Move around responsibly

Here you’ll find sustainable ways to get around town that help ease the pressure on a destination like Florence that welcomes millions of visitors every year, along with practical tips for dodging traffic, steering clear of restricted zones, and avoiding fines!

The Historic Center? On foot!

The Historic Center?
On Foot!

The entire UNESCO World Heritage site fits into just over 5 square kilometers! Florence’s historic center is compact, mostly flat, and easy to explore on foot, with its most famous landmarks clustered close together.

Locals have a saying for pretty much any distance in town: “Sure, it’s just a 10-minute walk!”

Florence by bike: map and bike-sharing

Practical, sustainable, and enjoyable for all kinds of reasons: cycling lets you glide in and out of the historic center, get to know the whole city, feel like a pro along the Arno and its lungarni, and experience a freedom all its own. Florence has over 120 km of bike lanes!

Need a bike? Grab one through the bike-sharing service and get around with ease, you only pay for what you ride! Just remember to follow the rules of the road, watch out for pedestrians, and park only in designated spots so you don’t block the way.

Buses and trams: Tap and Go

Coming from Peretola Airport, Santa Maria Novella station, or the bus terminal: €2 covers you for 90 minutes, no stress involved! These days all you need is a contactless credit card to get anywhere, around the city and much of its surroundings, thanks to the “Tip Tap” system available on every bus and tram, which lets you pay on board with a simple tap (note: this only allows one ticket per passenger).

Paper tickets, meanwhile, are sold at tobacconists, newsstands, and ticket machines; just remember the golden rule: VALIDATE. As soon as you board your first bus or tram, stamp your ticket in the machine to validate it and avoid a hefty fine. Long live public transport!

Florence without barriers

For visitors with reduced mobility, here’s everything you need to know. The Florence Welcome Center in Piazza della Stazione 5 offers a free wheelchair rental service, just leave a deposit and book ahead (tel. +39 055 212245; touristinfo@comune.fi.it).

Every bus and tram is fully accessible, with dedicated spaces on board, of course!
We won’t pretend the historic center is the easiest place to get around in a wheelchair, which is exactly why we created KIMAP, a map with 4 accessible routes and much more.

Driving to Florence, if you really must!

If you need to reach Florence by car, here’s the essential advice for staying out of traffic and avoiding fines:

Much of the historic center is a Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL). If you see a sign flashing “ZTL chiusa” (ZTL closed) in red, entry is strictly forbidden — with a few exceptions for hotels and private parking within the zone, which only authorized staff can point you to.

Park as soon as you can get around by other means. Get around by other means.

Florence has plenty of park-and-ride facilities (“scambiatori”), some of them free, conveniently linked to the city center by tram.

All around Florence

Why stop at Florence when there’s so much to see just outside it? An extraordinary wealth of nature, culture, and food and wine awaits, most of it within about 30 minutes by bus, train, or car, depending on where you’re headed. Curious how to reach the 17 villages surrounding Florence? Just click on their names below for all the details you need.