Florence: your first hour after landing
You have just landed at Amerigo Vespucci Airport (FLR) — Peretola to everyone local — about 5 km north-west of the Duomo, close enough that the T2 tram has you at Santa Maria Novella in about 20 minutes for €2. What waits is the Renaissance in one walkable square mile: Brunelleschi's dome, the Uffizi's Botticelli rooms, Michelangelo's David, and the Oltrarno's workshops and wine bars across the Ponte Vecchio. This guide walks the arrival in order: the tram-versus-taxi maths, where to sleep between the centre, the station and Santo Spirito, the museum slots to book before you land, the first three tables that matter, the day trips to Siena, Pisa and Chianti, and the two rules that save money and fines — book the big three sights ahead, and never drive into the ZTL.
In this guide
You just landed in Florence. Ride the T2 tram from the airport — about 20 minutes to Santa Maria Novella for €2 — then walk everywhere: the whole historic centre is a 20-minute circle. Keep an Airalo eSIM live for tram times and museum slots, and book the Uffizi, Accademia and Chianti days early — the timed slots and small groups go first.
Quick facts
Airport
Getting in
Currency
Languages
Time zone
Emergency
Plugs
Tap water
Tourist tax
Best months
Map
Stays, sights, and landmarks in Florence — live hotel prices plus the key places from this guide.
Settle in
Land at Peretola: take one tram to Santa Maria Novella, then walk ten minutes into the centre.
Set up data before leaving home: an Italy plan on an Airalo eSIM loads in minutes, keeping tram times and museum tickets available from arrivals. For longer trips, compare Saily and Yesim.
Run the arrival checklist in this order:
- Buy a tram ticket before boarding, or tap one contactless card per person on board
- Validate paper tickets immediately — the €2 fare covers 90 minutes across trams and buses
- Book Uffizi, Accademia and Duomo climb slots before unpacking — first entries sell first
Expect the Comune tourist tax (see Quick facts) on top of your rate; sort it before check-out.
If flight delay or cancellation wrecked the arrival, AirHelp can check whether the airline owes you compensation.
Getting around
Times are airport to city centre.
Tram T2 from FLR
One flat fare, valid 90 minutes across trams and buses — buy at the stop machines before boarding or tap a contactless card on board (one card per person); buying from the driver costs €3. Trams run about every 5 minutes at peak, roughly 05:00 to 00:30, and later on Friday and Saturday nights. Get off at Alamanni-Stazione for Santa Maria Novella.
Taxi from FLR
The Comune fixed fare to anywhere in the historic centre, set by the city — no meter watching. Small supplements apply at night (about €3.40), on Sundays and holidays, and per suitcase (€1, maximum five); the tariff card is displayed inside every white taxi. Confirm the fixed airport fare before you set off.
Pre-booked transfer from FLR
A fixed price agreed when you book, with the driver waiting in arrivals holding a name board. Worth it for groups splitting one car, late arrivals and Oltrarno hotels down lanes the tram does not reach; child seats on request.
PisaMover and train from Pisa Airport
The budget-airline gateway. PisaMover costs €6.50 (about 5 minutes, running every few minutes) and the regional train €9.80 (about an hour, every 15 to 30 minutes) — €16.30 all-in. Direct coaches from Pisa Airport to Florence (about 70 to 80 minutes) are the one-seat alternative.
Florence runs on foot: the Duomo to Ponte Vecchio takes ten minutes, and almost everything sits within a 20-minute walk. Rides from FLR:
Default to the tram — cheapest and traffic-free. A taxi suits heavy bags or late arrivals; the tram replaced the old Vola in Bus coach.
For a pre-booked transfer, a Kiwitaxi transfer or Welcome Pickups puts a driver in arrivals at a fixed price. If driving, price the pickup on AutoEurope first; read Safety's ZTL warning. The centre is camera-enforced; hire cars are for Tuscany days, never Florence itself.
In the city
Start at the Duomo. Cathedral entry is free (Monday to Saturday; closed to tourists on Sundays). The ticket buys the 463-step climb between the dome's two shells to the lantern view over the city. It takes the Brunelleschi Pass (€30, also covering the bell tower, Baptistery, museum and crypt over three days); choose the climb slot when booking and reserve days ahead in season at tickets.duomo.firenze.it.
