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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Arezzo
Give Arezzo one full day and one night: the Piero della Francesca frescoes, Piazza Grande and the antiques fair are the reason to stop, not a base for Tuscany.
Arezzo sits on the Florence–Rome rail line, about 1 hour from Florence, and its old town is small, steep and walkable in an afternoon. The draw is the Basilica of San Francesco with Piero della Francesca's Legend of the True Cross, Piazza Grande, and the monthly antiques fair. Most travellers pass through on the train; one night is enough to see it properly.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and crowds), and the first weekend of the month if you dislike crowds at the fair
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Police 113 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at the bar | €1.20–2 |
| Pasta or ribollita at lunch | €10–16 |
| Pizza | €8–14 |
| Glass of local wine | €4–7 |
| Museum or church entry | €5–12 |
| Taxi across town | €10–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FLR · Florence Amerigo Vespucci
- About 1 h 30 min to Arezzo by train via Florence.
- PSA · Pisa Galileo Galilei
- About 2 h 30 min by train via Florence.
Typical fares
- Train Florence → Arezzo
- about €10–15 regional, about 1 h
- Taxi station → Piazza Grande
- €10–15
- City bus single
- about €1.50–2
Get around
The old town is small enough to walk, but it sits on a steep incline, so expect uphill lanes and wear comfortable shoes. ATAM runs the city buses, including a Centro Storico line. Taxis are efficient and not expensive. If you drive, use a municipal lot outside the walls and walk up; the centre is a ZTL camera zone.
See and do
Known for
- Piero della Francesca frescoes in San Francesco
- Piazza Grande and the Giostra del Saracino
- Monthly antiques fair
- Gold and jewellery trade
- Etruscan and Roman remains
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Montevarchi | Train from Arezzo, about 20 min | About 45 min |
| Pergine Valdarno | Car or local bus, about 25 min | About 45 min |
| Cortona | Train to Camucia-Cortona then bus or taxi up, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Florence | Regional train from Arezzo, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Old town (Centro Storico)
- Walkable to every sight; steep lanes, so pick a place near Piazza Grande or Corso Italia if you have bags.
- Around the railway station
- Cheaper and flat, 10–15 min walk uphill to the centre; best for a one-night stop with luggage.
- Pergine Valdarno and the countryside
- Farmhouse stays and villas 20–30 min out; you need a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | ScusiSKOO-zee |
| Thank you | GrazieGRAH-tsee-eh |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?KWAN-toh KOS-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagare con la carta?POS-soh pah-GAH-reh kon lah KAR-tah |
| Where is the toilet? | Dov'è il bagno?doh-VEH eel BAH-nyoh |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favoreeel KON-toh per fah-VOH-reh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- The old town is steep: plan shorter walks and good shoes.
- Driving into the centre means ZTL camera fines; park outside and walk.
- Church opening hours change for services; check before you go.
- The antiques fair fills Piazza Grande on the first Saturday and Sunday of the month.
Arezzo is a calm, safe small city. The real risks are steep lanes, pickpockets at the antiques fair and ZTL fines if you drive into the centre.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Arezzo yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Piero della Francesca frescoes in San Francesco
- Piazza Grande and the Giostra del Saracino
- Monthly antiques fair
- Gold and jewellery trade
- Etruscan and Roman remains
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Arezzo — official tourism site: www.discoverarezzo.com/
- Wikivoyage: Arezzo, revision 5323809 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5323809
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Arezzo
A questo indirizzo, per favore
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Arezzo; most countries have embassies in Rome and consulates in Florence. The US consulate general is in Florence (check the address).
Check church and museum hours before you go; they change for services and seasons.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/arezzo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.