The entire historic centre of Florence is a protected UNESCO heritage site, and thus a restricted traffic zone (in Italian “Zona a Traffico Limitato” or ZTL), meaning that only certain means of transport are allowed, and the area is walkable in its entirely.
Pedestrians, bicycles, electric vehicles, motorcycles and scooters are allowed to enter the city, as well as visitors who need to reach their hotel by car (ask the hotel staff). In most cases if you ask for directions, the answer will be ‘a 15-minute walk’. However, if you don’t like walking or want to spare your energies, take advantage of the following options:
Taxis cannot be flagged down as they pass you along the street unless their ‘taxi’ light is on. They are stationed at special taxi parking stands in the majority of the main squares, train stations and at the airport and can be requested by phone. Some taxi parking, like the one of Santa Maria Novella train station, are more crowded than others, we suggest you to be patient and stay in line. Be aware of frauds, and always check whether the taxi belongs to a certified company.
Vespa scooters can access the ZTL areas, but you should always check if the street of your interest is reserved to public buses and taxis.
This ‘free-floating’ bike-sharing system allows you to book a bike via the free Mobike App (App Store or Google Play), identify the position of the bike nearest to you and then leave it in any authorised parking area in the city or in a bike rack.