Are you flying into either Florence or Pisa? If so you may be wondering how to get into town from the airport. Both airports are small and efficient and both have inexpensive options to get you into the heart of the city.
FROM FLORENCE AIRPORT
Florence Peretola airport, which is also known as Amerigo Vespucci airport, is just 4 km outside the city center city and Santa Maria Novella train station.
There are 2 main ways to get to and from the airport.
BY TAXI
The taxi ride from the airport to the city center takes 15 minutes. It will cost you a flat fee of 22 euros with an additional euro per extra suitcase. Normally if there are only 2 or 3 of us I haven’t been charged for surplice luggage.
If you don’t know your way around Florence a taxi is by far your easiest option door to door, especially if you have heavy luggage or are tired from you flight. Remember Florence has cobble-stoned streets so dragging suitcases around can be difficult and also can be tough on your suitcase wheels.
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BY TRAM
As of February 2019 Florence now has a tram service that takes you from the airport to Santa Maria Novella station. The tram ride takes 15 minutes and costs 1.50 euros.
The tram is easy to find. As you exit the airport terminal turn left and follow the signs to the T1 Tram. There are ticket machines at the tram stop. You may have to buy an additional ticket for oversized luggage.
When you board the tram you need to validate your ticket in the yellow machine beside the door. Should guards/conductors/police board your tram and check tickets there is a huge fine for a non-validated ticket.
FROM PISA AIRPORT
The other airport in Tuscany is Pisa’s Galileo airport. Often you can find fantastic deal flying into Pisa instead of Florence, so it pays to check it out when booking your flights.
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There are two main ways to get from Pisa airport into Florence.
BY TRAIN
To take the train from Galileo Airport you will first take the Pisa Mover Shuttle from the airport into the Pisa Centrale train station. From there you take a train directly into Florence’s Santa Maria Novella train station.
Trains run on average 3 times per hour and cost less than 10 euros. The trip runs between an hour and an hour and 20 minutes.
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BY BUS
There are also charter companies that offer bus service from Galileo Airport to Florence Santa Maria Novella train station. This can be a great option as your luggage gets stored below, so you don’t have to deal with it, and you have a very comfortable and pretty drive through Tuscany and into Florence. You can see the timetable and website here. You should book in advance as the bus does fill up quickly. The cost is around 14 euros. The ride takes approximately an hour.
From the arrivals terminal exit and turn left. The bus stops are in the corner of parking lot number 3. You can purchase tickets from the bus driver or from the ticket machines both inside and outside the airport.
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