How to get to Florence
Enjoy this magnificent city your way!
You don’t have to break the bank to get the most of your journey to Florence. Here we give you a few tips!
How to arrive in Florence
If you plan to take a direct flight to Florence, you’ll arrive at the Amerigo Vespucci Airport (FLR). This airport serves several domestic, European, and international connections.
Upon arrival, you can take the T2 tram from the airport and get to the city center (Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station) in under 30 minutes.
Nevertheless, you can enjoy big savings by considering other options: Flying to another main airport and taking a bus or train to Florence!
From Rome
Rome has the largest airport in Italy in terms of international traffic: The Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO).
Upon arrival, you have several options:
Frecciargento Trains – A high-speed Alta Velocità (AV) train which leaves from the airport twice per day, at 11:08 a.m. and 3:08 p.m., and arrives at the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station in the center of Florence. This trip takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
1. From FCO to Roma Termini Station
Take the Leonardo Express – These Regionale FL1 trains leave the airport every 15-30 minutes throughout the day and offer non-stop service all the way to the Roma Termini station, the largest train station in Rome.
2. From Roma Termini Station to Florence
From the station, take Frecciarossa – A high-speed Alta Velocità (AV) train which leaves the station every 30 minutes and arrives at the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station. This whole trip takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
From Pisa
Another way to get to Florence would be flying to Pisa. The Pisa International Airport (PSA) is the main airport in Tuscany and the 10th in Italy in terms of passengers. Upon arrival, you have several options:
Flibco bus – These buses leave the airport every hour and arrive at the Florence Station Guidoni T2 at the Florence Airport Preretola (FLR). This trip takes about 1 hour depending on traffic.
Airport Bus Express Autostradale / Sky Bus Lines Caronna – These buses leave from the airport and stop at Piazzale Montelungo, not far from Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station. This trip takes about 1 hour depending on traffic.
1. Take the Pisamover – A short monorail that will take you from the airport to the Pisa Central Train Station. This trip takes just under 5 minutes. You can also take the E3 or E25 bus to get to the train station.
2. From the station, take the Trenitalia Regionale – A high-speed Alta Velocità (AV) train which leaves the station every 30 minutes and arrives at the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station. This whole trip takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
From Bologna
Another great option to get to Florence is by flying to Bologna. The Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) is the main airport serving the city of Bologna in Italy. Upon arrival, you have several options:
Appeninno Shuttle – These buses leave from the airport every two hours and stop in Piazzale Montelungo, not far from Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station. This trip takes about 1 hour and 25 minutes depending on traffic.
1. Take the Marconi Express shuttle – A short monorail that will take you from the airport to the Bologna Central Train Station. This trip takes just under 10 minutes.
2. From the station, take the Trenitalia, Trenilania Freece, ItaloTreno, or Frecciarossa – Choose between several high-speed Alta Velocità (AV) train lines which leave the station every 30 minutes and arrives at the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station. This whole trip takes about 54 minutes.
Moving around the city
Once you arrive to Florence, what are the best ways of getting around the city? We have you covered.
By walking!
You can walk everywhere in Florence. It is actually the best and cheapest way to get around and see the city!
The city center is relatively small compared to other major cities in Italy, and you can walk from one end to another in about 30 minutes. And there are numerous pedestrian-only streets.
What’s great about Florence is that you can easily spend a week there or a day trip and still feel like you have seen a decent part of the city.
By bus
Public transportation is widely used in Florence. The Autolinee Toscane city buses offer multiple fares:
• Ordinary – A single use 90-minute ticket.
• Multiple-ride ticket: Four 90-minute rides on one single ticket.
They can be purchased from:
• Authorized “Autolinee Toscane” sale points across the city (usually business with the company sticker on their shop windows).
• Bus ticket booths within the Santa Maria Novella train station.
The best and cheapest way to move by bus in Florence is buying your tickets ahead of time. Bus drivers usually have few tickets on board, and they are more expensive.
By tram
The T1 tram line runs from Scandicci, passing by the Firenza Santa Maria Novella train station, to the Careggi teaching hospital in the north-western part of the city.
The T2 tram line goes from the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station to the airport, making it the easiest and cheapest way to travel from the airport to the center of Florence.
