Florence public transport: tickets, passes and apps

Florence city tickets are sold by Ataf, now part of the regional operator Autolinee Toscane. Fares below are 2026 estimates; confirm current prices at a ticket machine or the operator's site before you travel.

Tickets are bought before boarding from machines at major stops, tabacchi shops, some bars and newsstands, or in the app. Paper tickets must be stamped in the machine on the bus or tram.

The simplest route is a ticket machine at a tram stop or a main bus stop, which takes coins, notes and cards. Tabacchi shops (look for the black-and-white T sign) sell the same tickets and are everywhere in the centre. Newsstands and some bars also sell them.

The official app from Autolinee Toscane lets you buy and activate a ticket on your phone; activate it just before boarding, not in advance. Contactless bank cards and phones are being rolled out on some readers, but coverage is uneven, so carry a paper ticket or the app as backup.

On buses you generally cannot buy a ticket from the driver. Board with a valid ticket and stamp it in the yellow machine.

Florence has a simple urban zone covering the historic centre, the tram lines and most places a visitor goes. Fares rise once you leave the city for Fiesole, Settignano or the surrounding hills, which sit in extra-urban bands priced by distance.

If you are only moving between the Duomo, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Croce and the Oltrarno, you are inside the urban zone and the single ticket covers it. Day-trips by bus to hill towns are usually regional services with their own fares; trains are often easier for places like Fiesole or Pisa.

Florence Peretola (FLR) is small and close to the city. Tram line T2 runs from the airport to Santa Maria Novella station in about 20 minutes, and the standard urban fare applies. Buy a ticket from the machine at the airport stop before boarding.

A taxi from the airport to the centre is a fixed fare, roughly €20–25 (2026 estimate); confirm the current figure with the driver or at the rank. Pisa (PSA) is the low-cost alternative airport, with trains and buses to Florence taking about 1 hour to 1 hour 30.

Central Florence is compact and walkable; most visitors use buses or the tram only for the station, the airport or a specific sight outside the core. That is why a single ticket often beats a pass.

Validate paper tickets every time. Inspectors do fine passengers without a stamped ticket, and the fine is far more than the fare. Keep your ticket until you leave the vehicle.

The tram is the most reliable option for the airport and for the western part of the city. Buses in the centre can be slow in traffic and crowded at peak times. Watch for pickpockets on busy routes and at Santa Maria Novella.