Have you been in Rome for several days and visited almost all the sights of the city and the Vatican? Then maybe you are interested in the idea of visiting Florence, the city of art? See my instructions on how to do this.
Florence
Given the small distance between Rome and Florence, about 280 km, tourists tend to see them in one trip. I’ll tell you how to get from one city to another in every possible way, for every taste and budget.
Express train is the fastest and most convenient option
Express Frecciarossa
More than sixty trains leave from Rome to Florence daily. Therefore, choosing a suitable train is not difficult.
Frecciarossa Express will take you to your destination in 1 hour 30 minutes, while local and regional trains will travel 2-5 hours. The first train leaves Rome (and from Florence) at about 6 in the morning, and the last at about 9 in the evening. The intervals between trains are about 15 minutes.
Trenitalia's public carrier trains leave for Rome from Termini Main Station, next to Termini Metro Station, and from Tiburtina Station, 100 meters from Roma Tiburtina Metro Station. And in Florence arrive at the central railway station Santa Maria Novella (Santa Maria Novella), which is located in the city center, and at the station Rifredi.
Trains from Rome to Florence (and vice versa) can be taken by the private company Italo. The state carrier Trenitalia and private trader Italo compete with each other, so compare the prices of both carriers, there may be interesting special offers and promotions.
Italo Train
View schedule and fare options, buy tickets easily on the websites of carriers Trenitalia and Italo.
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased at vending machines and directly at railway ticket offices located at railway stations, as well as at Italo representative offices (they are also located there, the orange logo of the company with a running hare). Be sure to validate your ticket before boarding the train.
The cost of an adult one-way ticket is from € 29, the price depends on the train, departure point and time. To save on tickets, you need to buy them in advance on the Internet. The sooner the cheaper. How to buy train tickets in Italy I wrote here.
The electronic ticket must be printed out or stored on the phone so that the controllers can scan the bar code from the screen of your mobile.
Train cars are comfortable, with comfortable seats and air conditioning, there are toilets and vending machines for drinks and snacks.
Aircraft - a controversial option for convenience and speed
The duration of the flight from Rome to Florence is 55 minutes. But by this time, you need to add time to the road to Rome's Fiumicino Airport (L'aeroporto di Roma Fiumicino), which is 30 km from the city center (I wrote here how to get from Fiumicino Airport to Rome), and from the Florentine Peretola Airport (Aeroporto di Firenze-Peretola), it is 5 km from the center; add 1-2 hours to complete the necessary procedures at the airport upon arrival and departure.
Tickets
It is better to buy tickets through well-known airline search engines, for example, aviasales.ru, where you can compare prices of different carriers and agencies, and then buy an online ticket without a commission. Do not forget to print the ticket and take it with you on a trip.
You can buy tickets directly to the website of the national air carrier Alitalia, whose planes make 1-2 flights every day from Florence and from Rome. See the current schedule when booking tickets online on the site.
For a one-way flight you will have to pay from € 67.
It turns out that the plane is one of the most expensive travel options from Rome to Florence.
By bus
Eurolines Buses
From Rome to Florence (and vice versa) can be reached by Flixbus buses. The trip takes 3-4 hours. Branded white buses leave from the Tiburtina bus station in Rome and arrive at the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence.
Tickets
Check the schedule and book tickets on the official website of the carrier. The electronic ticket needs to be printed out. You can also buy tickets at the ticket offices of the bus station and railway station, and at information offices.
Ticket price:
full one-way ticket - about € 12.
You can see the availability of tickets, compare prices from different carriers on the GoEuro website.
Local bus companies in Rome and Florence also offer their services. Detailed information can be obtained at railway stations and travel agencies of the city.
By car
How to get from Rome to Florence by car
You will have to get from Rome to Florence (or vice versa) via the A1 Firenze Nord toll motorway, following the signs for "Firenze" (Florence) or "Roma" (Rome). The toll road will cost approximately € 25 one way. Travel time is approximately 3 hours (excluding traffic jams and stops). Although gas stations are common, gasoline is not cheap.
If you plan to drive along Tuscany in addition to Florence and Rome, and you have a small company, then a trip by a rented car can be a great solution.
You can rent a car cheaply here.
A new and very popular in Europe way to get from one city to another without spending a lot of money is to take advantage of the “hospitality” of the driver who is traveling in the right direction. Look for someone who will give you a ride from Rome to Florence on specialized sites, for example blablacar.it (it is also in Russian, but remember that you will have to agree on details in Italian).
