How to get around Florence, Italy: walking, trams, and day-trip trains

Getting Around Florence

The historic centre — Duomo, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, Oltrarno — is compact and largely closed to cars under the ZTL zone. Walking is the default way to move between sights; most centrally based visitors never need public transport.

Which mode wins

• Walking: covers the centre; distances are short, though streets are cobbled and busy at peak times.
• Tram (T1, T2, T3): useful for Scandicci, Careggi, or the airport; skirts the core, not through it.
• ATAF buses: reach hillside spots like Piazzale Michelangelo and Fiesole.
• Taxis: ranked stands (station, Piazza della Repubblica), not hailed; useful late at night or with luggage.
• Regional trains: for day trips to Pisa, Siena, Lucca, or Prato, from Santa Maria Novella station.

Passes and tickets

ATAF sells single tickets valid for a time window after validation, plus multi-ride and daily passes for bus and tram. These suit visitors making several hops a day; they don't suit anyone staying central who mostly walks.

Airport to city

• Florence Airport (FLR): tram T2 runs direct from the terminal to Santa Maria Novella — fastest, lowest effort, step-free.
• Pisa Airport (PSA): regional trains link Pisa Centrale to Florence, needing a terminal-to-station transfer first; direct shuttle coaches skip that but run slower in traffic.

Practical notes

Rush hour (weekday mornings, early evenings) brings crowded buses and trams. Last services end by late evening, not around the clock — plan late trips around taxis. Cobblestones make luggage and wheelchairs harder in the centre; trams are step-level and more accessible. Check lift status before relying on trains for day trips.