Every semester, parents fly across an ocean to see their son or daughter in Florence. They want to see how their kid is getting on, meet the new friends and maybe get a home-cooked meal into them. Where you stay makes a big difference, so here are the tips we share with families.
Why an apartment beats a hotel for a family visit
A hotel room works for sleeping. A family visit is about spending time together.
- Space to be together. A living room where everyone can sit down at the end of the day, instead of perching on the edge of a bed.
- A real kitchen. After a few months of student budgets and shared kitchens, many students would love a proper meal. Shop together at the Sant’Ambrogio market or the Mercato Centrale and cook a family dinner. Their roommates will be happy to join you.
- Room for your student to stay over. Most of our apartments have a sofa bed or a spare bedroom, so your student can sleep over if they’d like a night away from their dorm or shared flat.
- Siblings and grandparents. If the whole family is coming, one apartment can work out cheaper, and feels a lot more relaxed, than three hotel rooms down a corridor.
- Laundry. Every one of our apartments has a washer. Your student will notice.
Where to stay: neighbourhoods near the main study-abroad schools
Florence’s historic centre is compact, and you can walk across most of it in 20 to 25 minutes. Still, it’s nice to be close to your student’s school. Programmes use several buildings, so ask your student where they spend their days before you book.
Santa Croce and around the Uffizi. Florence University of the Arts (FUA) is on Corso dei Tintori, and Florida State’s Florence program is in Palazzo Bagnesi on Via dei Neri, both a few minutes’ walk from Piazza Santa Croce. Kent State Florence, in Palazzo Vettori next to Piazza del Duomo, is about a 10-minute walk away. Our two-bedroom apartment on Borgo dei Greci, between Piazza Santa Croce and Piazza della Signoria, works well for parents visiting on their own. It sleeps up to five.
Around the Accademia and San Marco. The University of Florence has its main building on Piazza San Marco. Syracuse University Florence is based at Villa Rossa on Piazza Savonarola, just outside the old centre. Lorenzo de’ Medici (Via Faenza) and SACI (Via Sant’Antonino) are near the San Lorenzo market. Our three-bedroom apartment on Via della Pergola is five minutes from the Accademia and roughly a 20-minute walk from Piazza Savonarola. It has 2.5 bathrooms, a covered balcony and space for seven.
NYU Florence is at Villa La Pietra, on Via Bolognese on the northern edge of the city. Nothing in the centre is next door, so most families stay central and meet their student in town, where students spend much of their free time anyway. A bus or taxi gets you up to the villa.
When to visit
- Parents’ weekends. Many programmes organise one, but the dates vary. Ask your student or the programme office as early as you can.
- Thanksgiving (Thursday 26 November 2026). This isn’t a holiday in Italy, so your student may well have class. Having your own apartment means you can cook a Thanksgiving dinner for your student and their friends. Ask a local butcher a few days ahead if you want a whole turkey, since it isn’t standard stock. As a bonus, the Christmas market in Piazza Santa Croce runs from 14 November to 20 December 2026.
- End of semester. Many families come for the last week to celebrate, help pack and travel on together. These weeks are popular, so check your student’s academic calendar and book early.
Book early
Large apartments in the historic centre are limited, and parents from the same programme target the same weekends. Book as soon as you know your dates. Check the cancellation terms when you book, in case schedules change.
Things to do together
- Let them show you their Florence: their favourite café, their gelato shop, their walk to class.
- Cook together. Pick up ingredients at the market in the morning and make a long Italian lunch at home.
- Watch the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo.
- Climb Brunelleschi’s dome or visit the Uffizi together. Book timed tickets ahead.
- Take a day trip. Pisa and Lucca are easy by regional train, and the Chianti hills are close for a wine tasting.
Bringing the whole family?
If siblings or grandparents are coming too, Florence Palace in Santa Croce has four bedrooms and three bathrooms across 200 m², and sleeps up to nine, just two minutes from Piazza Santa Croce. Pets are allowed, too.
Book direct and save 10%
Book direct at likehomeflorence.com and save 10% with code DIRECT10. The discount applies to the accommodation price, not the cleaning fee. The City of Florence also charges a tourist tax of €6 per person per night, paid separately. Not sure which apartment is closest to your student’s school? Message us on WhatsApp or email and we’ll help you choose.