Florence, Go With Oh, and a Travel Dream

As I start to dream about a whole heap of travels for 2014, Europe is shaping up as a major part of my ideas for next year. Bits I haven't been to, and places I should have been to, but haven't yet. Next year seems to be as good an option as any to get to some of these places.

One of the most raved about places in Europe within my group of friends is Florence in Italy. The way they all talk about it, I don't really understand why I haven't been yet - perhaps next year I could fix this!

I was encouraged to put together a post for the Go With Oh Guest Tester Blogger competition for this year, and so my dream of going to Florence suddenly has a picture in my head attached to it now! It looks like this:

The competition is to write a blog post showing off the apartment you would select to test drive, should you win the €1000 towards such a stay in one of Go With Oh's rental options across 17 cities in Europe. They have some pretty impressive options. Plus, I am always on the lookout for another accommodation source for my travels.

In Florence I would pick what the site has called the Elegant Apartment With Incredible Views Over The Duomo.

That view alone has me. Imagine having that outside your window of a morning, and an evening. Wow! The price fits with my usual aim within a loose budget, and a week would fit perfectly within the prize on offer for mid-2014. But location is the real factor for me when booking a place anywhere - and whilst I have done NO research as yet about Florence and where to go and what to see, the Surroundings tab tells me that I could walk most places - well, that's all I need!

Having Wi-Fi is another criteria of mine for selecting accommodation, of course, for contact with the outside world, blogging, but also for a research source for things to see, go to and events going on in the area. 

I would really only need a one bedroom or a studio, given that I usually travel alone. But this apartment would sleep six. 6! I could invite Katie across from London, and let's face it, anyone else I know travelling around in the area for the week. It would be fun to have a little ad hoc gathering, or even a mix up of guests, across a few nights. A week would give me enough nights to explore the city, and then plot travels to Pisa and the Cinque Terre, which are also both on my radar for travel for next year.

The apartment has a great kitchen, and a balcony for breakfast dining. That will save me some money, and let me plot out my day of exploring before hitting the streets.

The idea of wandering around Florence, exploring all the things that so many people rave about, whilst having a hassle free, central and spacious apartment sounds like an amazing plan to me!

Do you have any Florence tips for me? Must sees and don't misses?