You cannot drive anywhere in the historic center of Florence without permission. This map of the "Zona Traffico Limitato" shows where you will get a ticket if you drive without having your hotel provide the police with your license plate number. How do you get around Florence by car? The answer is: you park it, then you start walking. Seriously: cars are nothing more than a huge hassle in Florence's miniscule historic center—and streetside parking is illegal for non-residents at any rate, so you could never even stop and get out.
I will say this one more way. As someone who has driven into Florence at least 60 times in his life (and hence knows intimately the quirks and cruelties of this ancient city's street plan), I will tell you this: to get where you need to go, you are at some point going to have to break the law. I am not kidding.
A ZTL sign in Florence. Not that, technically, the ZTL is only in effect from 7:30am to 7:30pm Mondays to Fridays, but the city often imposes it on weekends as well, and the fine print on the signs is hard to figure out, so it's best to err on the side of prudence and assume the centro storico always off-limits.
What's more, it is now pretty much illegal for anyone to drive within the historic center (called the "ZTL" on signs, which stands for Zona Traffico Limitato, or "Limited Traffic Zone").
Only residents or merchants with special permits are allowed in. Trust me: once you are parked and blessedly car-free, you will enjoy this fact immensely.
These signs used to be a bit of a joke. Not anymore. They are now serious about this.
The city has installed traffic cams that will take a picture of your license plate when you enter and you will receive a €100 fine by mail. (They can track you down via your rental agency.)
This is why, if you do drive into the center—to drop your bags at your hotel or whatever—it is vital that you give the hotel your license plate number so they can register it with the local police as a legit foray into Florence and help you avoid the fine.
My advice: Do yourself and your nerves a favor, ditch your car in one of the public parking garages and just walk or take the bus in. Seriously. » more
Driving tours of Florence
Florence tourist information
Via Cavour 1R
tel. +39-055-290-832
www.firenzeturismo.it
Planning your day: Florence would well be worth a week, but you can still fit a lot into just a day or three.
To help you get the most out of your limited time in the Cradle of the Renaissance, here are some perfect itineraries, whether you have one, two, or three days to spend in Florence.
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Florence tourist information
Via Cavour 1R
tel. +39-055-290-832
www.firenzeturismo.it
This article was written by Reid Bramblett and was last updated in June 2014.
All information was accurate at the time.
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