Is Florence Safe to Visit in 2024? | Safety Concerns

The Italian city of Florence is a popular destination for art lovers, history lovers, and anyone looking for the Tuscan experience. It is one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations, receiving around 15 million overnight visitors each year.

Florence, the center of the Italian Renaissance, is where you can see beautiful artworks from Michelangelo, Botticelli, and other masters at the Uffizi Gallery or Galleria dell ’Accademia.

Stroll through the city to see spectacular landmarks from that time, such as the imposing Duomo and Ponte Vecchio.

Make sure to leave time to enjoy la dolce vita and the small pleasures that make time in Italy so special, such as shopping for quality souvenirs, eating top-notch meals, and people-watching with an Aperol.

This gorgeous city is a destination almost everyone should see at least once. However, before booking your trip to a new place, it’s always a good idea to research safety, even if everyone else around you is going.

This detailed travel guide can put your mind at ease about traveling to Florence. Keep reading for more information about safety, including crime — let us be your guide!

Is Florence Safe to Visit in 2024?

Yes. Florence is a safe destination, which is part of the reason why millions of people flock to the city each year.

The large crowds bring some problems, such as lots of pickpocketing and scams. However, you don’t have to worry about more violent incidents in this quiet, artsy city.

Florence is one of the safest bigger cities to visit in Italy. In fact, it routinely makes it on lists put together by travel blogs of Italy’s safest tourist destinations. Although Florence is a city, it is one of Italy’s smaller major cities.

That means the population isn’t as dense and it doesn’t have as many problems that bigger cities such as Milan, Rome, and Naples run into. Of course, Florence does have problems. The biggest problem facing tourists is the likelihood of petty crime.

Common crimes you might encounter in Florence include:

• Pickpocketing
• Bag snatching
• Tourist scams
• Verbal harassment
• Robbery

However, violent crime in the city occurs at a very low rate. The rate of violent crimes affecting foreigners is even lower. Many of the problems that foreign governments warn about in their travel advisories for Italy are rarely found in Florence.

For example, the United States advises its citizens to exercise increased caution in Italy due to the risk of terrorism. While terrorist attacks have happened in Italy before, there have been no recent attacks in Florence, and it is unlikely to be a future target.

The city also doesn’t have many natural disasters that you need to worry about when traveling there.

The docile region of Tuscany generally has mild weather, although the summers can get very hot. The city periodically experiences flooding from severe storms, but weather alerts will notify you if there is a risk of flooding.

When it comes to safety, you should think not just about how you will stay safe in the city, but how your presence might threaten the safety of the city.

Florence suffers from huge tourist crowds which sometimes damage the fragile historic monuments and frustrate locals.

To cope with massive tourist numbers, the local government instituted special laws to protect the monuments. Visitors to Florence are not allowed to bathe in public fountains, eat in certain areas, and other regulations.

Usually, restrictions will be clearly posted on signs. The UK government warns citizens to obey those regulations as violators have received hefty fines in the past.

Crime in Florence

Crime is the primary problem that you will have to worry about in Florence, since there are few other factors that affect your safety. Any city has some crime, and Florence is no different.

Tourists do sometimes experience crimes, but they are mostly petty in nature. Violent crimes in the city are rare, especially in popular tourist areas.

According to statistics, Florence is actually one of the cities with the highest crime rates in Italy, ranking at #5 in various comparisons. It has a crime rate of 4,277.3 incidents per 100,000 people. That crime rate is actually higher than Rome.

However, the crime rate per 100,000 people is not the best way to get an accurate picture of safety in Florence.

Florence is much smaller than Rome and other cities it is compared to, so a single crime incident will amplify the statistics much more in a smaller population when calculating the rate. Plus, many crimes in the city affect non-residents, further inflating the statistics.

What’s important is looking at the type of crimes committed in Florence. The vast majority are petty property crimes, such as pickpocketing. Violent crimes are very rare.

For example, the gun death rate in Florence is 1.31 incidents per 100,000 residents a year. Homicides are usually indicative of other violent crimes — when there is a low homicide rate, there is often a low rate of other violent crimes.

Finally, a good indicator is to look at how Florence residents themselves feel in their city. According to Numbeo, which calculates a crime index based on survey data from city residents, the city scores a 39.97 out of 100, which is a low value.

Residents report moderate concerns about some crimes such as break-ins, thefts from vehicles, drug abuse, vandalism, and petty theft. People also feel as if crime rates have risen over the past few years.

