Parking in Florence: where to park in the center and cheapest areas

If you want to visit Florence by car, finding a parking space can be a challenge. Actually it is a challenge also for the Florentines, because there are not many parking spaces in the city! I hope this post will help you find a spot where to park in Florence, Italy, whether you are staying for a few days or want to visit the city for a day trip.

I am keeping this post updated as much as I can, but please note that the fares of parking can change at any time! So always double check the fare when you’re there, before leaving your car.

• Here you can find my tips for renting a car in Florence

What is the ZTL area

The ZTL (zona a traffico limitato) is the traffic limited zone, which matches the historic center of Florence, except for a small strip around the Santa Maria Novella train station. Only the cars of the residents, who have a special permit, can drive in this area.

There are also short time frames when everyone can enter in the ZTL area, meant for deliveries and special cases. Sometimes, during the low season, the ZTL area is open at night and on weekends.

There are cameras at the entrances to the ZTL and if you enter without the permit you will be fined. The fine ranges from 80 to 335 euros. So be very careful not to enter the ZTL because it could cost you dearly.

What if my hotel is in the ZTL area?

If your hotel is located within the ZTL and you need to reach it by car, don’t worry! Just provide your car license plate number to your hotel, who will notify the local police, and you will receive a temporary permit to enter. The hotel will provide you with all the information and instructions necessary to obtain the permit to enter the ZTL.

Where to park in Florence

If you are planning to visit Florence for a daytrip by car, you have several options where to park for the whole day. The parkings inside the historic center or close to it are of course the most expensive.

But there are plenty of other cheaper options outside the centre. The city is small, so even if you park on the outskirts you can reach the historic center in a few minutes by public transport.

Free parking in Florence

Unfortunately there are no free parking spaces in Florence, certainly not in the center or nearby.

The only chance to park for free is street parking in the neighborhoods bordering the ZTL. But only on weekends and public holidays, and only in the stalls with the blue lines (the ones with the white lines are for residents). You will have to compete with locals, who are always desperate for a parking place.

• For more information about that, see the “street parking in Florence” paragraph below.

The Piazzale Michelangelo car park was once free, but it has been paid for a few years now.

Public parking outside the ZTL area

There are many public car parking located just outside the ZTL. Leaving the car there, you can reach the historic center with a few minutes’ walk. Prices vary from 1 to 3 euros per hour, but there are often special rates for the whole day. Here are the ones I recommend:

Porta al Prato

Located near the Santa Maria Novella train station, it costs 1 euro the first hour and 2 euro the following hours. Parking for the whole costs 20 euros.

Santa Maria Novella train station

It is a very convenient car park super close to the historic center, but also quite expensive: 3 euros per hour. It’s okay for quick stops, but not for leaving the car there all day.

Fortezza Fiera

This very large parking lot is close to the SMN station and costs 1.60 euros per hour. There is also a daily rate of 20 euros. It is very convenient and cheap, but if there is an event at the Fortezza da Basso (the local exhibition center), there is a high chance that it will be fully booked.

Parterre Piazza della Libertà

Parterre parking is located along the main avenues of the city ( in piazza della Libertà), about 15 minutes walk from the historic center, or 5 minutes by bus. It costs 2 euros per hour, but has very affordable daily rates (10 euros on the first day, 15 on the second).

Piazza Beccaria

Small underground parking that costs 1.70 euros per hour. It is located a few steps from the Sant’Ambrogio market and about a 15-minute walk from the Duomo.

Piazza Alberti

This is a small, very cheap car park (1.60 euros per hour) which is about 10 minutes by bus from the historic center. I recommend it especially if you have to park for the night in Florence, because the rate for an entire night is only 1 euro.

Viale Europa (the cheapest parking in Florence)

This is the cheapest public parking in Florence, it costs only 2 euros for the whole daytime and 1 euro for the night. But it is also the farthest from the historic center: you can still reach it by bus in less than 20 minutes. It is located very close to the Firenze Sud exit of the A1 motorway.

• There are also two other very central public car parks, but I don’t recommend them because they are very expensive and located within the ZTL: the one the Central Market and the one of the Sant’Ambrogio Market.

Street parking in Florence

You can also try to park along the streets in the neighborhoods near the ZTL, but it will be a challenge because street parking spots are few and are mostly used by locals.

To park along the street you will have to park inside the blue lines (the white ones are for residents), pay the fare at the parking meter and display the receipt on the dashboard, where it is clearly visible.

