Italy Q&A: A Month in Florence

Here’s another in my Italy Q&A series. Leon asks:

I’d like to spend a month or two in Florence. Can you suggest a flat rental or pensione? Inexpensive please.

Leon, I’d like to spend a month or two in Florence, too - so you’ve got a great idea there!

Rents in the historic center of Florence are expensive, but if you want to be in the middle of it all (and you do) then you’re going to want to concentrate on the historic center. There are actually several Florence hostels within a short walk of both the train station and the city’s major sights, all of which have kitchen facilities - so if you’re really on a budget you could always take a bed in a dorm room and have the ability to cook for yourself every so often.

If you’re requiring a bit more privacy, there are dozens of pensione- or locanda-type accommodation options in the historic center, too. Many of them have no more advertising than their name on a doorbell outside the building, but here are a few of the places I visited on my most recent trip through Florence which might be worth looking into (I’ll have reviews of them eventually, I just haven’t written them yet!):

Locanda Daniel
Emerald Fields and Emerald Palace (hostels, but with some private rooms)
Ostello Archi Rossi

Also here’s a list of hostels in Florence, which you can peruse for the words “residenza,” “apartment,” “locanda” and “pensione.”

For more options, I’d suggest you check out an apartment-rental service like the one below. Its rates aren’t going to be as cheap as if you found an apartment yourself, but the listings are easy to search and there are photos of each place so you can get a feel for it before you arrive.

Halldis

Florence stopped licensing new short-term holiday rentals in its historic center in 2025, but rentals that were already licensed can still be booked, and every legal listing has to show its national ID code (the CIN).

Have a great trip - and be sure to check out my Florence tips before you go! I’ll be adding to it shortly, after spending another few days in that fantastic city.