Florence or Salerno?

Florence has no swimming of its own. The Versilia beaches near Viareggio are a full day out by train, so in summer most visitors cool off in a hotel or public pool.

In Salerno the sea is at the end of the street. The grey-sand city beaches are fine for a quick dip, and the long sandy shore towards Paestum suits a whole day. The pebbly coves of the Amalfi Coast, a short ferry ride away, have the clearest water.

Both cities cook simply and well, but Florence gives you more to explore. There is bistecca and ribollita, lampredotto from the carts, two working markets at San Lorenzo and Sant'Ambrogio, and Chianti on the doorstep. The trick is to eat in the Oltrarno, not beside the Duomo.

Salerno's strengths come from the sea and the farms around it. Think fried seafood, pasta with clams, wood-fired pizza, buffalo mozzarella made that morning on the plain towards Paestum, and colatura from Cetara. It is honest everyday cooking, with less range than Florence offers.

Florence is one of the great art cities of the world. The Uffizi, the Accademia, the Bargello, the Pitti Palace and Brunelleschi's dome could fill a week on their own. Smaller places such as the Brancacci Chapel and the Medici Chapels reward a longer stay.

Salerno's heritage is medieval and compact: the Norman cathedral with Saint Matthew's crypt, the Giardino della Minerva and the Arechi Castle above the gulf. A day or two covers it. Its biggest cultural draws, Pompeii and Paestum, lie outside the city.

Neither city is made for clubbing, and in both an evening means drinks outdoors. Florence has the broader bar scene, with Piazza Santo Spirito, the more local Sant'Ambrogio, student pubs and summer bars along the Arno. Salerno's nights are younger and more local, filling the lanes around Largo Campo at weekends, with the seafront passeggiata for a slower evening and summer clubs out along the coast.

Salerno has the more dramatic outdoors. The Path of the Gods and the Valle delle Ferriere climb the Lattari mountains above the sea, and the Cilento's gorges and headlands lie to the south. Kayaking and boat trips beneath the cliffs are easy summer outings.

Florence offers gentler, farmed country: olive terraces at Fiesole, cycling lanes through Chianti and the Casentino forests further out. It is lovely for walking but has neither the sea nor the drama.

Both are superb bases for day trips, and here they are close to level. The difference is in the kind of trip. From Florence you head to Tuscan towns and wine country: Siena, Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano and the Chianti villages, with Bologna a short fast train away.

From Salerno the trips are about the ancient world and the coast. Paestum's temples and Pompeii are each about half an hour by train, and ferries run to Amalfi and Positano, with Naples, Herculaneum and Caserta also within easy reach. Florence's hill villages are easier with a car, while Salerno's best outings are by train and boat.

Salerno is the easier city with children. The long, flat, car-free seafront has playgrounds and gardens, and the shallow sandy beaches south of town suit young swimmers. In winter the Luci d'Artista light displays make the trip fun.

Florence has some good hands-on moments, such as climbing the dome, the secret passages of Palazzo Vecchio and the Boboli Gardens. But its centre is made for adults, with narrow pavements and heavy summer crowds. Neither city has a zoo or theme park, and from Florence the Pinocchio park at Collodi is the classic family day out.

Florence is the more convenient city to get around. All the major sights are within about twenty minutes' walk of one another, Santa Maria Novella station is right in the centre and trams run to the airport.

Salerno's centre is also walkable, a long strip beside the sea, and a short metro line serves the eastern districts. Beyond the centre it is harder work. The castle needs a bus, the Amalfi roads are slow and packed in summer, and the ferries run only in the warmer months.

Florence is the stronger shopping city, and its strength is craft. There is leather from the San Lorenzo stalls to small workshops, marbled paper, jewellers on the Ponte Vecchio, and gilders and framers in the Oltrarno. The luxury houses on Via de' Tornabuoni and the antique dealers of Via Maggio add to the choice.

Salerno's Corso Vittorio Emanuele is mostly Italian chains. Its most distinctive buys come from nearby: majolica from Vietri, limoncello and colatura from Cetara make good gifts, but there is little luxury.

Florence costs noticeably more than Salerno for the same stay, whether you count the hotel, the meals or getting about. Central rooms are dear from spring right through autumn, and the Uffizi, the Accademia and the dome climb each charge admission that soon adds up. Sleeping across the river or near the station, coming in winter and eating lampredotto, market lunches and house wine bring it down.

Salerno has the prices of a working southern town. Pizzerias and coffee bars charge what locals pay and regional trains are cheap, so it is a sensible base for the far dearer Amalfi villages. Costs climb mainly in high summer, with ferries and lido sunbeds, and Pompeii and Paestum charge real entry fees all year.

Florence has the deeper musical tradition. Opera was born here, the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has its own orchestra and a full season, and the spring Maggio Musicale is one of Europe's oldest festivals.

Salerno's Teatro Verdi is a fine gilded opera house with a respectable programme, and the Ravello Festival on the cliffs above Amalfi makes a memorable summer evening. Beyond that the city has little to offer, and Naples is close by for more.

Neither city has a bathing culture of its own, so in town relaxing means a hotel spa and a slow pace. Florence has better spas within reach. Montecatini Terme is under an hour by train, and Bagno Vignoni, Saturnia or a few nights on a Tuscan farm stay make a proper retreat.

From Salerno, the open-air sulphur pools of Contursi Terme are about an hour inland. In the city itself, calm comes from sunset walks along the palm-lined seafront, set against the traffic and noise of a working port.