Florence Bus & Tram System: Complete Public Transit Guide (2026)

Florence’s public transport system — buses and trams operated since 2021 by Autolinee Toscane (the company that absorbed the old ATAF) — is dense, cheap and well-mapped, but most first-time visitors don’t actually need it. The historic centre is small enough to walk in 25 minutes corner-to-corner, and the buses serve mostly residential outer neighbourhoods. The exception is when you’re going to or from the airport, climbing to Piazzale Michelangelo, heading to Fiesole, or staying outside the immediate centre. This 2026 guide covers Florence’s bus and tram network — routes, tickets, the at bus app, the airport tram, late-night service, etiquette and the few times when public transport beats walking.

You will mostly walk in Florence, so buses and trams matter for the edges of the map: the T2 tram to the airport in our airport transfer guide, the 12 and 13 up to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset, and the connections at Santa Maria Novella station.

Lines 7, 12 and 13 cover the two places a tour bus is actually useful for, at €2.00 rather than a day ticket. Our hop-on hop-off guide compares them directly and is honest about when the tour bus still wins.

Do You Actually Need Florence Public Transport?

For most first-time tourists, the honest answer is “rarely.” The historic centre — Cathedral, Uffizi, Accademia, Pitti, Bargello, San Marco, Santa Croce, Mercato Centrale, Ponte Vecchio — is roughly 1.5km × 1km and walks 25 minutes corner-to-corner. Walking is faster than buses (which detour around the ZTL traffic-restriction zone), and it’s free.

Public transport actually matters in five specific cases:

• Florence Airport (FLR) Peretola transfer — the T2 tram line is the cheapest and fastest option (€1.70, 20 minutes).
• Piazzale Michelangelo — bus 12 or 13 climbs the hill in 20 minutes if you don’t want to walk up via the Rose Garden.
• Fiesole day trip — bus 7 from Piazza San Marco runs to the hilltown in 35 minutes.
• Hotels in the suburbs (Sesto Fiorentino, Scandicci, Bagno a Ripoli) — buses are the way in.
• Mobility issues, heavy rain, late at night — buses replace walking in these conditions.

If your trip is solely centro storico walking, you might never buy a single transit ticket. That’s a normal Florence trip — many seasoned travellers cover the city without using public transport at all.

Florence Tram (Tramvia) Lines

Florence’s modern tram system has two lines (with a third under construction).

Line T1 (Villa Costanza – Careggi)

• Route: Villa Costanza (Scandicci, west) → Santa Maria Novella → Careggi (Florence’s main hospital, north)
• Useful stops for tourists: “Alamanni” (Santa Maria Novella station), “Unità” (near Cathedral), “Cascine” (large city park)
• Frequency: Every 4–6 minutes peak, 8–10 minutes off-peak
• Operating hours: 05:00–00:30 daily; until 02:00 Friday/Saturday nights

Line T2 (Aeroporto – Unità)

• Route: Florence Airport (FLR Peretola) → Santa Maria Novella → Unità (near Cathedral, end of historic centre)
• Useful stops for tourists: “Peretola Aeroporto” (the airport), “Alamanni” (SMN station), “Unità” (Cathedral area)
• Frequency: Every 4–6 minutes peak, 8–10 off-peak
• Operating hours: 05:00–00:30 daily; until 02:00 Friday/Saturday nights
• Journey time: 20 minutes airport to SMN, 22 minutes airport to Unità

The T2 is the most-used tram for tourists — the cheapest and fastest airport transfer. Trams have wide doors, dedicated luggage spaces, level boarding for wheelchairs and strollers, and clear English announcements at each stop.

Line T3 (Bagno a Ripoli, Under Construction)

The T3 line connecting the centre to Bagno a Ripoli (south-east suburbs) is in advanced construction with opening expected late 2026 or 2027. Won’t be operational for most 2026 visitors.

