Getting around Florence

You can reach all the main areas of Florence city centre and the suburbs by tram or bus.


URBAN TRANSPORT

Urban transportation consists in the Autolinee Toscane bus and tram services: the T1 Leonardo line, which connects Scandicci and the Santa Maria Novella train station and Careggi hospital, and the Linea T2 Vespucci line, which connects piazza dell’Unità and Peretola Airport.

  • Ticket before boarding
    You can buy tickets and books of tickets for all routes prior to boarding:
    • from authorized retailers (cafes, tobacconists, newsagents);
    • from the Autolinee Toscane point by Santa Maria Novella train station;
    • from the car park payment points and parking metres by using the "biglietto bus" (bus ticket) button.
  • 90-minute tickets
    If you choose to purchase a single ticket costing € 1.50, remember to validate it as soon as you board. From that moment on, the ticket is valid for 90 minutes (you can even change bus or use the tram too).
  • Book of 10 tickets
    If you’re planning on using the bus on several occasions during your stay, you can purchase a book of 10 tickets for € 14. Remember to pass the booklet over the magnetic reader as soon as you board. From that moment on, the ticket is valid for 90 minutes.
  • Tickets on board "cashless"
    On all the Autolinee Toscane buses, 'Volainbus' (to the airport) and 'The Mall' (to the outlets) you can purchase the ticket on board with your credit card (MasterCard, Maestro, Visa e V Pay) with no extra charge
  • SMS ticket
    You can purchase an e-ticket by sending an SMS to 4880105 with the name of place where you are. The cost, which will be taken from your phone credit, is € 1.80. (The ticket is valid for 90 minutes for both the tram and buses.)
  • Tickets on board
    You can purchase tickets on board. The cost is € 2.50, paid in coins to the driver. This ticket must also be stamped.

Out-of-city transportation

There are several options to reach Florence’s outlying areas.

  • For Fiesole:
    take the number 7 bus from Santa Maria Novella station, in Florence city centre.
  • For Mugello and Val di Sieve
    take the train to towns like Pontassieve, Rufina, Londa and Dicomano, on the Borgo San Lorenzo line. Other towns, like Barberino, are reached by AMV bus.

    If you would like to visit Barberino Designer Outlet, there is a shuttle bus that leaves from Santa Maria Novella railway station to the shopping mall.
  • For Chianti:
    for Greve in Chianti, take an ACV bus from Florence; for San Casciano, Barberino and Tavarnelle, take a SITA bus.
  • For the Valdarno:
    Rignano sull’Arno, Reggello, Incisa and Figline Valdarno can be reached by train, on the Arezzo line, or by ACV bus.
  • For the Val d’Elsa:
    to reach Lastra a Signa, Montelupo and Empoli, take a train on the Florence-Pisa line; for Castelfiorentino and Certaldo, take a train on the Florence-Siena line.

    PiùBus connects towns in the Val d’Elsa (Capraia e Limite, Castelfiorentino, Cerreto Guidi, Certaldo, Empoli, Fucecchio, Gambassi Terme, Montaione, Montelupo Fiorentino, Montespertoli, Vinci).

Florence city centre is limited by the ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato) and the no-entry hours depend on the season and the day of the week.

Standard no-entry: Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 8pm; Saturday, from 7.30am to 4pm. Free access on Sunday and holidays. From April to October, the Restricted Traffic Zone is also in effect at night, which means that access is not permitted on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at the following times: 7.30am on Thursday to 4pm on Saturday.

If you are staying in the Restricted Traffic Zone, you can reach your accommodation by communicating your vehicle information to the hotel (up to 3 hours before you arrive), which will notify the municipal police on your behalf.
You will be allowed to travel the shortest route between the hotel and an entry point into the Restricted Traffic Zone. During your stay you may drive in Florence, but only along the same afore-stated route and on the condition that you inform the hotel on every occasion (the service costs € 1).

In any case, you can leave your car at an entry point into the Restricted Traffic Zone in one of the many car parks in the Firenze Parcheggi network:

  • Stazione S.M.N. - Stazione Santa Maria Novella
  • San Lorenzo / Mercato Centrale - San Lorenzo / Mercato Centrale
  • Novoli Palazzo di Giustizia - Novoli Palazzo di Giustizia
  • Sant'Ambrogio - Parcheggio Sant'Ambrogio
  • Beccaria - Parcheggio Beccaria
  • Alberti - Parcheggio Alberti
  • Parterre - Parcheggio del Parterre
  • Stazione Fortezza Fiera - Parcheggio Stazione Fortezza Fiera
  • Porta al Prato/Stazione Leopolda - Parcheggio Porta al Prato/Stazione Leopolda
  • Oltrarno - Parcheggio Calza Oltrarno
  • Pieraccini Meyer - Parcheggio Pieraccini Meyer
  • Giannotti - Parcheggio Bandino Giannotti
  • Europa - Parcheggio Europa

Take a taxi from the various stands all over the city or by calling SOCOTA: 055 4242.
Reduced rates:

  • for women travelling between 9pm and 2am;
  • for passengers going to hospitals during visiting hours.

If you are an independent traveller, you might be interested in using Florence’s car-sharing services

If you prefer to get around by bike, take advantage of the bikes belonging to the city’s Bike Sharing service.

The service does not have pick-up and drop-off points. Just download the app to locate and book a bike. Once you have reached your destination, leave the bike in the nearest rack.

To hire a car with a driver, contact one of the following companies: