Florence is the safest major city in Italy for tourists. Violent crime is virtually nonexistent in the centro storico. Pickpocketing is less frequent than Rome. Florence's scams are COMMERCIAL, not criminal — fake leather sold as real at the San Lorenzo market, tourist-menu restaurants charging €20 for microwaved lasagna near the Duomo, and shops on Ponte Vecchio selling gold jewelry at 300% markup because the location IS the markup. This guide teaches you to shop and eat like a Florentine, not a tourist. Shopping guide →
Plan my smart Florence →The San Lorenzo market outdoor stalls sell "Italian leather." Some of it is. Most of it isn't. The real leather test: 1) Warm to touch (plastic is cold). 2) Smells like leather, not chemicals. 3) Bends without cracking. 4) The price — a real leather jacket under €80 is suspicious. Safe leather shopping: Scuola del Cuoio (artisans inside Santa Croce, handmade, guaranteed real). Oltrarno workshops (Via Maggio, Borgo San Frediano). At San Lorenzo market: bargain hard (start at 50% of asking), but know that you might be buying plastic regardless of what the seller says.
Same pattern as Rome: restaurants within 100m of the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and Piazza della Signoria charge 200-300% markup. Signs of a tourist trap: photos outside, waiter beckoning, menus in 8 languages, "tourist menu" offers, microwaved food. Defense: Walk to Oltrarno (5 min across Ponte Vecchio) or Santa Croce (5 min east). Our food tour sends you to Da Nerbone (€4), Trattoria Mario (€7), Sabatino (€8). The best food in Florence is the cheapest food in Florence.
1. Buy leather only from verified sources. 2. Eat 3+ blocks from the Duomo. 3. Follow our restaurant list. 4. Ponte Vecchio gold is real but overpriced — buy jewelry in Oltrarno workshops for 40% less. 5. The "free" museum guides at the Uffizi entrance are unauthorized — use official guided tours. 6. Selfie stick / toy sellers at major piazzas are annoying but not dangerous — "no grazie" works. 7. Stand at bars for coffee (sitting costs 3x). 8. Taxi from station to centro: €8-10 fixed. If they quote more: use the meter. 9. Dress code for churches — scarf for shoulders, or you buy a €10 one from vendors who strategically position themselves outside. 10. The best gelato is NEVER in a shop with mountains of neon colors — flat pans = real gelato.