From the airport to the city centre

Which transfer is right for you depends on which airport you land at. Florence airport sits close to the city and is minutes away by tram, while the larger Pisa airport requires a change of transport and considerably more time. Both routes are covered below with journey times, tickets and costs. For how the various ways of getting to Florence fit together, see the guide Getting to Florence.

By T2 tram from Florence airport

Amerigo Vespucci airport (Peretola, airport code FLR) lies just a few kilometres west of the historic centre. The modern T2 tram line connects it directly to the centre; the terminus at the airport is called Aeroporto and is about a two-minute walk from arrivals and departures. According to the operator, you reach the centre in around 20 minutes.

The central station Santa Maria Novella is served by the Alamanni-Stazione stop, which sits right at the station and comes early on the route from the airport. So the ride from the airport to Santa Maria Novella only covers part of the full line. Since 25 January 2025 the T2 has continued on to Piazza San Marco; the full end-to-end journey from the airport to San Marco takes around 35 minutes.

From there you usually need nothing else to get around the centre, the historic core is largely walkable. For how to get around within the city, see the guide Getting around Florence.

T2 operating hours and frequency

The T2 runs from early morning to late at night, covering almost every flight time:

• First tram from the airport towards the centre at 5:00, last at 23:58 (Fridays and Saturdays until 1:15).
• From Piazza San Marco towards the airport the first tram runs at 5:10, the last at 0:20 (Fridays and Saturdays until 1:50).
• Frequency during peak hours (Mon-Fri 6:30-20:30) is about every 4.5 minutes, dropping to every 5 to 7 minutes during school and summer holidays.
• At night after 23:30 the interval stretches to 18 to 20 minutes.

For very early departures before 5:00 no tram is running yet, a taxi is the only option. If your flight leaves in the early morning, plan your transfer around a taxi rather than the first tram.

Taxi from Florence airport

A fixed fare (tariffa fissa) applies for a taxi from Florence airport to the city centre, in the range of about €25 to €28; the exact amount varies by source. Surcharges can apply on top, for example for luggage or extra passengers (around €1.20 per item), as well as a night surcharge between 22:00 and 6:00. The journey takes around 20 minutes.

The tram is clearly the cheaper option on paper: €1.70 per person against roughly €25 to €28 flat per vehicle. A taxi is worth it mainly outside tram operating hours, with a lot of luggage, or when travelling in a group large enough to split the flat fare.

From Pisa airport via Pisamover and train

There is no direct train from Pisa Galileo Galilei airport (PSA) to Florence. A two-step change is required:

• Pisamover, the fully automated shuttle connects the airport with Pisa Centrale station in about five minutes (with one intermediate stop at the park-and-ride). It arrives at platform 14 of Pisa Centrale.
• Regional train, from Pisa Centrale a regional train covers the roughly 69 kilometres to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, with the fastest connections taking about 50 to 60 minutes, running roughly every 15 to 30 minutes during the day.

The Pisamover runs 365 days a year from 6:00 to midnight (extended to 1:00 from June to September), about every five to eight minutes at peak times. Altogether, allow a realistic 90 minutes door to door for the journey from Pisa airport to Florence - Pisamover, connection and waiting time at the station, plus the regional train.

Tickets and prices

On the Florence side, the standard local transport ticket from Autolinee Toscane applies:

• Single ticket (Urbano capoluogo) for tram and city bus €1.70, valid for 90 minutes from validation, for buses and both tram lines.
• 10-journey carnet €15.50, buying on board from the driver €3.00, SMS ticket €2.00.
• Don't forget to validate, paper or machine tickets must be validated before or at the start of the journey; the 90-minute window runs from validation. Contactless payment on board (tap and go) validates automatically.

On the Pisa side you can buy the Pisamover and train separately or as a combined ticket: the Pisamover single ticket costs €6.00 according to the official fare page (some older sources quote €6.50) and is valid for 30 days; the regional ticket Pisa-Florence costs around €9 to €10. Trenitalia offers a combined ticket that includes the Pisamover, saving a separate purchase. Italian regional tickets must be validated before boarding unless it is a digital ticket tied to a specific train, when in doubt, validate on the platform before departure.

On fines, travelling without a valid or validated ticket, if checked, means paying an administrative fine on top of the fare. Paying immediately or promptly gets you the minimum amount; the range runs roughly from €30 to €240 depending on when you pay.