Florence vs Venice: Which Should You Choose? (2024)

Trying to decide between Florence vs Venice? You’re in the right place.

Choosing between these two cities is very difficult. Florence and Venice are both famous, iconic Italian cities with different unique qualities to offer. I’m glad that I visited both cities, and would recommend visiting both if you have the time.

But, if the choice comes down to between Florence and Venice, then I think it comes down to what you prefer to have in a trip.

If you prefer a beautiful, breathtaking city that looks like a painting everywhere you go, then I think Venice is the better option. It’s a city like no other, and looks like a postcard everywhere you look.

But if you care more about overall experience and having things to do, then I believe you would prefer Florence. Florence has more attractions and things to do for a longer period of time.

Below, I’ll dive into specifics about Florence and Venice; their highlights and downsides, to help you make the best decision for your time in Italy.

The goal is for you to know which city, between Florence and Venice, you choose by the end of this article – after hearing the facts, and a travel expert’s honest opinion.

So, let’s jump in – Florence or Venice for your next trip?

The Big Picture of Florence vs Venice

Here’s the big picture of what you need to know about Florence vs Venice that may help make a decision

What’s great about Florence

Florence is a lovely city to walk around. It has a vibrant art and foodie scene; there are many walkable piazzas (squares) and car-free streets, beautiful architecture. Personally, Florence is my favourite city in Italy.

What’s great about Venice

While Florence has specific museums, art pieces and landmarks that draw people there specifically to see – the main attraction in Venice is the city itself. The most amazing thing about Venice is just walking around the city admiring it.

Venice has activities too – there are museums, art classes, and galleries, and medieval buildings. But Venice is so uniquely beautiful, and very different from any other Italian city that its landscape is the main reason to visit.

Main Differences Between Venice and Florence

Here are the highlights of both cities thats set them apart from each other

Key Attractions in Florence and Venice

Here is what you can look forward to seeing in Florence vs Venice. These are the main attractions that you’d want to see in both cities

Which is prettier – Florence or Venice?

Both Florence and Venice are beautiful cities, and are listed on many sources as being among the most beautiful cities in Italy. But in terms of which one city is more visually stunning – I believe that Venice takes the cake.

The landscape of Venice is so charming, that you won’t be able to stop taking photos. The canals, the narrow cobbled alleyways, medieval architecture, and the water.

The look of Venice is also very unique; in Italy and worldwide. It’s features aren’t something that you would commonly see elsewhere. Venice is for sure one of the most beautiful cities in Italy; if not – the prettiest.

This doesn’t mean that Florence isn’t a pretty city too.The Piazza del Duomo is very nice, and there is a lot of beautiful architecture. Tuscany in general is known for its beautiful Italian countryside.

But visually speaking, (in my opinion) Florence is not quite as unique and picturesque as Venice is. There’s a reason why I have many more photos of Venice than of Florence from my trips.

Most of my photos from Florence are of inside museums and galleries. Whereas my photos of Venice are mostly of the city itself. That should tell you something about what these two cities have to offer.

The verdict: Both Florence and Venice are beautiful but Venice is the more picturesque city of the two.

Which city is safer?

Both Florence and Venice are very safe cities and have low crime rates. According to stats analyzed by Numbeo, crime in both Venice and Florence has been increasing since the pandemic – but is still very low in both cities.

The crime rate in Florence is slightly higher than the crime rate in Venice. This is somewhat to be expected, since its a much larger metropolitan area.

You can read about the safety states in Florence and Venice at these links. Overall, as a tourist in these cities, your chances of encountering crime are low.

The verdict: Both Venice and Florence are safe cities with low crime rates.

Downsides of Florence vs Venice

Both Florence and Venice are great places to visit, but they both have some downsides. Here are the downsides that may affect visitor experience

Pro Tip: Up until very recently, one major downside to Venice was the flooding. The streets used to flood in the fall and you needed to wear rain boots or you’d get absolutely soaked. However, this problem has improved recently because of the MOSE dam that was recently built. Read about how the MOSE dam has improved Venice here.

The Verdict: Which city has more downsides?

Both Florence and Venice are over-touristed, and can be crowded. I found the crowds to be worse in Venice than in Florence, but I have heard other tourists day the opposite. So, it may depend on the time of year and your luck.

Overall, I would not let crowds alone deter you from visiting a place. Both Florence and Venice have the potential to be packed with tourists, but they are both are very unique and spectacular in their own ways.

Venice has a few extra downsides, because it’s a bit more complicated to get to, and it’s not accessible.

Which city has better food options?

Italian cities and towns have specialities in their region that are hard to find elsewhere in the country. Here’s what you need to know about food options in Venice vs Florence

Food options in Venice

• Venice has special pasta, seafood, pastry and dessert options that are unique to the Veneto region, such as bigoli in salsa
• Rice is more common to the Veneto region than pasta. You’ll see lots of rice dishes on menus in Venice, such as risottos
• Restaurants in the highly touristed areas are pricier; you can find cheaper options by venturing off the beaten path
• There are great vegetarian and vegan options if you look for them. I ate at a restaurant in a less touristy area in Venice called Teccia Vegana.