Florence Bus Network

Autolinee Toscane runs roughly 72 bus routes within the urban Florence area, with 1,000+ stops. The lines fall into broad categories:

Tourist-Useful Bus Routes

• Bus 7 — Santa Maria Novella → Piazza San Marco → Fiesole. The Fiesole day-trip line. 35 minutes total to the hilltown.
• Bus 12 — Santa Maria Novella → south of the river → Piazzale Michelangelo. 20 minutes from the station to the panoramic terrace.
• Bus 13 — Same Piazzale Michelangelo route from a different direction.
• Bus C1 — Centro storico mini-electric bus circling the historic centre. Useful for crossing east-west when tired.
• Bus C2 — Mini-electric bus on a partly different historic-centre route.
• Bus C3 — Mini-electric bus connecting Santa Maria Novella with the Cathedral and Santa Croce.
• Bus C4 — Mini-electric bus through Oltrarno (San Frediano, Santo Spirito).
• Bus 23 — Santa Maria Novella to Galluzzo (the Carthusian monastery, half-day trip).

The C1, C2, C3 and C4 mini-electric buses are particularly useful — they’re small enough to navigate the narrow historic-centre streets, and they’re slower than walking only when traffic is light. They’re also the only way for elderly or mobility-impaired travellers to comfortably cross the historic centre.

Outer Neighbourhood Buses

Routes 14, 17, 22, 28, 31 and others connect the historic centre with the surrounding residential neighbourhoods (Cure, Coverciano, Settignano, Bellariva, Galluzzo, Castello). Useful only if you’re staying in one of these areas; not relevant to typical centro storico tourist itineraries.

Tickets & Fares (2026)

Florence has a single integrated ticket valid on all urban buses and trams within the metropolitan area:

Ticket	Price 2026	Validity
Single ticket (Biglietto Urbano)	€1.70	90 minutes, unlimited bus/tram transfers
On-board single ticket	€3.00	Same as above; pay driver in cash
Carnet 10 tickets	€14.00	10× single tickets, valid until used
24-hour pass	€5.50	Unlimited bus/tram in 24 hours
3-day pass	€13.00	Unlimited bus/tram for 3 days
7-day pass	€20.00	Unlimited bus/tram for 7 days
Monthly pass	€41.00	Unlimited transport for residents/longer stays

The €1.70 single ticket is the standard option for most tourists. For 4+ tram or bus rides in 90 minutes, the carnet is cheaper. For 4+ rides in 24 hours, the day pass is cheaper. Most tourists actually use 0–2 tickets per day, so single tickets remain the default.

Critical Ticket Rules

• Validate before boarding — paper tickets must be inserted into the small yellow validator at tram stops or near the bus driver. Unvalidated tickets are treated as fare evasion (€50–100 fine).
• The 90-minute window starts at validation, not purchase. Buy ahead, validate when you board.
• On-board cash purchases cost €3 (75% surcharge). Always buy in advance.
• Inspectors do exist — fare-checking is more common on tram T2 (the airport line) and on outer-neighbourhood buses than on centre-only routes. Don’t risk it; €100 fine vs €1.70 ticket.
• Children under 11 free when accompanied by paying adult.

Where to Buy Tickets

• Tabaccherie (tobacconist shops with white “T” sign on a black background) — most common option. Florence has hundreds; ask “un biglietto urbano per favore“.
• Edicole (newsstands)
• Tram stop ticket vending machines — accept coins, banknotes and contactless cards. English language option.
• Florence Santa Maria Novella station kiosks and machines — main transit hub.
• at bus app (free, iOS/Android) — buy and validate tickets digitally on your phone. Recommended for 2026 visitors.
• Contactless on-board payment — tap your contactless card on the validator near the driver/door. Charged at €1.70 single rate. Available on most buses and trams.

The at bus app is the easiest 2026 option for tourists. Download before arrival, register a card, buy and validate tickets entirely on your phone (no paper, no fumbling at the validator). The app also shows real-time bus and tram arrivals — useful for planning a Piazzale Michelangelo run.

How to Use Florence Buses & Trams

Boarding

Trams use any door — board at front, middle or rear. Buses use the front door for boarding (showing/validating ticket), middle and rear doors for exiting. Some routes (especially the C-series electric buses) use any door.

If you’re paying on board with cash (€3), board through the front door and pay the driver. If you’re using contactless or app, validate at any of the small electronic readers near each door.

