Most long-haul visitors to Florence arrive at Pisa or Bologna, not Florence's own small airport. This guide covers all three options with journey times and prices for 2026.
Plan my Italy trip →Florence has three possible arrival airports depending on your origin and airline. Understanding which one you're arriving at — and the correct transfer for each — is the single most important pre-trip logistics question for Florence visitors. Most long-haul and transatlantic visitors arrive at Pisa (PSA) or Bologna (BLQ), not at Florence Peretola (FLR) itself. This guide covers all three.
The T2 tram (Tramvia linea 2) runs from the airport terminal directly to Florence Santa Maria Novella (SMN) train station in 22 minutes. Frequency: every 4-5 minutes during peak hours, every 8-10 minutes at quiet times. First departure approximately 5am, last approximately midnight. Ticket: €1.70 standard (buy at the tram stop machine before boarding — contactless payment accepted). The tram stop is directly outside the Arrivals exit, clearly signed. This is the cheapest, most reliable, and generally fastest airport transfer — even against a taxi (€22-30 fixed rate) when you factor in traffic. One limitation: Peretola airport (officially Amerigo Vespucci) handles mostly domestic Italian flights and short-haul European routes. Most intercontinental travelers and many long-haul connections arrive at Pisa or Bologna instead.
Pisa Galileo Galilei airport (PSA) is 80km west of Florence and handles more international long-haul routes than Peretola. Two transfer options: Train (recommended): The Pisa Mover automated people-mover runs from the airport terminal to Pisa Centrale train station (8 min, €2.70). From Pisa Centrale, regional Trenitalia trains to Florence Santa Maria Novella run frequently (every 15-30 minutes during the day, approximately 50 minutes journey, €9.90). Total Pisa airport to Florence center: approximately 65-70 minutes, cost €12.60. Direct bus (Autostradale, Flixbus, etc.): Less frequent, takes similar time (60-80 min), price similar. The train option is more reliable and gives you more timing flexibility.
Peretola airport's small size is partly geographic (the Arno valley in which Florence sits is narrow and hemmed in by hills — long runway approaches are constrained by terrain), partly environmental (flight paths over the historic center are a long-standing concern), and partly political (Florence's identity as a UNESCO heritage city has always involved tension with industrial-scale development). Proposals for a longer runway capable of handling widebody jets have been debated since the 1990s and remain politically unresolved. As a result, travelers from North America, Asia, and the Middle East almost always connect through major European hubs (London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Zurich) to reach Pisa or Florence — or alternatively arrive overland from Rome or Milan by high-speed train, which for many itineraries is faster door-to-door than flying through an intermediate hub.
Bologna Guglielmo Marconi airport (BLQ) serves Florence as a secondary option, primarily for travelers on intercontinental connections. Transfer: the Aerobus (dedicated bus service) runs from the airport to Bologna Centrale train station (30 min, €6). From Bologna Centrale, Frecciarossa high-speed trains run to Florence Santa Maria Novella approximately every 30 minutes (36 minutes journey, €22-40 depending on service and booking). Total Bologna airport to Florence: approximately 75-90 minutes, cost €28-46. Alternative: Flixbus or BlaBlaCar from Bologna to Florence (1.5-2h by road, cheaper but less reliable for connection timing). If you have an early-morning flight from Bologna, staying a night in Bologna makes sense — it's one of Italy's most underrated cities for food (birthplace of bolognese sauce, tortellini, and mortadella).
Not for most visitors. The official taxi fixed rate from Peretola airport to the historic center is €22 (day rate) or €25.30 (night rate, 10pm-6am). The T2 tram costs €1.70. For a solo traveler or couple: the taxi premium is hard to justify for a 22-minute tram journey that drops you at SMN station with the same result. For a family of 4 with multiple large suitcases: the taxi (€22 total, split four ways = €5.50 each) becomes more attractive vs the tram (€1.70 each but managing large luggage on a tram is less comfortable). The taxi is always the better choice for very late night arrivals (after midnight when tram frequency drops) or for travelers who struggle with public transport navigation on arrival with heavy luggage.
Not direct — but the connection is simple. From Florence SMN: take any Trenitalia regional train toward Pisa Centrale (approximately every 30 minutes, 50 min journey, €9.90). At Pisa Centrale, take the Pisa Mover automated people-mover to the airport terminal (8 min, €2.70). Total: approximately 65 minutes. For departing flights from Pisa, allow 2.5 hours before your flight time from Florence center (65 min transfer + check-in time). Buy the Florence-Pisa Centrale train ticket in advance on trenitalia.com or at the station machines — no seat reservation needed on regional trains.
