tastefully

tastefully

Share this post

tastefully
tastefully
Meet Florence Platinum Tours
Premium Partners

Meet Florence Platinum Tours

Getting around Florence has never been so stylish, so fun, and so fully-immersive!

Annie B. Shapero's avatar
Annie B. Shapero
Jul 04, 2025
∙ Paid
1

Share this post

tastefully
tastefully
Meet Florence Platinum Tours
1
Share
a fabulous fleet of Fiat 500 electric cars

Hospitality on Four Wheels

Last month, I hitched a ride to the train station with these guys.

I was running late, it was hot, I had a backpack full of wine. Classic dilemma.

I may have charmed them into a free lift, but in the ten minutes it took us to get the station, the effervescent and enterprising team behind Florence Platinum Tours charmed me right back.

While notoriously walkable, tourist hubs like Rome and Florence rarely account for what I call human traffic.

It’s more than crowds. You navigate photo shoots in progress (if you’re being polite), risk selfie sticks to the eye, and you wait out parades of guided tours who choke intersections, like feckless baby ducklings, and far less cute.

Everyone is looking around in awe, or worse, at their phones. Accidents are inevitable.

Picture-Perfect Florentine Charm

From the inside of a convertible vintage car, the roads are instantly ours.

With the wind in my hair, we parted seas of people who didn’t mind making space. The vintage cars inspire joy. Tourists wave and smile. They snap photos of us too.

Before I dashed toward the train platform we exchanged numbers. I promised to be back. I wanted to learn more.

Kindness goes a long way.

As promised, I booked a two-hour ride during my most recent trip to Florence. It might just be the best money I’ve spent all year.

If you’ve even explored the islands, or even the coastline, with a boat and a skipper who is well versed in the geography, history, mythology, and wonderlands that await you on the water far from the shore, this is the equivalent.

Indigenous and Adopted, 100% Florentine

This brilliant band of brothers know every inch of the city.

The founders all grew up here, or very near here. They’ve got hospitality in their blood and on their resumes.

Elme, Moroccan-born and Chianti-raised met Giulio in school. They grew up in wine country with its deep ties to the Florentine hospitality world. The inseparable duo often spent weekends in the “big city.”

Co-founders, Francesco and Alberto have been embedded in the Florentine hospitality and tourism scene for decades. Former restaurant partners, they hired Elme for a job, and Giulio ultimately tagged along.

Despite substantial generational gaps, the four men clicked.

founders and friends, Elme and Giulo + marketing and photo wizard, Hamed

History, Diversity, and Innovation

The decades between them provided a rare synergy. Alberto, who is pushing 60, lived the so-called golden age of Italy—when life was less expensive, and la dolce vita was far more accessible.

Francesco, a late-stage millennial, experienced rapid advances in technology, the shift from lira to euro currency, and the urgent push toward innovation facing every Italian business.

Giulio and Elme represent a modern and more ethnically integrated Florence. They’re also true digital natives and bring a sense of adventure, youthful energy, and insight into the marketing and execution of their tour service.

The Vision

Co-founder, Gulio Bianchi explains:

Wanted to give tourism in Florence an infusion of authentic, Italian hospitality. We all love the city and we know it so well, we created the business to celebrate the place we feel so connected to.

On Teamwork

We’re not perfect, of course. We have our different point of view. But over all, the age gap, and the vastly different experiences work for our brand. We’re not too modern, and not too old-fashioned. It’s a via “di mezzo”, a middle way. It’s harmonious.

Eco-Friendly and Fabulous Fleet

The cars are 100% electric. On a single charge they can run all day. The model is a rehabbed Fiat 500 spiaggina convertible.

Choose from preset tours, for example: the classic, the sunset, the hills, or come with your own ideas and design a customized itinerary. The more information you provide at booking, the more in-depth and personalized your experience will be. Want to try the best ice cream in town? Drinks with a view? Check out Dante’s private chapel?

Let the team know, and they’ll make it happen. They have plenty of tips up their own sleeves too.

Florence Platinum Tours

SITE | @aquaflorfirenze
TEL +39 39227376800
For personalized tours, call or get in touch via the website.

Paid subscribers have access to 15% off. Upgrade today to reveal your promo code!

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Annie B. Shapero
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share