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CONFERENCE VENUE

IRPET Regional Institute for Economic Planning of Tuscany

Villa la Quiete alle Montalve - Via Pietro Dazzi 1, Florence.

We are in the northern district of Rifredi, in a historic villa at the foothills, near the large university polyclinic of Careggi. To reach us from the city center we suggest one of the two following options by public transportation:


1) Take streetcar No. 1 to the terminus “Careggi Ospedale” (ride lasts about 15 minutes), then walk across the entire hospital area for another 15/20 minutes. Possible departure stops in the city center are all not far from the central railway station: “Porta al Prato Leopolda”, “Alamanni Stazione” (right at the railway station), “Valfonda”, and “Fortezza Fiere e Congressi”.


2) Take bus No. 20 to the terminus “Caruso” (the ride lasts about 30 minutes). From Caruso, walk another 10 minutes. There are several possible departure stops in the city center, including “Piazza San Marco”, “Piazza Indipendenza”, “Beslan Fortezza” and “Stazione Montelungo” (the latter stop can be also reached by walking the entire length of platform 16 of the central railway station).

HOW TO REACH FLORENCE


By plane:


  • Florence Airport: a small city airport with limited connections from Europe, located only 7 kilometers away from the city center. From the apron in front of the terminal (left side), take streetcar No. 2 to the opposite terminus “Unità” in the city center (near the main railway station). The ride lasts 19 minutes, costs: 1.50 euros. A fixed fare, currently 22 euros, applies for the taxi ride from the airport to the historic center of Florence. For all other taxi rides, the price is by the meter.


  • Pisa Airport: a larger airport with extensive connections, located 81 kilometers away from Florence city center. From the airport, you may take the “Mover” rail shuttle service to Pisa railway station (ride lasts 7 minutes, cost: 5 euros), then a train to Florence (ride lasts about 60 minutes, cost: about 9 euros, advance purchase not necessary, but you can do it at https://www.trenitalia.com if you like). Alternatively, from the airport’s apron, you may take the Sky Bus Line Caronna direct bus service to Florence (the ride lasts about 60 minutes, costs: 15 euros, we suggest advance purchase at https://www.caronnatour.com); the bus currently arrives at the “Guidoni” streetcar No. 2 stop, then take streetcar No. 2 to terminus stop “Unità” in the city center (ride lasts 15 minutes. Cost: 1.50 euros).

  • Bologna Airport: a larger airport with extensive connections, located 104 kilometers away from Florence city center. From the airport, you may take the “Mover” rail shuttle service to Bologna railway station (ride lasts 7 minutes, cost: 9.20 euros), then a high-speed train to Florence (ride lasts 38 minutes, cost: about 26 euros, we suggest advance purchase at https://www.trenitalia.com or at https://www.italotreno.it). Alternatively, from the airport’s apron, you may take the Appennino Shuttle direct bus service to Florence (Piazzale Montelungo near the main railway station, the ride lasts about 80 minutes, costs: 20/25 euros, we suggest advance purchase at https://www.appenninoshuttle.it).

By train:


Florence is a major rail hub in Italy with many connections throughout the country. Regional and short-range services are operated by Trenitalia (https://www.trenitalia.com), while there are two companies that compete on long-haul high-speed services: Italo (https://www.italotreno.it) and Trenitalia (https://www.trenitalia.com). High-speed trains tend to be quite expensive but advance purchase can result in significant savings.


If you want to reach us by train from Europe, allow for a change of train in Northern Italy during the daytime but there are daily direct overnight sleeper trains from Munich (via Salzburg) and Vienna (https://www.nightjet.com).

MOVING AROUND FLORENCE


To get around the city you can make use of a network of buses and streetcars (it is more properly a light rail). Tickets are the same for buses and streetcars, cost 1.50 euros, and last 90 minutes from stamping on board (stamping is mandatory).


Advance purchase of tickets can be made:


- in retail outlets displaying the Autolinee Toscane logo (often tobacco or newspaper stores);

- in Autolinee Toscane ticket offices;

- at automatic ticket machines;

- via App TABNET (to be activated via the app at the time of use - screenshots or activations for other passengers are not valid);

- by sending a text message saying "Firenze" to the unique number for Tuscany 4880105. You will receive an SMS on your smartphone with the link to the digital ticket QRcode. The ticket is already validated.

ACCOMMODATION


The hospitality industry in Florence is huge, so you will have no problem finding the situation that suits you best on your favorite booking platforms. In general, keep in mind that the end of June is usually a busy season with heavy price pressure. Therefore, a very early booking is recommended so as to enjoy a wider variety of choices and more reasonable prices.


The following information is primarily intended to facilitate meeting attendance, but with an eye toward those who may wish to extend their stay over the weekend.


If you want to sleep at walking distance from the meeting venue, you should check for accommodations near the Careggi hospital (in the northern neighborhood of Rifredi). Keep in mind that this area, although very safe and well-connected, is not among the most attractive ones in the city from an aesthetic and leisure point of view. If you book in this area, still allow a walk of at least 15 minutes to reach the meeting’s venue.


If you want to afford longer walks and streetcar/bus rides you can check for accommodations in the city center. This is a very attractive location from an aesthetic and leisure point of view. Downtown areas located on the north bank of the Arno River are closer to relevant streetcar/bus stops to reach the meeting venue and also to the most famous monuments and museums. Downtown areas located on the south bank of the Arno River are perhaps nicer in terms of the “old world” atmosphere and plenty of leisure time opportunities, but you will have to take a longer walk to the streetcar/bus stops relevant to reach the meeting’s venue.

FOOD AND DRINKS


  • Light lunches and coffee breaks during the meeting will be provided by the organizers.

  • The official dinner of the meeting will be held on June 22 at 8 p.m. at Fedora, Via Ricasoli, 21 in the historic center, just steps from the cathedral with its iconic brick dome. The cost of the dinner will be 35 euros to be paid by the participants. The dinner menu will include four courses, each matched with wine. The dinner includes meat-based and gluten dishes. If you prefer a vegetarian or gluten-free dinner please let us know by email in advance and you will get food that meets your needs. Please notify us of your participation in the official dinner by May 31, 2023, by writing to marco.mariani@irpet.it, Subject: EU-Real Dinner 2023. In the email, please specify any special dietary requirements (e.g. gluten-free, vegetarian).

  • For those arriving on June 21 and wish to spend the evening in the Eu-Real company, the meeting point is at the Rose Garden (Giardino delle Rose) drink kiosk at 5.30 p.m. Giardino delle Rose is a public garden in the historic neighborhood of San Niccolò, immediately south of the Arno River, full of blooming roses and with a spectacular panoramic view of the city. The evening can continue, for those who wish, at some nearby trattoria.

EXTENDED STAY OPPORTUNITIES


You may want to extend your stay to visit Florence, take a trip to the beautiful nearby cities (Arezzo, Lucca, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato, Siena), to the sea, or to the wineries and hamlets in the famous Chianti vineyard countryside. Whatever your favorite plans are, remember that Saturday, June 24 is the feast day of the patron saint of Florence and a number of cultural and folklore events will take place in the city, including - not to be missed - a large fireworks display on the river at 10 p.m.