Validation Process

• Paper ticket: insert long-side first into the small yellow validator near the doors. The machine prints date and time on the back. Keep the validated ticket for the journey — inspectors check.
• App ticket: tap “Validate” in the app when you board. Show the screen if asked.
• Contactless card: tap on the validator. Wait for green light. The card itself is your “ticket” — keep it accessible.
• Carnet (10-ticket book): each ticket is its own paper to validate. Don’t validate the entire booklet at once.
• Multi-day pass: validate only on first use. Keep it accessible for inspectors.

Getting Off

Buses don’t stop at every stop automatically — press the red “STOP” button (typically near doors and on overhead handrails) to request the next stop. Trams stop at every stop on the route.

Stop announcements are made in Italian and English on most modern fleet vehicles. Older buses sometimes announce only in Italian — listen for the stop name on the digital display above the driver.

Smart Tourist Strategies

Airport Tram (T2) — The Default

Buy a single €1.70 ticket from the vending machine at the FLR airport tram stop. Validate at the platform. Board at “Peretola Aeroporto” stop (2-minute walk from arrivals hall). Get off at “Alamanni” for Santa Maria Novella station, or “Unità” for the Cathedral area. Total: €1.70 and 20 minutes.

Piazzale Michelangelo (Bus 12 or 13)

Bus 12 from Santa Maria Novella station or 13 from Piazza San Marco. Buy a €1.70 ticket; validate on boarding. 20 minutes to “Piazzale Michelangelo” stop. The bus saves you the climb (steep but rewarding via the Rose Garden); the walk down after sunset is the recommended return.

Fiesole (Bus 7)

Bus 7 from Piazza San Marco. €1.70 single. 35 minutes to “Fiesole Piazza Mino” (the hilltown’s main square). Combined with one ticket back, your half-day Fiesole trip costs €3.40 in transit.

When the Day Pass Pays Off

Buy the €5.50 24-hour pass when you’ll make 4+ trips in a day — a typical day combining airport arrival + Piazzale Michelangelo + Fiesole + a return ride to the airport hits this threshold. Otherwise stick with single tickets.

Night Services & Safety

Trams T1 and T2 run until 00:30 daily and until 02:00 on Friday and Saturday nights — useful for late dinners and bar-hopping in the centre. After tram service ends, taxis are the standard late-night option.

Night buses run on a limited schedule (the “Notturna” lines) connecting Santa Maria Novella to a few major outer areas. Frequency is 30–60 minutes; not as comprehensive as in larger Italian cities. For most travellers, night buses are not a primary option.

Pickpocket awareness — Florence buses, particularly routes 1, 7, 12, 13, 23 (the tourist-heavy lines), are one of the city’s main pickpocket zones. Front-of-body bag, no phone in back pocket, no loose wallets in back pockets. The boarding crush is the typical strike moment.

Strikes (Sciopero)

Italian public transport unions occasionally call sciopero (strike) days — typically 24 or 8 hour stoppages. The 2026 tentative schedule includes one announced 24-hour strike on Sunday 10 May. Check Autolinee Toscane’s at-bus.it/en for current sciopero schedules. Strike days reduce service to a “minimum guaranteed” schedule (typically 06:30–08:30 and 17:00–20:00 only).

If your travel plans coincide with a strike, taxi backup is the standard answer. The Italian transit-strike system is highly regulated and stoppages are announced 10+ days in advance.

Accessibility

All trams (T1, T2) are fully accessible: low-floor boarding, wheelchair-spaces, audio and visual announcements, dedicated wheelchair-anchor zones. Most modern Autolinee Toscane buses are also low-floor with kneeling capability and wheelchair ramps.

Some older bus models (especially on routes serving outer suburbs) are still high-floor with steps. The Autolinee Toscane website’s vehicle-information page indicates which routes are 100% accessible-fleet.

Visually impaired travellers can use the at bus app’s accessibility features and the audio-announcement system on all modern fleet vehicles. Hearing-impaired travellers benefit from the digital displays inside trams and modern buses.