Train, without contest. The Frecciarossa high-speed train from Florence SMN to Roma Termini takes 1h30 minutes and runs approximately every 30-45 minutes during the day. Tickets from €25 booked in advance. City-center to city-center in 1.5 hours. Alternatively: Florence SMN to Pisa airport + Pisa to Rome Fiumicino by plane would require 65 min transfer to Pisa + check-in + 1h flight + 30 min transfer from Fiumicino to Rome center = approximately 3.5-4 hours total, at significantly higher cost. The high-speed train is faster, cheaper, and more reliable for all Florence-Rome and Florence-Milan journeys. This is the defining argument for basing any central Italy itinerary around train travel rather than domestic air.
For morning flights departing Pisa before 8am: the Pisa Mover + Trenitalia train combination requires the first departure from Florence SMN, approximately 5:15am. This gets you to Pisa Centrale by 6:05am and to the airport by 6:15am — sufficient for a 7:30am departure check-in. For even earlier Pisa flights: private transfer (car service) is the only option, departing from Florence approximately 4am for a 5am airport arrival. Book overnight transfer services in advance from Florence taxi apps (ItTaxi) or private transfer companies. For normal morning flights (9am+): the regular Pisa Mover + train combination departing Florence at 6-7am works comfortably.
No direct Frecciarossa service exists to Pisa airport or Pisa Centrale. High-speed trains from Florence to Pisa (when they stop there at all — most high-speed services skip Pisa) use different routing and are significantly more expensive than regional trains for the same journey. Regional Trenitalia trains from Florence SMN to Pisa Centrale (€9.90, 50 minutes, frequent) are the correct choice — there's no reason to use high-speed trains for this short regional journey.
Currently no. Peretola's main runway is 2,400 metres — sufficient for narrow-body jets (Boeing 737, Airbus A320 series) but not widebody long-haul aircraft (B767, B787, A330). This limits it to European and domestic routes. Proposals for a longer runway (2,700-3,200 metres) have been debated for decades and remain politically stalled. For North American and long-haul travelers, the standard routes are: arrive at Pisa (PSA), Rome Fiumicino (FCO, then high-speed train to Florence 1.5h), or Milan Malpensa (MXP, then high-speed train to Florence 2h). The train option from Rome or Milan is often competitive with total door-to-door flight time even when originating from North America due to connection times.
Every Italian site that is worth visiting has an advance booking option that eliminates or dramatically reduces queuing. The Vatican Museums require advance online booking at tickets.museivaticani.va (book 2-4 weeks ahead in spring/summer). The Colosseum requires booking at coopculture.it. The Last Supper in Milan requires booking 2-3 months ahead at cenacolovinciano.vivaticket.it. The Leaning Tower of Pisa requires booking at opapisa.it. The Borghese Gallery in Rome requires booking. Every timed-entry museum in Italy is better with advance booking. Italy's greatest experiences reward people who plan: an unbooked visitor and a booked visitor arrive at the same site and have completely different experiences purely based on whether they spent 3 minutes on a website before leaving home.
A handful of phrases solve most practical travel situations: "Un biglietto per [destination], per favore" (one ticket to [X], please). "È valido questo biglietto?" (is this ticket valid?). "Dov'è la fermata del [vaporetto/autobus/metro]?" (where is the [vaporetto/bus/metro] stop?). "C'è uno sciopero?" (is there a strike?). "Quanto costa?" (how much does it cost?). "A che ora parte?" (what time does it leave?). Italian transport staff in tourist areas will generally switch to English if you've made a genuine attempt at Italian first — the attempt at Italian signals respect, and the switch to English usually follows immediately.
They understand that Italy's best experiences require either early timing or advance booking — rarely both. The Vatican Museums at opening time (9am sharp) are a different experience from the Vatican at noon: the Sistine Chapel has 200 people vs 2,000. The Leaning Tower of Pisa at 9am has the Piazza dei Miracoli largely to yourself; at 11am the coaches have arrived. The Last Supper is always timed-entry so the experience is consistent — but getting the slot in the first place requires booking months ahead. The pattern across Italy is identical: the best version of any famous site is available, but requires planning. The improvised version (arrive and see what happens) works for low-season travel but fails in summer for anything that requires a ticket.
Almost always: the thing that isn't in the guidebook's top 5. Near the Vatican Museums: Castel Sant'Angelo (the Mausoleum of Hadrian converted into a papal fortress — extraordinary views of Rome and the connecting passetto corridor to the Vatican, €15). Near Florence's airport: Fiesole (30 min by Bus 7 from Piazza San Marco — Roman theatre, Etruscan walls, views of Florence, and almost no tourist crowds on a weekday). Near Bergamo airport: Bergamo Alta itself (walk the Venetian walls at sunset, find a restaurant away from the tourist main square, drink the local Valcalepio wine). Near the Leaning Tower: the Camposanto's Triumph of Death fresco — one of the most important medieval paintings in Italy, in a building that most Pisa visitors don't know exists.
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