?

I like Florence... but I much prefer Siena. Florence has a lot of tall (old, beautiful) buildings and crowded streets - the result of being wealthy during the Renaissance. Siena was pretty much floored by the Black Death so it’s more a medieval town, and feels a bit less claustrophobic to me. So if I had one day, I probably wouldn’t do Florence!

That said if you do the Uffizi is amazing and I love the Boboli Gardens for some slight peace and quiet. But beautiful as it is, Florence is not my favourite. Just putting that out there.

Florence is beautiful and well worth a trip although if it’s your first time I think a ‘day trip’ would be rather disappointing and leave you wanting - there’s so much to do/see!

Personally I would stick to Venice (beautiful place) and if you really want a day trip I would recommend Verona/Lake Garda, very easy on the trains (much more so than Florence)

I would make a second trip to Florence at some point and go to Siena (amazing place), San G and explore Chianti xxx

I live a shortish train-ride from Florence and often go for the day! Bit of a distance from Venice, though, and it really deserves longer. But if you wanted to, you could definitely visit a couple of the quieter museums (the Bargello which is AMAZING the Cappelle Medicee) and have a nice lunch and aperitivo. It is getting into the quieter season so if you stay away from the tourist hotspots like the Ponte Vecchio, you can have a pleasant and relatively quiet time. Feel free to PM if you would like me to enthuse at you a bit more.

If you want a day trip to somewhere easy from Venice (maybe somewhere a bit less busy..!) why not try Modena? You can go balsamic vinegar tasting and it's got a lovely quiet peaceful vibe. Other Bologna is a great city - one of my favourites in Italy and again, closer to Venice.

@Plexie, you dont have to do the usual tourist sights to take in another countryside culture do you??
In fact you'd probably see more authentic culture if you do stay away from crowded tourist sites, that's why I'm asking on here for personal experiences rather than googling

Appreciate the other replies and I'll research some of the places that have been recommended, maybe florence is too far from Venice so I'll check Bologna and Modena

When we went for the day we climbed up inside the dome of the Duomo (cathedral) for a great view over the city, we had a fantastic gelato in the Piazza Della Signorina (which is like an outdoor art gallery) we crossed the Ponte Vecchio and sat on a set of steps on the other side of the river to watch the sun go down over the bridges one by one.
If you visit the Duomo, have a look at its amazing doors too.
Be warned, even if you book tickets in advance for he Uffizi, you will still have to queue to collect them, although in October that shouldn’t be too long a wait.
Oh, and visit the boar statue in the small market area and rub his snout fur luck.
I enjoy a day in Florence myself!

If you do end up going to Florence, my faves (been loads of times, I have family there) are:

Santa Croce (much prefer it to the Duomo, however in October the Duomo might be less busy)
Nerbone (amazing food inside the Mercato Centrale - not touristy and closest I've come to authentic Tuscan food in Florence - which is normally notorious for variations on carbonara and lasagna and not much else in the centre!)
Taking a (prosecco) picnic up to the Piazzalle de la Michelangelo for lunch - an incredible view of the city and a great lunch spot.

Enjoy!

Yes, there is more to culture than just tourist sights, which is why I asked what else you wanted. The main reason to go to Florence is to visit the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Uffuzi etc. If you're not interested in them then it's a long way to go just to hang out for a few hours, unless you had something else in mind.

Other posters have suggested some alternatives nearer to Venice, and you could also search "daytrips from Venice" to find suggested itineraries.

Too far to enjoy in a day IMO.
I would highly recommend Verona though. An hour or so on the train I believe.

Mantua (Mantova) is a lovely place to visit, and closer to Venice than Florence - although still a trek.

If you're not interested in the stuff it's famous for why bother? I could recommend some cool bars south of the river but they are not worth the day trip from Venice.

Florence is one of the wonders of the world. Its worth the fast easy train ride from Venice just to walk up from Florence station and be overwhelmed by the sight of the extraordinary Duomo. Then with your head still turned gazing up go round the right hand side and sit at an outside cafe table for coffee or aperitivo or snack or lunch and just go on staring. Ive been all over the world and never seen anything similar. Then walk slowly on all around the magnificent Duomo and continue on back to the station. Thats enough to warrant an easy train ride. Nothing like this anywhere.

I live a shortish train-ride from Florence and often go for the day
Me too! Not sure I would bother going for one day with kids as well. I'd
I'd prefer to explore the Venetian lagoon or maybe Verona

Not sure Mantova is closer in travel time.

from Venice go to Padua or Verona or to Choggia great for birds and the harbour
Ravenna is another place with amazing mosaics it is never that crowded
or hire a car and drive to Dolomites, or to Soave and visit vineyards and olive groves
i've been to Florance but I wouldn't do it as a day trip for venice

Thanks for the suggestions, I guess I'll save Florence for a separate trip and look closer to Venice. We are going to Murano and Burano already.

@smemorata Hi, sort-of-neighbour! waves :)