Book the Uffizi ahead: timed entry is €29 at the official tickets.uffizi.it (€25 same-day at the museum). Tickets are nominative and checked against ID. Go for Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, the Leonardo room and Michelangelo's Doni Tondo. The gallery closes Mondays; entry from 16:00 is cheaper (€20 in advance).
See David first. The Accademia opens at 08:15: take the first slot and walk the corridor of Michelangelo's Prisoners before groups arrive. Admission is €20 plus the €4 booking fee through b-ticket, the official seller; closed Mondays too.
Cross Ponte Vecchio into Oltrarno for Santo Spirito's piazza, artisan workshops, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. Browse Florence listings on GetYourGuide for tours bundling Uffizi and Accademia tickets, and compare Klook when stacking activities.
On first Sundays, state museums — Uffizi, Accademia, Bargello, Pitti — are free under Domenica al Museo. The Accademia takes no advance reservations that day: queue early or skip David. End the day at Piazzale Michelangelo as light falls over the dome.
After you land in Florence: Bookable experiences
Where to stay your first nights
Four Seasons Hotel Firenze.
Best for the garden splurge — a Renaissance palazzo, the Michelin-starred Il Palagio and the city's largest private gardenStay at Borgo Pinti 99: 116 rooms split between a Renaissance palazzo and former convent across the city's largest private garden, with Michelin-starred Il Palagio in the grounds. Book for the palazzo-and-garden treatment; it holds 9.8 out of 10 on Expedia.
Hotel Lungarno.
Best for Oltrarno romance — Ferragamo's flagship on the river under the Ponte Vecchio, hung with 400 works of artSleep at Borgo San Jacopo 14, on the Oltrarno bank by Ponte Vecchio: the Ferragamo flagship, hung with more than 400 artworks (including Picasso and Cocteau), with river-view rooms and one-Michelin-star Borgo San Jacopo restaurant downstairs. Book for the river and Santo Spirito evenings; it rates 9.6 out of 10 on Expedia.
Plus Florence - Hostel.
Best for a social budget base — dorms and privates with a pool and rooftop terrace on the station sideBed down at Via Santa Caterina d'Alessandria 15, on the station side: dorms and private rooms in a big, well-run house with pool, rooftop terrace, bar and restaurant. Book it for facilities no centro hotel matches at the price; it rates 8.4 out of 10 on Expedia.
For a first visit, stay inside the old town: location beats luxury in this walkable centre. Choose Oltrarno (Santo Spirito side) for evenings, the station side for early trains and day trips.
Book well ahead for spring and autumn — good rooms go first — and remember the tourist tax is extra.
Where to eat first
Eat the canon first: bistecca alla fiorentina, sold by weight and served rare; lampredotto, Florence's tripe-roll street food; and the cucina povera bread soups pappa al pomodoro and ribollita. Three first stops:
Trattoria Mario, Via Rosina 2r.
Start beside Mercato Centrale at this family trattoria, running since 1953: the menu is handwritten each morning from what the market offered, tables are communal, and the room fills by 13:00. Lunch Monday to Saturday, dinner Thursday and Friday; call ahead or queue.
Da Nerbone, inside the Mercato Centrale.
Eat Florence's defining sandwich at the stall serving it since 1872: a lampredotto roll dipped in its broth, with salsa verde and a chilli kick if you ask. Lunch only at the counter; bollito is the gentler order.
Osteria Santo Spirito, Piazza Santo Spirito 16r.
Finish across the river on Oltrarno's living-room piazza: baked gnocchi with gorgonzola and truffle oil is the famous order, portions are generous (half sizes on request), and terrace tables are the prize. Book for dinner; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Save room for Mercato Centrale itself: provisions downstairs, a food hall upstairs. For cooking classes and market tours, browse Florence listings on GetYourGuide and book ahead in high season.
Day trips and more
Three escapes cover the essentials: Siena's Campo, Pisa's tower and Chianti hills. All start by Santa Maria Novella; book small-group days ahead.