What this means for tourists is that you can’t be totally carefree in Florence. This is still a real city despite the fairy tale-like beautiful atmosphere, with problems such as crime.

Some of these crimes, such as pickpocketing, are likely to target tourists. However, you don’t have to be constantly on your guard for safety. The violent crime rate in Florence is low and unlikely to affect you, especially if you stick to safer areas.

Pickpocketing

The most common crime you will have to worry about in Florence is pickpocketing. This crime is one that affects tourists in all of Italy’s popular tourist destinations and city centers, at least according to Canada’s travel advisory for the country.

Since Florence is one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations, you can expect to run into a lot of pickpocketing when you are in town.

Pickpockets often operate around popular tourist destinations such as Piazza del Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Lorenzo market, and in front of the Uffizi Galleries. They also commit their crimes around public transportation hubs such as the train station.

You should also be careful when traveling on Florence bus lines popular with tourists, such as the bus to Piazzale del Michelangelo. Basically, anywhere where the crowds are dense and there are plenty of other visitors around, expect to spot pickpockets as well.

One of the best precautions against pickpockets is to make sure that they can’t easily access your stuff. Make sure that as you walk around Florence, you place your things in a place that is hard to access.

Never put items in the back pocket of your pants, an unzipped shoulder tote, or in the back pocket of a backpack. All those places are easily accessible to pickpockets without you even noticing.

Instead, try to leave as many valuables as possible in your hotel room safe. Put what you need for the day in a zipped cross-body bag or front pocket of your pants.

While some travel guides recommend a money belt, those make you stand out even more in fashion-forward Florence, singling you out as a potential target to pickpockets. Never, ever leave your items unattended.

If you are sitting down on an outdoor terrace, don’t leave your phone or wallet laying out on the table as a passing thief can easily snatch it. Don’t leave your bag hanging on the back of your chair either.

Try to make yourself seem like an unlikely target. Walk with purpose in the city. Don’t entertain people who distract you on the street, as distraction tactics are often common among pickpockets.

Scams

Popular tourist destinations often have scammers targeting tourists. Florence almost has too many scams to mention, but here are a few of the most common ones to watch out for.

In the city center, you will run into people asking for petition signatures. Ignore them at all costs. The petition is often a distraction while a co-conspirator robs you. Or you might sign the petition then get attacked for a mandatory “donation.”

The bracelet scam has reached Florence. Street sellers will approach you and force a bracelet on your wrist as a “gift,” then loudly demand payment. Ignore them or react with a firm “no” as soon as they approach you.

Be careful of deals that seem too good to be true.

There are often sellers in front of popular tourist attractions such as the Galleria dell’ Accademia offering special tours or tickets that allow you to skip the line at a discount.

Only buy tickets at the official ticket desk as these are often counterfeit. Florence is world-famous for its fashion, and many people visiting want to get an authentic Florentine leather bag.

However, avoid street sellers such as those around Mercato Nuovo. Those bags are usually cheap imports and not even made of leather. Do your research and buy from an artisanal shop instead.

Avoiding Bad Areas

Florence doesn’t have many bad areas, but there are still some parts you should avoid, especially at night. The area around the train station in Santa Maria Novella gets sketchy after dark.

If you are taking a late or very early train and must be in the area at night, stick to well-lit main streets and avoid alleyways at all costs. The neighborhood of Le Piagge has the highest crime rate in Florence.

However, this mostly residential neighborhood is far away from the city center, close to the airport, so tourists are unlikely to wander there at night.

Things to Consider

Here are a few additional safety tips for visiting Florence:

• You can walk around at night but be careful. Most of the city center is safe for walking, even at night, and you’ll see plenty of other visitors taking an evening stroll. Just make sure that you follow your instincts and avoid dark alleyways or side streets.
• Florence has a surprisingly lively nightlife thanks to its large student population. However, use your common sense. Go to bars and clubs with a group and try to stick together — no wandering off with strangers. Keep a close eye on your drinks as drink spiking has occurred in the past.
• Follow the local rules. Penalties for disobeying local regulations such as illegally stopping, or bathing are fairly expensive.
• Research local norms. For example, many of Florence’s attractions are located inside functioning Catholic churches that have strict dress codes for men and women. You will not be allowed in if you are dressed inappropriately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few common questions you might want to ask before visiting Florence:

So, Is Florence Safe to Visit?

Florence is a very safe city. However, it does have a high theft rate, so take precautions to protect your valuables while you are in town.

So, with so much to see and do and a safe overall environment, what are you waiting for — book your trip today and experience for yourself all that Florence has to offer. Happy travels!