Art Lovers' Update for Museum Reservations in Florence and Milan
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| Beware of three-hour long lines! Reserve your tickets to the Uffizi before you leave for Europe. |
Several of the great galleries of Italy limit admissions and allow only visitors with reservations — you generally need to book at least a month ahead of time to see the Uffizi Gallery in Florence or Leonardo's The Last Supper in Milan.
Florence: Make Reservations to Avoid Lines at Uffizi
Florence has a reservation system for its state-run sights, which include the Accademia, Uffizi Gallery, Bargello, Medici Chapels, and Pitti Palace. I highly recommend getting reservations for the Accademia (Michelangelo's David) and the Uffizi (Renaissance paintings), but not the others. While you can generally get an entry time for the Accademia within a few days, the Uffizi is often booked over a month in advance (though it's easier in the off-season). Your best strategy is to get reservations for both sights as soon as you know when you'll be in town. If you're in Florence off-season (Oct–March), you can probably get into the Uffizi or Accademia without a reservation in the late afternoon (after 16:00). At worst, you can make a reservation for later that day or the next day. But why hassle with it when making a reservation in advance is so easy? After learning how simple this is and seeing hundreds of bored, sweaty tourists waiting in lines without the reservation, it's hard not to be amazed at their cluelessness.
There are several ways to make a reservation: Book online, have your hotelier arrange it, call the reservation number directly, take a tour, or go in person in advance to one of the museums.
Book Early for a Place at Milan's Last Supper
In Milan, Leonardo's The Last Supper also requires a mandatory reservation, and spots are sometimes hard to get — so plan ahead. To minimize the humidity problem — even though the damage has already been done — only 25 tourists are allowed in every 15 minutes for exactly 15 minutes. Prior to your appointment time, you wait in several rooms, while doors close behind you and open up slowly in front of you. The information posted on Leonardo is mainly in Italian.
For up-to-date specifics, see the latest edition of the Rick Steves' Italy travel guide. We also offer free-spirited Italy tours.