Explore the Florence public transport network

Small, yet complicated. Getting around Florence can be daunting. Our guide will inform you about the types and rates of public transportation.

Yordan

5 minute read

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Updated on 12 Mar 2024

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Living

As with the rest of the best cities to live in in Italy, Florence has a well-functioning transportation system.

ATAF & LI-NEA, the company that manages the tranportation network in the Florence area, is doing a splendid job in keeping the vehicles in check, always clean and running on time.

In this article, we’ll give you answers to the following questions:

• What are the public transport options in Florence?
• What is the cost of using public transport in Florence?
• How to use public transport in Florence?
• What are the public transport alternatives in Florence?

Florence’s humble size of 102 square kilometers entails that the need for public transportation is lower than that in cities like Milan or Rome. This is why there's a network of buses and tramways in Florence, but no metro.

Running times

The buses and tramways in Florence run on different schedules.

You can rely on using the public transport in Florence during the following times of the day:

Does Florence have night buses?

Unlike in other European cities, Florence doesn’t have a bus service which runs throughout the whole night on weekends. Instead, the night buses run from 22:00 until 02:00 Friday thru Sunday.

The night bus service (Nottetempo), serves specific areas of the city that often get changed. You should check the schedule and areas on +3955-5650555 on a regular basis.

The pricing for using Florence's public transport network in is in line with the rest of the great cities in Italy.

Find the day prices of Florence’s public transport in the table below:

Bus drivers often don’t have any tickets left to sell, so it’s best to buy them from other designated locations.

The night bus service, on the other hand, is going to cost you more and you can only buy single tickets. The price per ticket is €5.00.

Is there a ticket discount for students?

As with almost everything else, students get a 19% discount on the yearly public transport subscription in Florence. This means that you’ll only have to pay €252.00 for a yearly card if you’re a student.

Getting around by bus is the most popular way of getting around Florence if you don’t have a car. The tickets are affordable, so you can get from one side of the city to the other on spare change. The ATAF buses run on a regular schedule and are ideal for when you don’t feel like walking.

How to use the bus in Florence?

Getting on and off the bus is a bit of a science itself.

Each bus has three doors, at the front, middle and rear parts. It’s an unspoken rule that the front and rear doors are for getting off while the middle one is for getting on.

How are the tickets validated on the bus in Florence?

You can find the ticket validating machines either right next to the door or right behind the corner.

Always make sure that your ticket is validated! It is common for controllers to get on the bus at random stops and make sure that everyone has a ticket. The fines are € 50 and the amount increases if you don’t pay the fine within 5 days of its issuing.

Always make sure to buy your tickets before getting on the bus! You’ll save some money and will not depend on the driver to sell them to you.

Florence didn't have any tramways until 2010, when the work on Tramvia's T1 tramway, running from Scandicci to SMN train station, was completed. The tram network was got an extension in 2019 with the addition of the T2 tramway that connects the airport to the city centre.

The number of tramways in Florrence is limited due to the medieval layout of the city.

Since the trams are not dependent on the amount of traffic, you can be certain that they are always on schedule!

The T2 tramway is the cheapest and fastest way for getting from the airport to the city centre! Keep that in mind when you get to Florence for the first time.

The tickets you buy for the bus are the same for the trams. There's a ticket machine at each tram stop, so you can be sure that you can get one when you need it.

Getting around by taxi is the best option for when you're in a rush and don’t mind spending extra to do so. The good news is that there is always going to be available taxis when you need them simply because this is the least preferred option for getting around in the city.

Locals avoid using taxis since the prices are some of the highest in Europe. With a minimum charge of €3.50 - €5.30, you should be prepared to pay at least €7.00 - €8.00 for a short trip.

Following the trend that is taking over Europe, Florence has several ride-sharing options that you can make use of. All you need to do before being able to use them is to be registered with the respective provider.

Car sharing

The most popular car-sharing services available in Florence are "Enjoy" and "Adduma Car".

Adduma Car’s fleet is made up of 100% electric vehicles and Enjoy has standard cars on offer.

The vehicles can be parked almost anywhere in the city, except the limited traffic zones. This makes them a perfect way of getting around in comfort without breaking the bank.

Bike sharing

Don’t have a driver’s licence? Don’t worry, Mobike and Gobee.bike are here for you. They have bikes scattered around the city, which makes them the most convenient way of getting around. You can be sure that there is a bike waiting for you behind almost every corner.

Now that you’re aware of all the public transport options in Florence, it’s time to learn about the neighbourhoods in the city.

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