Working Remotely in Florence, Italy
This is part of my remote work travel series where I review places I visit as a digital nomad.
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Florence was everything I wanted from an Italian town: fresh produce, simple foods, and beautiful boulevards with artisan shops and craft fairs lining the cobblestones. Because I had just been in Milan, arriving in Florence felt like life in slow-motion — in the best kind of way.
As a remote worker and creative freelancer, Florence is one of my favorite cities in Italy because of how much of a creative enclave it is. The Duomo and surrounding architecture give Florence a kind of regal air that only Medici money could bring to an ancient city. It also has all of the modern staples you need as a freelancer from great food to co-working spaces.
Where to Stay in Florence, Italy
When my partner and I arrived in Florence, we started our trip at Plus Florence before we realized that hostel was a bit too rundown and not quite what we had expected. So, we switched to the much better Student Hotel, a hostel right around the corner that had everything: several rooftops with a pool, bar, and penthouse gym, a co-working space, and lots of nice common areas to work and hang out including a music room.
I would recommend staying the Student Hotel over an Airbnb in Florence because it just has all of the amenities you could ask for, including a free co-working space pass for stays 7 days or longer — definitely worth the extra cost. As a remote worker, your hostel or Airbnb is more than just an accommodation that you come back to after a long day exploring. Because we’re living in these places and not just on vacation, we need to stay in places where we can make Zoom calls and do our work, and as we’ve found, environment plays a huge role in our productivity and creativity.
No matter where you stay, Florence is a small city and everything is so walkable. Great food and cool experiences are around every corner.
What to Eat in Florence, Italy
SandwiChic is by far the best sandwich I’ve had… ever. It’s such an underrated spot, so you can easily miss it. For about 5-7 euros, you can get the best sandwich in Florence. (Don’t listen to reviews of other sandwich shops — my partner Kyle stood in line for a long time at a popular spot and was so disappointed he ended up coming straight back to SandwiChic.) The owner Andrea goes to great lengths to source fresh ingredients from local farms, so there’s a lot of intention behind the quality. The only downside is that there are no vegan options here.
For breakfast, coffee, juices, and vegan-friendly dishes, Shake Cafe is a must. It has a gorgeous covered patio and lovely indoor seating and has some of the best pancakes and healthy breakfast food I didn’t know I was craving in a mostly breakfast-less Europe.
Sbrino wins best gelato, hands down. I had a mint and ginger flavor that was rad, and they have cool vegan flavors they rotate out every week that taste so light and don’t seem overloaded with sugar. It’s a cozy place right across the bridge, and a great after-dinner treat.
Other than that, you can’t go wrong with most food stops in Florence. Unlike Rome, the food here was much cheaper and all seemed to be local and fresh.
Remote Work Tips for Digital Nomads in Florence, Italy
As I mentioned earlier, staying in a hostel like The Student Hotel (and no, you don’t have to be a student to stay here!) is a good idea so you can get a free co-working pass if you stay longer than a week. The Student Hotel also has a ton of study spaces that are great to buckle down and get some work done. From my research, it looks like TSH has the best co-working space in all of Florence, so it’s a good option as a remote worker. (Be warned though: the co-working space can get a bit busy, so you might find yourself having to work in other parts of the hotel during peak hours.)
You can also stay in an Airbnb and use a place like Shake Cafe as a temporary workspace, but as with most of Europe, they generally prefer you don’t work in their cafes.
It’s fascinating: in Italy, dinner reservations are structured with the idea that you’ll probably be at a dinner spot from 7:30pm-midnight, but if you bring a laptop to a cafe for a few hours of work, you’re traversing on the holy ground of mealtimes.
These cultural differences are a reminder that in Italy, they care about your commitment to rest, relaxation, and food: not work. Probably more healthy than American culture, but if you’re a remote worker with deadlines to meet, it might not be the most ideal.
Things to Do in Florence, Italy
I was dealing with some health issues in Florence so wasn’t able to get to all of the things we had planned, but I did get to do a walking tour of Florence and see the Boboli Gardens, a must-see and one of my favorite parts of Florence. Wear comfortable shoes and spend the afternoon strolling past fountains and impeccably maintained foliage.
You’ll also want to add the Uffizi Gallery and Michaelangelo’s David to your list. Add a day trip to wine country and your schedule will be set!
The squares also had craft fairs when we were there, so Florence is a place where local artisans bring their wares to sell. It’s a great place to get gifts for family members, so spend some time shopping on the weekends here to get a unique experience.
Hitting The Reset Button
Overall, I recommend staying in Florence for a week or two so that you can experience the food and the art. It’s a nice way to decompress in-between cities, and you can also plan a day trip to surrounding towns. Consider Florence your time to soak in great work from the master artists of the Renaissance and breathtaking sights and gardens. Certain cities like Florence just feel like a great opportunity to hit the “reset” button on your perspective of life and work.
I’m writing this from Montepulciano out in the Italian countryside, where we’ve been exploring wine country and all the medieval-era towns out here. I’ve been carving out time to find more stillness and quiet, and the softness of the rolling hills definitely helps.
It’s harmful to be constantly overstimulated, especially if you rely on creative energy reserves for your work. The antidote to the constant noise and hustle is to get lost in nature, create more downtime for yourself, and find ways to be more mindful in every aspect of your life.
As our year of remote work comes to a close, I find myself feeling grateful for the embarrassment of riches I’ve experienced from Winter Park to Montepulciano.
2021 is coming to an end, which means it’s time for you to reflect on your own adventures, as well as what you want the shape of the new year to look like.
Best wishes, friends!
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