Tipping
Tipping in Italy is modest by US standards and never obligatory. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good table service is appreciated but not expected the way it is elsewhere — restaurant prices already reflect the cost of service, often via the small coperto (cover charge) added to the bill. For taxis, rounding to the nearest euro is normal; nothing more is expected.
The tourist tax (imposta di soggiorno)
Florence charges a small per-person, per-night accommodation tax, collected in cash or card at check-out by your hotel or host rather than at booking. Rates vary by accommodation category; ask your accommodation directly for the current rate, since city taxes are reviewed periodically.
Safety and pickpocket awareness
Florence is a safe city by any reasonable standard, with violent crime against tourists rare. The realistic risk is petty theft — pickpocketing around crowded sights (the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, the main train station) and on busy buses. Standard precautions apply: a bag that zips and sits in front of you, awareness in dense crowds, and no valuables in back pockets.
Church etiquette
Florence's major churches — the Duomo, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella — are active places of worship as well as sights, and enforce shoulder-and-knee coverage. Many also ask for silence and no photography in specific chapels. See our etiquette guide for the fuller picture.
Money and cards
Card payment is widely accepted, including for small purchases, but carrying some cash is still useful for market stalls, small trattorias, and the occasional café that's card-only above a minimum spend or cash-only below it. ATMs are common; avoid the standalone currency-exchange-branded ATMs that offer "guaranteed" conversion rates, which are typically worse than your bank's own rate.