Florence Transport vs Other Italian Cities

Compared to Rome (subway, three tram lines, 350+ bus routes), Florence has a much smaller transport network. The compact historic centre is the reason — Florence simply doesn’t need the metro and dense bus grid that bigger Italian cities have.

Compared to Venice (vaporetto water-bus only, no land transport), Florence is much more conventional and faster.

Compared to Milan (extensive metro, dense tram network, integrated airport rail), Florence is smaller-scale but just as easy to navigate once you understand the tram lines and the limited useful bus routes.

Insider Tips

Tip 1: The at bus app’s real-time arrival display saves time at unfamiliar stops. Bus frequencies vary — sometimes you wait 8 minutes, sometimes 18.

Tip 2: Validate every paper ticket. The €100 fine for unvalidated tickets is enforced especially aggressively on the T2 airport line.

Tip 3: Don’t pay €3 cash to the bus driver for a “single ticket” — the same ticket bought at a tabaccheria or app costs €1.70.

Tip 4: Bus 7 to Fiesole continues past the village to “San Domenico” — get off at “Fiesole Piazza Mino” for the hilltown centre, not earlier.

Tip 5: The Cascine Park (Florence’s largest urban green space) is on the T1 tram line — useful for runners or families needing playground space.

Tip 6: If you’re carrying heavy luggage and arriving at SMN station, the T2 tram to “Unità” puts you 5 minutes’ walk from the Cathedral — save the cobble-pulling pain by riding two stops.

Tip 7: Florence has free public Wi-Fi on most modern Autolinee Toscane vehicles (look for “TramFree” / “BusFree” SSID) — useful if you’re without an Italian SIM and need maps.

Florence Bus & Tram FAQ

Do I need to use the bus or tram in Florence?

For most first-time tourists, no — the historic centre is small enough to walk in 25 minutes corner-to-corner. Public transport matters mainly for the airport (T2 tram), Piazzale Michelangelo (bus 12/13), Fiesole (bus 7), and outer-suburb hotels.

How much is a Florence bus ticket?

€1.70 for a single ticket valid 90 minutes on all buses and trams within the urban Florence area. €3 if bought on board from the driver. €5.50 for a 24-hour unlimited pass.

Where can I buy bus tickets?

Tabaccherie (tobacconist shops with the “T” sign), edicole (newsstands), tram-stop vending machines, the Santa Maria Novella station kiosks, the at bus app, or contactless card on board.

Do Florence buses run at night?

Trams run until 00:30 daily, 02:00 on Friday and Saturday nights. A limited night-bus network (“Notturna”) runs after that on selected outer routes. For most late-night returns to a centro storico hotel, taxis are the standard option.

How do I validate a bus ticket in Florence?

Insert paper tickets into the small yellow validator near the bus or tram doors immediately on boarding. The machine prints the date and time. Unvalidated tickets are treated as fare evasion (€50–100 fine). App tickets are validated within the app on boarding.

How do I take the tram from Florence Airport?

Walk 2 minutes from FLR arrivals to “Peretola Aeroporto” tram stop. Buy a €1.70 ticket from the vending machine. Validate at the platform. Board the T2 tram. Get off at “Alamanni” for Santa Maria Novella station, or “Unità” for the Cathedral area. Total 20 minutes.

Does the Firenze Card cover public transport?

Yes — the €85 Firenze Card includes free use of all Florence buses and trams (excluding the airport tram on the day of departure) for the 72 hours of card validity. A nice bonus for cardholders even if you’d otherwise spend only €5–10 on transit.

Can children ride free?

Yes — children under 11 ride free when accompanied by a paying adult. Children 11+ pay full fare.

Florence’s bus and tram network is small, well-organised and dramatically less essential to tourists than the corresponding networks in Rome or Milan. Most centro-storico-only itineraries use 0–2 tickets across a 4-day trip. The exceptions — airport transfer (T2), Piazzale Michelangelo (12/13), Fiesole (7) — are exactly the moments when €1.70 saves you 30 minutes of walking. Download the at bus app, validate every ticket, and forget about transport the rest of the time. Walking remains the right answer.