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Florence or Santorini?

Florence and Santorini side by side: recommended length, best time, daily budget, highlights and which one suits whom.

The tiled dome of the Duomo in Florence

Italy

Florence

A city you can walk. A museum does not have to take the whole day.

Country
Italy
Recommended length
2 days
Best time
May and September
Daily budget
110–170 €
Language
Italian
Currency
Euro (€)

Highlights

  • One museum, a long walk
  • An Oltrarno afternoon
  • A shared table in the evening

Neighbourhoods

  • Oltrarno — Around Santo Spirito is the right address for the evening.
  • Santa Croce — A breath away from the Duomo crowds, with a simpler walk home at night.

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Blue domes facing the sea in Santorini

Greece

Santorini

Sunset is one plan, not the whole island.

Country
Greece
Recommended length
2–3 days
Best time
Early June and September
Daily budget
70–120 €
Language
Greek
Currency
Euro

Highlights

  • Oia early, or the Fira ridge
  • A single cove
  • A sunset you have already booked

Neighbourhoods

  • Fira — Practical for the bus and the way back. The cliff edge packs tight in the evening.
  • Oia — The postcard is here. It is a fine place to stay. Getting back after dinner can be hard.
  • Imerovigli — Between the two. You can walk to Fira, and it is quieter.

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Which one for whom?

Why Florence?

The Duomo is your compass. Florence itself slows down across the river, among the workshops.

Florence looks small, and the day disappears, because every corner calls you through another door. Choose one museum and leave the rest for the next trip.

Why Santorini?

Stay two nights. Give one to walking, one to the sea, and the hours between them to a single terrace.

The Santorini postcard is taken in Oia, and it ends there if you give that terrace the whole day. The island is wider: a cove, a walk, and a lunch that is not selling you a view.

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More tools

01Do I need a visa?Where Turkish passport holders go visa-free, with a visa on arrival, or with an e-visa.Open →02Budget calculatorPick days, people and pace; see the group total and the per-person figure.Open →03When to goA month-by-month calendar. Which month for which country, which country for which month.Open →05Trip routesRoutes the editors built day by day, with length, pace and an estimated budget.Open →