Veneto is the largest wine producing area in Italy, so Venice is great for wine tasting and wine tours to a town called Treviso (40 minutes from Venice)

Food options in Florence

• Florence is the more food oriented city between Florence and Venice. There are cooking classes in Florence, pizza, gelato and pasta making classes
• There are many restaurants that serve traditional Tuscan dishes; lots of vegetarian and vegan options.
• Florence has a great café scene that its very popular for. There are a number of excellent cafes in Florence where you can enjoy coffees, espressos and also traditional Italian pastries
• The Florence Central Market is open every day until 9pm and is a great place to buy Italian food products, and try a lot of homemade foods

The verdict: If you’re a foodie, you will appreciate Florence more than Venice. There are more food options; restaurants, cafés and the Florence Central Market which is a tourist attraction in itself. There are some very unique restaurants in Florence that are worth checking out.

Which is more family-friendly?

As a mom of two who travels with kids often and travelled to Italy as a single parent, I found both Florence and Venice to be family-friendly.

Venice is family friendly because of being car-free, there are playgrounds, kid’s art programs (mask decorating) and . Travelling with a baby or toddler to Venice is doable, but a bit more challenging because

Florence is family-friendly, because of how walkable it is, its wide open piazzas, activities for families. Read my post on Florence with kids.

The verdict: If you have children 3 years old or younger, then I think Florence is more family friendly because it’s easier with a stroller. If you have older kids who are 5+ and walking independently, then I think both are equally family-friendly.

Best Places to Stay in Florence vs Venice

Which City Has Better Day Trip Options?

Reasons for visiting a city isn’t always just because of the city itself, but because of the nearby towns and attractions and things to do in the general area.

Day Trips from Venice

If you choose to visit Venice, your day trip options will include:

• The islands of Murano and Burano, 30-40 minutes away by boat
• Wine tours to Treviso, 45 minutes away (there are many wine tours from Venice that take you to Treviso)
• A day at Lido beach, just a 25 minute ferry ride from Venice
• Lake Barcis (Lago Barcis in Italian) 90 minutes north of Venice, close to the Slovakian boarder

Day Trips from Florence

Florence is more centrally located in Italy, so there are more day trip options; which include several major Italian cities, as well as quaint small towns, and wine and food tours to family-owned farms in the Italian countryside.

If you choose to visit Florence, then a 1-3 hour train ride will bring you to any of these places:

• Bologna (40 minute train ride)
• Pisa (less than 1 hour train ride)
• Livorno (90 minute train ride), which is a port for getting to Sardinia island
• Siena (90 minute train ride)
• Rome (90 minutes via high speed train)
• Cinque Terre (2.5 hour train ride)

The verdict: Florence has a lot more day trip options than Venice does. In addition, its very easy to travel to and out of Florence. The Florence Santa Maria Novella station (the main train station) is only a 1 km walk from the Piazza del Duomo.

My Personal Opinion: Florence vs Venice

Between Florence and Venice, I think that Florence will make a more fun, easygoing trip with more things to do.

If it weren’t for my experience with the crowds, I would have picked Venice. The beautiful canals and alleyways, medieval buildings and being on the water is just so beautiful. But the overcrowding can get intense, since it’s an island.

There are some areas in Venice that are less touristy, so it is very possible to escape the crowds and hang out in less popular pockets of the city. But if you’re anywhere near St. Mark’s Square, there are a lot of people.

Don’t get me wrong; Venice is worth visiting. You can read my post about why I think Venice is worth a visit.

But if I had to choose one of these cities to go back return to – I would choose Florence, because I feel that I would enjoy my time there more. There are more things to do, more food options, and more places to spread around (so the crowds don’t feel as intense, from my opinion and experience.)

Having said that, if you are leaning towards Venice over Florence, then I don’t think its a mistake. Venice is implementing some actions to reduce crowding, which might mean that it will be less crowded in the future.

The verdict: Both Florence and Venice are worth a visit, and if you can visit both – then you should. But if you can only choose one, then I recommend choosing Florence because it has more things to do, more daytrip options, more food options, and its less over-touristed than Venice.

Florence vs Venice FAQ

Here are the most commonly asked questions about choosing between Florence and Venice, and comparing the two

Is Florence nicer than Venice?

Florence is not necessarily ‘nicer’ than Florence, but it is larger, with more things to do. Although it suffers from over-tourism, the over-tourism isn’t has bad in Florence as it is in Venice.

Is Florence older than Venice?

Yes, Florence is about 500 years older than Venice. Florence was founded in 59 BC, whereas Venice (according to most sources) was founded in AD 421.

How are Venice and Florence different?

Venice and Florence are different in terms of their size, amount of tourist, their environment and their food scene. They also have very different attractions.

Conclusion: Which City Should You Visit Between Venice vs Florence?

If you can only choose one between Florence vs Venice, then I would recommend Florence to be the one you choose.

Florence is a bit easier to get to, it has better day trip options, and more things to do than Venice does. It’s slightly cheaper and less crowded than Venice. You could spend a week in Florence and still have things to do and see in the city; whereas Venice only has enough activities and attractions to fill 3-4 days at the most.

Venice is a stunning, beautiful city, but the only thing that makes it better than Florence is its beauty. While the beauty is very captivating, it’s the main reason to go to Venice.

If you go to Venice, you won’t be disappointed – its still a good place to visit. But, Florence provides a better visitor experience for the reasons mentioned above.

I hope that this has helped you make a decision between Florence vs Venice. Whichever you choose, I know you won’t be disappointed.