Florence Hotels

A city bus runs every half-hour from the main train station to Amerigo Vespucci airport. There's a train service between the main station and Galileo Galilei airport. Buses service the city centre and Fiesole in the hills northeast of town. Traffic is restricted in the city centre, so it's best to park a little out of town and walk around - parking in the more central areas is very expensive.

Florence is an important railway hub, and from the city's main train station, Stazione di Santa Maria Novella, you can get direct trains heading in most directions. The train is the most convenient option for reaching Florence from other Italian cities or abroad. Flying into Florence for most people actually means flying into Pisa's Galileo Galilei airport, 80 minutes away by direct train. Pisa is an important central Italian hub and flights arrive from most main European centres. Eurolines, in conjunction with local bus companies across Europe, is the main international carrier. Buses run several times a week from London, Paris, Barcelona and other European centres.

A handful of European and domestic flights serve Florence's smaller Amerigo Vespucci airport. To broaden your options, you could also fly into Bologna. For most intercontinental air travel you will have to change flights at least once, either in Rome or Milan or at another major European hub.

Buses leave from a variety of terminals scattered about the main train station, Stazione di Santa Maria Novella. Lazzi is responsible for long-haul bus services to other parts of Italy, mostly on routes south where train services are either nonexistent or painfully slow. Destinations range from the Veneto in the northeast to Sicily in the south.

For travel within Italy, you can get information at your nearest train station or travel agent, or by contacting . You can buy railway tickets (for major destinations on fast trains at least) at the station (often crowded) and from most travel agents. There are automatic machines at the station that accept credit cards and cash.

Bus tickets can be bought at tobacconists or vending machines at major bus stops, and must be validated as you get on the bus. You can get 70min, 24hr and three-day passes or the Carta Agile (10-20 70min trips).

Taxis wait outside Stazione di Santa Maria Novella, or you can get your hotel to phone one.