Common Tourist Scams in Florence (and How to Avoid Them)
Pickpockets and museum-queue scams
- Ponte Vecchio: Florence's most-pickpocketed location. Phone in front pocket; daypack zipped in front.
- Uffizi entrance queues: peak summer mornings. Booking ahead via the official site (uffizi.it) skips both the queue and the pickpocket exposure.
- Accademia (Michelangelo's David): same dynamic. Pre-book.
- Duomo + Brunelleschi's dome climb: timed-entry tickets via duomo.firenze.it. Don't buy from touts outside.
- "Friendship bracelet" hustlers at Piazza del Duomo and Santa Croce: hands in pockets if approached.
- "Free" tour-pitch touts: most are fine but the high-pressure ones lead to overpriced art-shop pitches.
- Restaurant tourist menus immediately around the Duomo: walk one block; prices halve.
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