Florence is one of those cities where the transport network matters less than the map suggests. If you stay in or beside the historic centre, most museum-to-museum journeys are faster and more enjoyable on foot. Public transport earns its keep for the airport, outlying hotels, mobility needs, steep viewpoints and journeys beyond the pedestrian core.
Walking: the default for the historic centre
The Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella all sit within a compact central area. Narrow streets, pedestrian zones and traffic restrictions mean a bus or taxi often cannot give you a meaningful shortcut between nearby central sights. Comfortable shoes matter more than a day pass for many visitors.
The current Florence urban ticket
Autolinee Toscane increased the standard Urbano capoluogo ticket to €2.00 from 1 August 2026. It is valid for 90 minutes from validation/activation and covers Florence urban buses and trams. The same urban ticket can also be used on regional trains between listed Florence-area stations including Firenze SMN, Campo Marte, Rifredi and Statuto, which can occasionally be useful if your accommodation is near a rail stop.
You can buy paper or digital tickets, use the at-bus app, and on supported services pay contactlessly on board. Whatever format you use, follow the activation/validation rules for that ticket; a ticket sitting unused in an app or pocket is not the same as a valid journey.
Tram: useful for the airport and the north-west corridor
Line T2 connects Peretola Aeroporto with the centre and now continues to Piazza San Marco. The tram operator describes the full airport-to-San-Marco route as about 35 minutes; the airport-to-central area around Santa Maria Novella is shorter, with the airport operator advertising roughly 20 minutes to the centre. The airport stop is only a short walk from the terminal.
For most sightseeing inside the old centre you will not keep hopping on and off the tram. Think of T2 primarily as an arrival/departure tool and as useful transport for places along its corridor.
Buses: when they genuinely help
The bus network is most useful when the destination is beyond the easy central walking grid. It can save effort for hillside and outer-neighbourhood journeys and for accommodation outside the centre. Routes and temporary diversions can change, especially around works or events, so use the official at-bus journey information on the day rather than relying on an old blog's route number forever.
Taxis: best for luggage, late arrivals and mobility
Florence taxis are normally taken from ranks, booked by phone/app, or called by a hotel rather than hailed casually in the street. They are useful when you have luggage, when your accommodation is awkward by public transport, or when reduced mobility turns a short cobbled walk into a much bigger task. For two central attractions a few streets apart, walking will usually be simpler.
Accessibility changes the answer
“Florence is walkable” is only useful advice if walking is comfortable for you. Cobbles, uneven paving and long museum days add up. The tram offers step-free modern transport on its corridor, urban buses provide broader coverage, and taxis can bridge the final section to accommodation or attractions. If accessibility is a major factor, plan routes around the exact entrance you need rather than the attraction's pin on a map.
Bikes and scooters
Florence is relatively flat around the centre, but dense pedestrian traffic makes the busiest tourist streets poor places to learn a new bike or scooter system. Cycling becomes more attractive outside the most crowded core and along river routes. A Vespa is not a substitute for understanding the ZTL and parking rules; see our Vespa guide if the experience itself is what you want.
Cars and the ZTL
A rental car is usually unnecessary for a Florence city stay. The historic centre's restricted traffic zone is camera-controlled, and parking can be more trouble than the car is worth. If you need a car for Chianti or rural Tuscany, arrange pickup for the day you leave the city. If a hotel inside a restricted zone tells you to drive to them, follow their instructions and ask exactly how your number plate is handled.
Quick decision guide
| Journey | Usually simplest |
|---|---|
| Duomo → Uffizi → Ponte Vecchio | Walk |
| Florence Airport → centre | T2 tram |
| Central hotel → central museum | Walk; taxi if mobility/luggage warrants it |
| Outer hotel → historic centre | Bus/tram depending on corridor |
| Florence → rural Tuscany | Train/bus where practical, or hire a car for that leg |