Getting To Florence

Visitors can now fly direct to Florence from many European cities, where previously visitors had to fly to Pisa and transfer from there; Florence’s Amerigo Vespucci Airport is situated just outside the city. Florence is also an important railway hub and travelling here by train is the second best option, with services coming in from many European cites and from within Italy. Although driving here from the likes of Paris may take a day or more, major motorways make for a straightforward journey, while those on a budget can arrive by Eurolines bus.

By car

Florence is straightforward to get to by car from most major centres in Italy, as it is fairly central and well fed by motorway. The A1 autostrada runs from Rome south to Bologna and passes right by Florence, while the A11 runs directly into Florence from Lucca, near Pisa. Driving in Florence itself is not recommended as roads are busy and parking is difficult.

By rail

Italy’s rail network is reliable and efficient, and Florence receives numerous daily arrivals from all over the country. The Pendolino service from Rome runs four times per day and takes 90 minutes, while 24 EC/IC trains also run from the capital each day as well as seven inter-regional trains. There are also many arrivals from Milan, Bologna and other major cities. Major services coming from Switzerland and France go via Milan and the main station in Florence is the Stazione di Santa Maria Novella.

By bus

Travelling by bus to Florence from inside Italy, let alone from another country, is not very popular owing to the excellent coverage of the rail network and journeys by bus being uncomfortably long in most cases. However, if you wish to travel by bus, Eurolines coaches serve Florence from major European centres. Within Italy, several companies serve Florence from all over Tuscany and major cities nationwide including from Rome. The express bus from Rome takes about 4 hours, 30 minutes to reach Florence. The city’s bus stations are near the main train station, northwest of the city centre.

By air

Florence has its own airport - Amerigo Vespucci Airport - which receives flights from a number of European and domestic destinations. The airport is located just to the northwest of the city centre on the A11 superhighway and is connected to Florence by buses, shuttles and taxis.

Florence Amerigo Vespucci Airport

Florence's Amerigo Vespucci Airport has recently been expanded and several European airlines now serve the airport. The airport serves well over 1.5 million passengers per year, although those coming from outside Europe will invariably have change planes at the likes of Rome or Milan, or another major European hub such as Amsterdam.

Amerigo Vespucci Airport has good facilities for its size, which include: bureau de change services, cash machines, souvenir shops, duty-free stores and restaurants as well as the ubiquitous espresso bars.

Florence Amerigo Vespucci airport transportation

Amerigo Vespucci Airport is just three miles northwest of Florence city centre and is served by buses and taxis. If you are driving, the town is minutes away via Vialle Alessandro Guidon, while the airport’s shuttle bus services (Sita/ATAF) run to the central Santa Maria Novella railway station throughout the day. Travelling by bus is the cheapest option for getting to Florence from the airport unless your hotel provides a courtesy shuttle service; the journey time is just 20 minutes. A taxi journey to the city from the airport takes about 15 minutes and many taxis are usually on standby outside the Arrivals Hall of the terminal; fares can be expensive.

As an alternative to Amerigo Vespucci Airport, if you are coming from overseas and don’t fancy a flight change, Pisa's Galileo Galilei Airport is the closest alternative international air hub to Florence and is connected to the city by two or three train services per hour.