Climate
Florence has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, humid summers with little rainfall, and fairly cold winters. Average temperature in July is between 20 and 30°C.
For general information and statistics about Florence’s climate, visit the web site of the La.M.M.A. (Laboratorio di Meteorologia e Modellistica Ambientale) meteorology laboratory: http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en/info/the-weather-in-florence.html
Currency
The official currency in Italy is Euro. To see the exchange rate:
http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html
http://www.ecb.int/stats/exchange/eurofxref/html/index.en.html
Banks are open: Mondays - Fridays: 8:30am - 13:30pm and 2:45pm - 4.15pm.
A list of Bureau de Change offices located throughout the city, some of them located inside banks or post offices can be found: http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en/info/currency-exchange.html
Passport & Visa
European Citizens whose country is under the authority of the Schengen Treaty may enter Italy with a valid identity card or passport.
Citizens of USA, Canada, Japan and other countries may enter Italy without Visa. For a significant number of countries a Visa is required.
More detailed informations can be found:
http://www.esteri.it/visti/home_eng.asp
http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en/info/customs-formalities/212-lingresso-in-italia.html
Consulates
You can find a complete list of all the consulates in Florence together with their telephone numbers, addresses, emails and websites at:
http://www.firenzeturismo.it/images/stories/marika/nvconsolatiingl.pdf
Electricity
Electricity in Italy is 230 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. Plugs have two round pins, and if your appliances plug has a different shape, you may need a plug adapter.
Shopping
In town you can find plenty of items in boutiques, street markets, artisans' workshops and shopping centers.
Most shops of tourist interest are in the historic city centre. Opening hours are generally from 9 am to 7.30-8.00 pm, with half-day closing on Saturday afternoon (in summer) and Monday morning (in winter). Some shops close for lunch between 1pm and 3.30-4pm.
However, there are a fair number of exceptions to these opening hours. Large supermarkets and retailers usually have longer hours, and all shops have special permission to stay open longer in summer and when important trade fairs are on.
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For further or more detailed informations about your stay in Florence (Events, Museums, Postal and Internet Services, Health services), visit the web site of the Agenzia per il Turismo (apt Firenze - Official Tourism Board of Florence):
http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en.html