Siena and San Gimignano
For DIY, Autolinee Toscane's Rapida 131R bus (€8.90, about 1 hr 15 min from the bus station beside SMN) reaches Piazza Gramsci, a level walk from the Campo; the train takes about 1 hr 30 min, usually changing at Empoli, and Siena's station sits below the old town, so the bus wins door to door. The coach tour gives free time in both towns, with a Chianti tasting on upgraded options. It rates 4.5 out of 5 from 204 reviews, from about US$55. Check availability →
Pisa
Trains from Santa Maria Novella reach Pisa Centrale in about an hour; the tower climb (€20, timed) is bookable on the official Opera della Primaziale site. The guided version runs six hours, walking the cathedral and Piazza dei Miracoli, with the 294-step tower climb on the ticketed option. It rates 4.5 out of 5 from 2,220 reviews, from US$44. Check availability →
Chianti
Chianti is where the tour beats DIY: wineries sit down lanes no bus serves, and nobody should drive after tasting all afternoon. Walkabout's small-group safari runs two Chianti Classico estates — cellar tours, guided tastings and a winery lunch of handmade pasta — nine hours full-day, six in the morning. It rates 4.8 out of 5 from 578 reviews, from about US$109. Check availability →
Leave an afternoon for Fiesole: bus 7 from San Marco climbs in about 20 minutes to a Roman theatre and the view back over the city.
When to go and what it costs
Come April–June or September–October for warm days, long evenings and the full terrace scene — reserve ahead.
Come November–February for the quiet version: misty Arno mornings, uncrowded museums and the year's cheapest rooms.
July–August heat sits above 30°C; heatwaves exceed 35°C and Uffizi queues are longest. Take first museum slots, lunch long indoors, and climb the dome before ten or after four.
Fixed costs: tram €2; ten-ride carnet €18.20; Uffizi €29 booked ahead; Accademia €24 with booking fee; Brunelleschi Pass €30. Variables are the room and day tours; spring and autumn move the room most.
The fixed €28 taxi beats the tram on price only once three or more split it, never on simplicity.
What to pack
Tap items to check them off — your list is saved on this device.
Pack for cobbles, museum queues and serious eating. Full list:
- Comfortable walking shoes Shop walking shoes on Amazon →
- Sunscreen Shop sunscreen on Amazon →
- Reusable water bottle Shop water bottle on Amazon →
- Phone charger and power bank Shop power bank on Amazon →
- Daypack Shop daypack on Amazon →
- Sunglasses Shop sunglasses on Amazon →
- Light rain jacket Shop rain jacket on Amazon →
Add a Type C/F/L adapter for non-European plugs, cover shoulders and knees for churches, and leave case room for a bottle of Chianti Classico.
Language, visa and entry
✓ Visa-free entry
Italian runs Florence. Hotel and station staff mostly work in English; markets, bus drivers and neighbourhood osterie run on Italian. Greet before asking.
Six phrases do most of the work:
Sort entry paperwork before booking anything non-refundable. Italy is in Schengen: most visitors — Americans, Canadians, Britons and many others — enter visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180; passports should be valid for at least three months beyond the day you leave the Schengen area. The Entry/Exit System now records arrivals electronically.
Ignore sites selling ETIAS for this trip: it is not in operation, so no authorisation exists to buy. At launch, use the official EU site only.
Pay the tourist tax at the property see Quick facts: a Comune overnight charge, separate from national charges.
Safety and health
Watch for pickpockets around the station and the big queues
Santa Maria Novella, museum lines and crowded trams are the working patch. Keep your bag zipped and worn in front, your phone off café table edges, and ignore distractions at ticket machines.
Do not drive into the ZTL
The historic centre is a limited-traffic zone (zona a traffico limitato) whose cameras fine automatically — €80 to €335 per entry, reaching you months later through the rental company, which adds its own fee. It runs Monday to Friday 07:30 to 20:00 and Saturday 07:30 to 16:00, plus summer nights (April to early October, Thursday to Saturday 23:00 to 03:00). If your hotel is inside, give them your plate on arrival — hotels can register guests — or park at Villa Costanza and tram in.
