A major international tourist destination, Florence is served by various means of transport which make it easily accessible. In particular, even if the city street system is complicated, there are many roads and highways that allow you to get there, which is why tourists often prefer to use the car. But there is also a modern airport and a railway station. Indeed, many stations! Which we are going to tell you about, here.
AIRPORTS
Florence Vespucci Airport (FLR)
Florence Airport is dedicated and named after explorer Amerigo Vespucci but is also known by the name of the neighbourhood, Firenze-Peretola. It has very ancient origins, in fact it dates back to 1910. It started as an “airfield” and then, since 1926, it has functioned as an airport – initially a postal one, then military and commercial/tourist. In the 2000s it underwent major renovations that make it a very efficient airport today.
It mostly works with low cost flights and shares part of the air traffic “load” with the nearby Pisa airport. Florence airport has two terminals, one dedicated to departures and one to arrivals, with various services including car rental, banks, shops, restaurants and the police station. The airplanes land on the only runway, though very long. It is connected to the surrounding area by bus and taxi services but also by a local railway line.
STATIONS
Florence has at least ten fundamental stations for rail transport of goods and passengers. But the most famous and frequented by tourists from all over the world are two. Both very central, they are the arrival and departure points of many travelers heading to Florence or just passing through. The main stations of Florence are also small artistic monuments you can admire, waiting to get on your train.
Santa Maria Novella Main Station
Inaugurated in 1848 and renovated in 1931, Santa Maria Novella is the main station in Florence. Located in the city’s old centre, it boasts some architectural and artistic elements worthy of the beautiful city it serves: the cafe-restaurant with enormous tempera paintings by Ottone Rosai, the elegant ticket office with its marble floors, various contemporary design elements scattered throughout the various rooms. The station is completed by the Palazzina Reale (Small Royal Palace), created to host the king during his travels. Now it has become the seat of the city’s Order of Architects. The station has 19 tracks.
Campo di Marte
Campo di Marte is also a very central station, not far from the stadium and the sports palace. With 9 tracks, this station welcomes regional trains but also high-speed convoys from different parts of Italy. It is a transit station, very well served by land transport which connects it to other areas of the city. Inside there are many useful services, including banks, police and cafe-restaurants. There are direct connections between Campo di Marte and Santa Maria Novella in order to allow travelers waiting for regional connections to move easily between the two stations.