Parking in Florence - Guide to the ZTL of the city
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Getting to Florence by car: parking and restricted traffic zone guide (ZTL)

Advice and warnings for those arriving in Florence by car.

If you are the type of person who enjoys travelling by car, we have a few tips on parking in Florence, information on the city's ZTL (Limited Traffic Area) and the rules you need to know to make the most of the city's services and not run into hefty fines. Disclaimer! We warmly advise you, where possible, to reach Florence by train :)

ZTL – LIMITED TRAFFIC AREAS IN THE HISTORIC CENTER OF FLORENCE

Let's start from the basics. The first fundamental thing to know if you arrive in Florence by car is that any ZTL area in the centre, delimited by large red-light signs and cameras, is an area which you cannot enter for any reason. Access to these areas during the day is reserved for residents, taxis and buses. Any attempt, even if brief, to enter will result in a fine you will remember!

The timetables of the ZTL: the ZTL is active (when the light signal is red) all year round, on weekdays, with the following times: from Monday to Friday from 7.30 am to 8.00 pm and on Saturday from 7.30 am to 4.00 pm. From the first Thursday of April to the first Sunday of October the summer night-time restricted traffic zone is active. The ZTL regulation, in this period, is also extended to Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 11 pm to 3 am. Consult all the sectors of the ZTL here.

PLEASE NOTE: This rule has only two exceptions.

  1. If the traffic light is green, access is permitted. This occurs at night (except weekends in the summer) and on public holidays. It is, therefore, possible to enter at that moment and exit whenever you like to.
  2. If you are staying in a hotel in the historic centre, you may have a permit as a hotel guest. It is mandatory to ask the hotel for all the information and follow the directions.

About Parking in Florence

Within the ZTL and all surrounding areas, called ZCS - Parking Control Zone, parking spaces marked in white or yellow are reserved exclusively for residents. Parking spaces are delimited by blue lines, free for residents, and paid for others (parking in Florence is charged hourly). These car parks are free for everyone from 8.00 pm to 8.00 am, but it is always necessary to ensure this by reading the signs and the indications on the parking meter.

ATTENTION: if you find a deserted road, you most likely have not been miraculously lucky, but you have ended up on a road that the ALIA service will clean in a few hours. Always check the sign indicating the days and times of "road cleaning" to avoid fines or, even worse, vehicle removal!

An excellent and highly recommended alternative for those visiting Florence for the day to avoid clogging up the centre and being prey to unnecessary nervousness is using the "Drive & Tramway" parking lots. These car parks are located near the highway in conjunction with a tramway stop from which you can reach the centre without further worries:

  • T2 Guidoni exchange car park, (Florence North) open every day from 0 to 24 hours (including holidays), parking will cost 1 euro for 10 consecutive hours then the rate of 4 euros per hour will apply, which can be divided into 30 minutes.
  • Villa Costanza exchange car park, (A1 highway between the Firenze Scandicci and Firenze Impruneta exits), open every day, 24 hours a day. You can leave your car parked for up to 30 consecutive days. You pay a maximum of 50 cents an hour. And a full day costs only 7 euros.

Finally, if you prefer parking in the city centre, the guarded parking lots managed by Firenze Parcheggi, provide real time availability in 14 central parking lots in Florence: Stazione S.M.N., San Lorenzo – Mercato Centrale, Stazione Binario 16, Sant’Ambrogio, Beccaria, Parterre, Alberti, Stazione Fortezza Fiera, Porta al Prato – Leopolda, Oltrarno – Calza, Pieraccini Meyer, Careggi CTO, Palazzo di Giustizia – Novoli, Giannotti – Bandino.



Photo credits ZTL: https://ilreporter.it/