Access & Transportation

Few hours are enough to reach Florence International airport from all major European hubs, which provide comfortable connections from all over the world. Florence airport is located 15 minutes drive from the city centre, with an easy shuttle bus transfer. With its strategic position in the middle of Italy, Florence has also fast and efficient rail and motorway links with the rest of the country. Florence is located in Tuscany, about 150 miles from Rome, Italy.

Arriving by air
The city has its own airport, the Amerigo Vespucci, located about 5km from the centre of Florence.
Airlines that fly to Florence include Alitalia, Air France, Austrian, Lufthansa, Swiss, Air Littoral, Carpatair, SNBrussels Airlines and Meridiana (www.aeroporto.firenze.it). If fl ying from another continent, you will probably have to catch a connecting flight in Rome or Milan. Taxis and bus services (Volainbus every 20-25 minutes) are available to take you into town. It is also possible to land at Pisa International Airport “Galileo Galilei” connected in 50 minutes to the Florence Central Train Station by a shuttle train (www.pisa-airport.com).

Arriving by train
Italy has an excellent train system connecting the entire country. High-speed train connections are available from other major cities, including Milan, Rome and Venice. You can check the train timetable online at www.fs-on-line.com. The Santa Maria Novella train station is located in the centre of Florence.
Taxis are readily available at the train station (www.trenitalia.com).

Arriving by car
Many travellers may decide to rent a car to explore Tuscany. A car, however, is not very useful in Florence since most streets in the historic centre can be only used by buses and taxis. Call your hotel to find out ahead of time if parking is available at the hotel or nearby. The A1 (Autostrada del Sole) is the main motorway linking Florence to northern and southern Italy. The A11 leads west to the coast and on to Genoa and to the French border. Both are toll motorways. Car lights are compulsory on motorways. In Florence, taxis can be ordered by phone (055 4242 and 055 4390) or can be found at the official taxi stands. You cannot stop a taxi on the street.

Moving around
Florence has a fairly compact historic centre and most attractions can be reached on foot. For example,Ponte Vecchio is about 10 minutes on foot from the Duomo of Florence. Walking is usually the best way to get to know a city. In the historic centre of Florence traffic is limited to taxis, buses and residents, which makes walking quite easy. Taxis in Florence are also quite convenient because they have access to most streets which are otherwise closed to regular traffic.

In Florence and in Italy in general, you can't catch a taxi raising your hand like in New York or London. Taxis must be called by phone or taken at their parking lots. You can also pre-book a day in advance. The most popular companies in Florence (offering their services 24 hours a day) are reachable by phone at 055/4242 or 055/4390.

Florence also has several bus lines - buses are bright orange. Bus stops are marked with orange signs displaying the route of the particular bus line. You can get around the historic centre of Florence on bus lines A and B. These are small orange electric buses which can navigate the narrow streets of Florence. Bus tickets have to be bought before you get on the bus and stamped with the stamping machine on the bus. Tickets can be bought from newsstands and bars displaying the ATAF sign (the sign of the bus company in Florence). After the bus ticket is stamped on the bus, it is usually valid for one hour, depending on the type of the bus ticket.