Florence: Getting there & around

Orientation

Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany, on Italy's northwest coast. A good reference point for navigating your way around is the central train station, Santa Maria Novella, although the Duomo is impossible to miss. The city has two airports: Amerigo Vespucci is 5km (3.1mi) northwest of the city centre and Galileo Galilei (for international flights) is about 75km (46.6mi) west of the city, near Pisa. You can walk from one end of the city centre to the other in about 30 minutes.

Getting There

• bus

  Buses leave from a variety of terminals scattered about the main train station, Stazione di Santa Maria Novella.

  Lazzi is responsible for long-haul bus services to other parts of Italy, mostly on routes south where train services are either nonexistent or painfully slow. Destinations range from the Veneto in the northeast to Sicily in the south.

• train

  For travel within Italy, you can get information at your nearest train station or travel agent, or by contacting Trenitalia . You can buy railway tickets (for major destinations on fast trains at least) at the station (often crowded) and from most travel agents. There are automatic machines at the station that accept credit cards and cash.

• plane

  A handful of European and domestic flights serve Florence's smaller Amerigo Vespucci airport. To broaden your options, you could also fly into Bologna.

  For most intercontinental air travel you will have to change flights at least once, either in Rome or Milan or at another major European hub.

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Getting Around

• bus

  Bus tickets can be bought at tobacconists or vending machines at major bus stops, and must be validated as you get on the bus. You can get 70min, 24hr and three-day passes or the Carta Agile (10-20 70min trips).

• taxi

  Taxis wait outside Stazione di Santa Maria Novella, or you can get your hotel to phone one.

• Disabled Travellers

  The Comune di Firenze (Town Council; www.comunefirenze.it) publishes a booklet, Guida alle Strutture e ai Servizi della Città , which lists hundreds of places, including churches, museums, banks, hotels and restaurants, with an accessibility rating and description. The booklet comes with a map of central Florence outlining accessible footpaths and crossings for those in wheelchairs. It is sometimes available at the tourist offices.

  The majority of Florence's ATAF buses are equipped for wheelchair access. Uneven bus stops sometimes provide obstacles. ATAF and some tourist offices have maps showing bus routes with specially equipped buses.

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