Respect the summer heat and the climbs
July and August afternoons pass 30°C: fontanelle are your water, churches your shade, and the dome climb — 463 steps, no lift, tight stairs — is a morning job, unsuitable for anyone with vertigo or claustrophobia. Winter brings cold snaps and slippery wet stone; watch your footing on bridges.
Use ordinary Italian street sense, and dial 112
Florence is one of Italy's safer big-visitor cities. Still: keep to lit, busy streets late near the station, watch your drink in Santa Croce bars, and remember 112 reaches police, ambulance and fire from any phone.
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EuropeFrequently asked questions
The arrival, the David and the tax, in short.
Facts checked October 2026.
Take the T2 tram outside arrivals to Alamanni-Stazione, beside Santa Maria Novella: about 20 minutes, €2 flat, valid 90 minutes across trams/buses. Trams run about 05:00–00:30, later Friday/Saturday nights. A white taxi from rank costs a Comune-fixed €28 to the historic centre, plus small night, Sunday and luggage supplements.
The Comune bands it by property class, per person per night: five-star €8; four-star €7; three-star €6; two-star €4.50; one-star €3.50 (hotels); B&Bs, holiday apartments and rented rooms €6; hostels €4. Maximum seven consecutive nights; children under 12 exempt. Pay the property, usually at check-out.
Yes. Both use timed entry; good slots go days ahead in season. Uffizi: €29 in advance at official tickets.uffizi.it (€25 same-day at museum), with nominative tickets checked against ID. Accademia: €20 plus €4 booking fee through b-ticket, official seller. Both close Mondays. First Sundays bring free entry to both under Domenica al Museo, but no reservations are taken—expect queues.
No. The historic centre is a ZTL (zona a traffico limitato); cameras fine automatically—€80–€335 per entry, sent months later, plus rental company's fee. Hours: Monday–Friday 07:30–20:00, Saturday 07:30–16:00, plus summer nights from April to early October. If your hotel is inside, give your plate on arrival for registration; otherwise park outside—Villa Costanza park-and-ride plus tram is standard. Rent a car only for countryside days.
Take the PisaMover shuttle to Pisa Centrale (about 5 minutes, €6.50), then Trenitalia regional train to Firenze Santa Maria Novella (about 1 hour, €9.80, every 15–30 minutes). Allow about 1.5–2 hours door to door. Direct coaches also run from Pisa Airport to Florence in about 70–80 minutes for one seat.
April–June and September–October: warm days, long evenings and the full terrace scene. July and August regularly pass 30°C, with the longest museum queues of the year. November–February is quiet, cold and cheaper; the first Sunday of any month brings free state museums—and the crowds to match.
Prices are typical 2026 rates in euros (EUR). Fares, museum booking rules and tax bands verified October 2026.
Florence, in your pocket
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Sources and last verified
Tram fares against 2026 Autolinee Toscane and GEST fare reporting (Florence Daily News on the rise in force from 1 August 2026: €2 single, 90 minutes, €3 on board, carnet €18.20); T2 route, stop and hours against current line guides. Taxi fixed fare €28 against the Comune tariff as reported in October 2026 (older €22 to €25 tariffs still circulate — see the pack). Tourist tax bands against the Comune schedule in force from 1 February 2025, as reported by Italy Magazine's tax guide and Houfy, with the €8 band, seven-night cap and under-12 exemption confirmed by the Four Seasons' own Expedia fee line. Museum prices against the official channels (tickets.uffizi.it, b-ticket, tickets.duomo.firenze.it); Domenica al Museo against Ministry of Culture reporting for October 2026. ZTL hours and fines against Comune reporting; Siena bus and Pisa fares against route reporting. GetYourGuide products opened and read: the Siena and San Gimignano day trip, the half-day Pisa tour, the Tuscany wine safari; hub florence-l32 confirmed from the opened pages. Hotels against their own sites and Expedia (Four Seasons opened on Expedia; Lungarno and Plus Florence Expedia-listed — URL items in the pack). Photo credits: see the pack. Last verified October 2026.
Affiliate disclosure: hotel names, transfers, experiences, and products linked in this guide may earn After You Land a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and times were checked in Oct 2026 and change often — confirm before you book.