My wife and I stayed at the Solare apartment for 19 days in October 2011. Overall, we could not have been more pleased. The apartment was meticulously maintained and the owner was a cordial, delightful and accomodating host. She thought of everything including maps, a looseleaf binder explaining the operation of each applicance (first rate stove, washer, dishwasher), restaurant tips, and hours of area attractions. Although we did not need to call her, we felt that if it were necessary, Chiara would have been on site within minutes.

For us, the location was ideal. We intended to do quite a bit of cooking while in Florence and the proximity of the wondereful central market (5 minute walk) was a big plus. We also chose Solare because of its location near (but not too near) to the S.M.N. (main) train station and the inter-city bus depot (about 10-15 minute walk). We used Solare and Florence as a "home base" from which to take 2-day trips to other Tuscan and Umbrian cities (like Assisi and Siena) as well as day trips to places like Lucca and San Gimignano. It was no problem to pull a small overnighter from apartment to station.

All of the sites and neighborhoods of Florence were within 20 minutes or less walk from Solare. Be sure to visit DaVino, the "vino sfuso" shop around the corner on the way to the market. Bring (or buy there) an empty liter bottle and they will fill it with your choice of 7-8 delicious Chianti regional wines for 3-4 euros per liter. The wine is delivered in bulk direct from the vineyards. And the owner is absolutely charming!

That said, a few words of caution. If you have any heart, breathing, or physical health problems, the 4th floor location (without elevator) WILL be a problem for you, and a major one depending on how severe your condition. The steps were steep and hauling our large suitcases up at the beginning of our stay was a physical challenge. The street on which Solare is located is well trafficked and in the late evenings, especially towards the weekends, the students (the university is nearby) can be noisy and somewhat rowdy (nothing serious, but a light sleeper beware). It did not bother us but it might bother some. The building corridors are dimly lit and somewhat dingy (although the aprtment is bright, cheerful, and totally charming) so just be prepared to ignore this (Chiara provides a flashlight on the keychain because it is next to impossible to get up the steps before the timer shuts off the hall lights; this is a building issue and not the fault of Chiara).

In short, there are more luxurious apartments (and more expensive!) and neighborhoods that might for some be a bit more attractive (we liked the feel of the Oltrano side of the Arno and San Niccolo neighborhood) but the combination of the nearby market and station as well as the overall central location made this a perfect choice for us and for someone who plans to use Florence as a hub for daytrip or overnight exploring of Tuscany.

I stayed here with my two daughters who are 11 and 15, and it worked perfectly. When we booked, Lisa was great and quick in responding. Chiara, our hostess in Florence was sweet, and great at going over the details of the apartment. Solare was very clean and well stocked to meet our needs while on holiday. Good location, short walk to all the attractions in the City centre, close to a small grocery. As noted in the property details, this is a top floor apartment, so it does have a lot of stairs, but this was not an issue for us. We did enjoy one day of shopping at the Centrale Mercati, which has lots of vendors with fresh foods and is almost just around the corner. We purchased pasta and Pesto from one of the merchants there, and had a wonderful pasta meal, probably the best Pesto I have ever had. Did also get a chance to eat at Za Za which is a very short walk, the food was excellent and service friendly.

Would have no hesitation recommending Italy Perfect or Solare to anyone looking for a charming place to stay in Florence.

From the warm and cordial greeting to the cleanliness to the location, everything about the Solare apartment was perfect for us. The apartment is darling, so cute and well taken care of. We were so comfortable and happy, everything worked perfectly and was just what we had hoped for for our Florence stay. Despite the hot summer temperatures outside the Solare apartment was a cool retreat!

My senior mother and I stayed at Solare in late May. It was already quite hot and we were happy with the A/C. The apt is very clean and cozy and has a well equipped kitchen - we had a thoroughly enjoyable stay. I was expecting the second bed in the living room to be a fold-out couch but it turned out to be a very comfortable murphy bed with a proper mattress. So much better.

Thanks to Chiara for being a wonderful hostess. She had left a gift basket, guide books and maps and there are good restaurant recommendations for the neighborhood from previous guests.

The apt is in a good location - not too much street noise, fairly close to everything (we walked everywhere) and we never felt unsafe. Yes there are stairs but if you are reasonably fit and able, it is ok. My mother is 72 and managed just fine. You wouldn't want to forget something though.

Of the other agenecies we looked at and another we booked with for a later leg of our trip, we found Italy Perfect to be just fabulous. They provided lots of information regarding the apt and arm guests with detailed general info about Florence/Italy and were quick to reply to any emails. Highly recommend Italy Perfect and Solare!

From the first time we met our landlord we were impressed with accomodations. We were met at the front door, taken up the stairs, and were then briefed on every aspect of the apartment and surrounding area. Great location--nice appartment--wonderful host. We had a grand time using the apartment as our base.

Easy walk to the train station and all points of interest in Florence. We would return in a heartbeat and will recommend to our friends.

Only drawback is the 4 flights of steps to the top--be prepared but you do get used to it.

Great location and perfect little apartment for our stay in Florence. Loved all the little touches. We shopped at the Mercato Centrale and ate several meals in.

Solare is the perfect choice if you want a sunny, beautifully decorated, impeccably clean, comfortable, well equipped accommodation within walking distance of just about everything you want to see and do in Florence.  The owner is a wonderfully warm, thorough and extremely helpful woman whose primary concern is that of the comfort of her guests.  She welcomed me with a generous gift basket of Tuscan "goodies" which was unexpected and sincerely appreciated.  I felt very safe here and loved the sense of being part of the neighborhood - especially visiting the little cafe next door in the morning for cappucino.  Yes, the apartment is on the top floor and making it up 4 flights of stairs at the end of a long day can be daunting but the reward at the top is worth the effort!  I would recommend Solare to anyone looking for an economical (not to mention spacious and comfortable) alternative to an expensive hotel room.  Thank you for sharing your lovely home with me, Chiara.  It was, by far, one of the best vacations I've ever had.

We are back in England after an exciting and amazing visit to Italy. We wanted to thank you for the excellent information you supplied to us before our trip, we found it very helpful and all of our travel arrangements went very smoothly. Our apartment was lovely and Chiara was so kind to us leaving lovely thoughtful little welcome gifts. We have been very pleased with the service we have received from your company and wouldn't hesitate to use you again.

We had a delightful stay in the Solare apartment. Everything was just as it appears on the website, clean, bright and comfortable. A lot of care has been taken to ensure guests are comfortable. We really appreciated the very nice welcome greeting and had a delightful stay in the apartment. We recommend it highly. The location was perfect, we walked everywhere. Plenty of good restaurants in the neighborhood.