Street parking is only charged from 8 am to 8 pm from Monday to Saturday. The night, on Sundays and festivities are free.

Street parking close to the center:

The closest street parking to the historic center are:

• Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia
• Lungarno Cellini
• Lungarno Ferrucci
• Lungarno del Tempio
• Viale dei Colli (the one that take up to piazzale Michelangelo).
• Via dei Bastioni
• Viale Petrarca
• Viali della circonvallazione (the large boulevards surrounding the center): Viale Gramsci, Viale Matteotti, Viale Lavagnini, Viale Fratelli Rosselli.

Parking at Piazzale Michelangelo

There are 78 paid parking places at piazzale Michelangelo (the beautiful terrace with a view on the city). Their price is 1 euro for the first hour, then 2 euro for the next hours.

The car park at piazzale Michelangelo used to be free but hasn’t been for several years now.

Parking at Piazzale Michelangelo is a good option only if you’re staying there just for a few minutes to enjoy the view, take some pictures and then leave.

Private garages inside the ZTL area and the historic center

If you want to spend a little more, but have the convenience of parking your car in the historic center, inside the ZTL and close to your hotel, the solution is a private garage. There are many of them in the historic center, and they have daily rates ranging from 25 to 35 euros per day. They are also supervised and monitored, ensuring maximum safety for your car. In order to enter the ZTL you will have to communicate the license plate of your car to the parking lot, so you will not be fined.

To find the most convenient private garage, I suggest you ask your hotel for advice: they certainly know which garage is closest and most convenient.

Where to park outside of Florence

The cheapest way to visit the city on a daytrip is to park your car outside Florence. The city is very small, so even by parking outside the city you can still reach the historic center by public transport in no time. There is a single ticket for trams and buses, which costs 1.50 euros and lasts 90 minutes. You can find more detailed information about public transport in my article about buses and trams in Florence.

Scandicci Villa Costanza

At the Scandicci exit of the A1 highway (and Fi-Pi-Li freeway) there is a large parking area, from which the T1 line of the tram departs, connecting the car park with the Santa Maria Novella station in 20 minutes. The daily rate of the Villa Costanza parking is 7 euros per hour.

Viale Guidoni T2

This parking is located in Viale Guidoni, along the T2 tramway line, which allows you to reach the SMN train station and the historic center in 20 minutes. It is an excellent solution for those who want to visit Florence for just one day, it costs 1 euro per hour for the first ten hours, but afterwards the price rises to 4 euros per hour. It is very close to the Florence Peretola airport.

Parking at the Florence airport

The Florence Peretola airport is very close to the historic center (less than 10 km away!) and is well connected with the T2 tram line. You can also decide to leave your car in one of the airport car parks for the day, and reach the center by tram in less than 20 minutes.

Around the airport there are many private car parks that offer affordable daily rates.

Commonly asked questions about parking in Florence

These are the questions I am asked most often on this topic. If you have any other questions about where to park in Florence leave me a comment!

Is there any free parking in Florence?

No, unfortunately there is no free parking in Florence, unless you are a resident.

Is parking in Florence easy?

No, I actually would say that parking in Florence is pretty hard. The city is small, and most Florentines do not own a house with garage, so there is a lot of competition for the few existing parking lots. Finding a parking place often means wasting dozens of minutes wandering the streets in search of a free spot.

In addition, the roads are often very narrow and busy, and even driving can be hard for those who are not used to it.

Is there any public parking in Florence?

Yes, there are many public car parks in Florence, even if they are not nearly enough. There are both large paid parking lots and street parking spaces to be paid for with the parking meter.

Are cars allowed in Florence?

Yes, but not everywhere. In traffic limited zone (ZTL) only residents are allowed, with exception of guests of hotels and customers of private garages. The ZTL corresponds to the historic center of Florence.

How to avoid ZTL?

The entrances to ZTL areas are indicated by a sign with a red circle on a white background, and have a traffic light next to them. When the traffic light is green it means that you can freely access the ZTL (sometimes during the night). But if you pass the red light, expect a fine! Pay attention to the GPS directions because it could send you straight into the ZTL.

The best way to avoid the ZTL in Florence is to park away from the historic center.

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That’s it, I hope this post was useful for you to find a place where to park in Florence, Italy, while visiting the city.

Please note: the prices I have indicated can change at any time!

You might be interested also into:

• Car rental in Florence, Italy
• What to see on a road trip between Florence and Rome
• My guide to accommodation in Florence
• My tips for visiting Florence