I like to say that there are two IQs of European travelers: Those who wait in lines and those who don’t. Many tourists needlessly wait in lines when there are simple ways to see the sight with no wait. Here in Florence, you can easily avoid lines at the main and most crowded sights in two different ways: Buy the new Florence Card, or call in advance to make an appointment. My camera ran out of memory halfway through this clip; I intended to walk all along the hundred-yard-long line of people wasting time in an avoidable line to enter the Uffizi Gallery. I love the fact that a good percentage of the people entering the museum through the fast lanes (with the card or reservation) have my guidebook…and no one in the long line (with lower travel IQs) has my book.
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.
Note to Simon and Karel: Please teach Rick how to pan. I love his videos! The spontaneity is so pleasing! But, I don`t like the sudden nausea when he spins around. Because the camera-phone is a toy that he clearly loves, he might be a slow learner. Tactfully start by trying to teach him to slow down his movements.
The last time we were in Italy I just purchased tickets on line, on a website I had looked for. It was the same price and we just went into the line for people with tickets and in we went. The only thing about the Ufizzi is it is always crowded and it is not the way that I like to look at a museum, but everyone has to do it at least once. The same with the Sistine Chapel, very crowded and distractive but you need to see it.