Bus and tram in Florence: how to use public transport

Using public transport in Florence can be complicated for someone who is not local. To be honest, sometimes it’s complicated even for us Florentines. I use public transport daily because I don’t own a car, and by now I know all the tricks and secrets of Florence’s buses and trams.

I have put together all my best tips for using public transport in Florence, namely buses and trams, so that you can easily move around the city without making any mistakes.

My name is Claudia, I am a licensed tour guide in Florence, with over 10 years of experience. Learn more about me and my private tours in Florence.

What public transport is there in Florence?

In Florence there are two types of public transport: bus and tram (tramvia as the locals call it). The tramway is the newest one, and is still being expanded. To travel on trams and buses the ticket is the same.

To move around you can also use shared e-bikes and e-scooters. Learn more about that reading my blog post about how to get around Florence.

Trams in Florence, Italy

There are currently two active tram lines:

• T1 Leonardo – connects the suburban neighborhood of Scandicci (south) and Careggi (north, where the hospital and the university area are located), passing through the Santa Maria Novella station.
• T2 Vespucci -this line connects Florence Peretola airport with the Fortezza da Basso (very close to the Santa Maria Novella station and the historic centre).

A third line, the T3, is under construction. It will connect the city center with the suburban neighborhoods south-east of Florence, Gavinana and Bagno a Ripoli.

If you are in Florence as a traveler and are staying in the historic center, you probably won’t need to use the tram unless you need to get to the airport. But many budget accommodations are far from the center, and you will have to use public transport to get there.

The tram is a very efficient transportation system, trams run every day from 5 am to 12.30 am, approximately every 5 minutes.

At rush hour it can be very crowded, always be careful of pickpockets, especially at the Strozzi-Fallaci stop.

Buses in Florence

There are over 30 bus lines, which connect the historic center to the outlying neighborhoods. Unfortunately they are often late, crowded and definitely not enough to meet the needs of locals and tourists. Especially in summer, when the bus frequency is reduced.

“Regular” buses cannot ride through the historic center because they are too big for the narrow alleys of Florence. But many lines pass very close to it, making stops in Piazza San Marco (near the Accademia Gallery Museum), via de’ Pucci (near the cathedral) or in via de’ Benci (near the Uffizi Gallery and the church of Santa Croce).

By the way, if you are planning to visit these places, also read my tips for visiting the Uffizi gallery and the ones about how to visit the Accademia Gallery of Florence.

There are also three lines of electric mini-buses that ride through the historic center and the Oltrarno district: they are lines C1, C2 and C3. The “regular” buses, on the other hand, have lines named with numbers only, no letters.

How bus and tram tickets work in Florence

To travel on buses and trams you need a ticket, which is the same for both. The ticket costs 1.70 euros and lasts an hour and a half. For 90 minutes you can ride on all the buses and trams you want, changing lines and vehicles. Unfortunately there are no daily tickets, only weekly or monthly passes.

Remember to validate your ticket as soon as you get on board: inspectors are very strict, even with tourists, and never make exceptions.

Where to buy tickets for bus and tram

You can buy traditional paper tickets in tobacconists (you can recognize them by the white T-shaped sign on a blue background). You can buy both single tickets and a booklet of 10 tickets at a slightly lower price.

Buying bus tickets with credit cards

You can also buy the ticket online, using the TabNet app or the “at bus” app. Unfortunately both apps work very poorly, and are only in Italian, I really don’t recommend them.

A very simple and effective way to pay for your ticket is with a contactless credit card. Since a few months there are credit card readers on all buses and trams. Just tap your card or cell phone and wait for the okay signal. To promote this new payment method, the ticket purchased with a credit card is discounted to 1.50 euros.

Remember that with a credit card you can only buy one ticket at a time. It’s not possible to make multiple purchases. If you are traveling with your family or friends, you will need to have one credit card for each person.

Public transport to Florence Airport

To go from the airport to the city center and vice versa, the fastest and cheapest method is to use the T2 – Vespucci tram line. With 1.70 euros and a journey of about 20 minutes the problem is solved. The T2 – Vespucci line starts at Fortezza da Basso (very close to Santa Maria Novella station) and ends right at Florence Peretola Amerigo Vespucci airport.

Hop-on hop-off bus

There are touristic hop-on hop-off buses in Florence, but they are private buses, different from those of public transport, and therefore have a different ticket. I honestly don’t recommend using those double-decked hop-on hop-off buses, because being very large they cannot pass through the narrow streets of the historic centre. They pass around the historic center and then reach Piazzale Michelangelo… But most of the interesting places to see are not along their route.

Tips for riding safely on public transport in Florence

Always be careful of pickpockets on public transport. They are very clever and target tourists (but not only them, I was also robbed on the bus).

The Strozzi-Fallaci tram stop along the T1 line is always very busy, and has the bad reputation of being the one with the highest risk of theft. Be extra careful especially at night.

Check at the stops if there are notices of strikes (sciopero in Italian). Unfortunately they are very frequent, but rides are guaranteed for some time slots (from 7 to 9 in the morning, and from 5 to 7 in the afternoon).

Remember to stamp your ticket as soon as you board (or purchase it with your contactless credit card). Inspectors can board at any time and check the time of purchase or stamping. And they are always very strict, even with tourists. If you get caught without a valid ticket the fine is 50 euros, but only if you pay it within a week. If you wait for it to arrive at your home by mail, it will be increased to 115 euros.