Florence Travel by Car / Car Rental
There are several places where you are able to hire a car in Florence. Many car rental agencies are available and there is a particularly good selection at the airports. Travelling by car provides a very convenient way to travel around the mainland and outside of the city centre. In Italy, people drive on the right-hand side of the road and overtake on the left. Florence is situated near to the superhighway A1 and A11 network and this connects with many of Italy's major cities, including Prato, Pistoia, Montecatini, Lucca, Siena, Arezzo and Pisa. You will need to pay to park or garage your car when it is not in use and several large official parking areas are available.


Florence Travel by Bus
Florence's bus company is called ATAF and all the buses are bright orange. Most lines run until at least 21:30, with the most popular running until at least 01:00. Buses can be picked up alongside Santa Maria Novella train station and buses run regularly to areas throughout the city and to nearby towns. City buses are cheap and tickets must be purchased prior to travel and they can be bought at newsstands, bars, tobacconists and many other shops displaying the bus company logo.

Florence Travel by Taxi
Travelling by taxi in Florence may be very convenient, but it can also be very expensive. The meters start at a fixed charge and there are extra charges for luggage, journeys to the airport and also trips taken between 22:00 to 07:00, at the weekends and also on public holidays. Always take official taxis from the ranks and in nearby towns. The taxi ranks can usually be found in the main piazzas.

Florence Travel by Train
With good rail connections to every major city in Italy and Europe, travelling by train is a fast and effective way to journey outside the city and travelling around Tuscany. Italy's state railway (Ferrovie dello Stato - or FS) has a train for every type of journey, from slow 'locali' trains to the superfast 'pendoli' trains, which rush between Italian cities at high-speed. The Santa Maria Novella train station is the terminus for trains from many other European cities. Tickets can be purchased at the station booth and must then be validated in the machine on the platform before boarding.

Florence Airport
Florence is served by two airports, Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei) and Amerigo Vespucci Airport / Aeroporto di Firenze - (FLR), handling a large number of international and domestic flights.

Galileo Galilei Airport / Pisa International Airport - (FLR)
Tel: +39 (0)50 849 111
Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei) is located just one mile north of Pisa city centre, by the coast. The airport is within easy distance of Florence, which can be reached in less than one hour. This is Tuscany's regional airport, handling mainly international flights. Galileo Galilei Airport is situated 80 km / 50 miles from Florence, with a reliable train system and direct access to the Firenze-Pisa-Livorno dual carriageway and the motorway.

Major airlines include Alitalia, AirDoloiti, Air France, Air Littoral, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Carpatair, Iberia Regional, Lufthansa, Meridiana, Ryanair and many more.


Galileo Galilei Airport facilities include:

• Bureau de change
• 24-hour cash machines (ATMs) and banking facilities
• Restaurants, cafés and bars
• Shopping centre with many large shops, including a hairdressers, beauty salon and duty-free
• Car hire companies - including Auto Europa, Avis, Easy Car, Europcar, Hertz, Liberty Rent International, Maggiore Budget, Thrifty Italy by Car and Sixt
• VIP lounge and business facilities, including exclusive restaurant for working lunches
• Meeting and training rooms are available
• Special facilities for disabled passengers
• Short-term car park next to the departures hall
• Multilevel long-term car park next to the railway terminal

Florence Airport By Coach
The coach transfer service leaves every day from Pisa International Airport to Florence Santa Maria Novella train station. Tickets can be purchased at the airport's information desk.

Galileo Galilei Airport By Car
The airport has direct access to the following main roads, where traffic usually run smoothly and quickly. The journey into Florence by car should take no more than one hour.

• Firenze-Pisa-Livorno dual carriageway (Pisa Centro - Aeroporto exit)
• Genova-Rosignano A12 motorway (Pisa Centro exit)
• Firenze-Pisa Nord A11 motorway (through the Pisa Nord linking stretch with the A12)
• Road SS 1 'Aurelia'

Galileo Galilei Airport By Taxi or Shuttle
The taxi service at the airport is run by CO.TA.PI (Pisa taxi cooperative) and there are usually plenty of authorised taxis lined up by the main arrivals gateway of each terminal. The fares are quite reasonable and the taxis tend to operate between 08:00 to midnight.

Galileo Galilei Airport By Train
Florence is less than one hour by train and Pisa's Galileo Galilei airport is conveniently next door to the railway terminal, which connects to the Italian railway network. Train tickets can be purchased at the information office in the arrivals hall. At Florence's Santa Maria Novella railway station there is also information on flights departing from Pisa Airport, including check-in times.

Amerigo Vespucci Airport / Aeroporto di Firenze - (FLR)
Located just 4 km / 3 miles north-west of central Florence, between the 'Firenze Nord' exits from the superhighway and Florence's industrial area near Prato. It is connected to the city's highway system and railway network, this small airport handles mainly domestic flights.

The airport can be easily reached from Prato (8 km / 5 miles), Pistoia (24 km / 15 miles), Montecatini (36 km / 22 miles), Lucca (65 km / 40 miles), Siena (68 km / 42 miles), Arezzo (77 km / 48 miles) and Pisa (86 km / 53 miles). Florence airport is open to the public from 05:30 to 23:00 and deals with daily flights to and from many domestic and some international airports, including London Gatwick (LGW) in the UK.

Major airlines include Air France, Air Littoral, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, Carpatair, Lufthansa, Meridiana, Swiss and SN Brussels.

Amerigo Vespucci Airport facilities include:

• Bureau de change
• 24-hour cash machines (ATMs) and banking facilities
• Restaurant, cafés and bars
• Many first-class shops, including duty-free
• Car hire companies - including Avis, Italy by Car, Europcar, Hertz, Maggiore Budget and Sixt
• VIP lounge and business facilities, including office equipment, computers and connection to the Internet
• Meeting and training rooms are available
• Special facilities for disabled passengers
• 70 short-term car parking spaces and 640 long term parking spaces

Amerigo Vespucci Airport By Bus
A Sita / ATAF bus service (Fly by Bus) connects the airport with the central Santa Maria Novella railway station, in the heart of Florence and the journey lasts around 20 minutes. The buses depart regularly from the airport terminals and ticket machines provide a convenient way to purchase tickets for the airport shuttle

Amerigo Vespucci Airport By Car
The centre of Florence is easy to reach by car, as the airport is situated very close to the superhighway A1 and A11 network and the journey will take around 15 to 20 minutes, depending on traffic.

Amerigo Vespucci Airport By Taxi or Shuttle
A taxi ride from the airport into the centre of Florence lasts around 15 minutes and is a quick way to travel into the city centre. There are usually plenty of authorised taxis lined up by the main arrivals gateway of each terminal and the fares are quite reasonable.