Florence taxis are white, metered and licensed, and the city publishes the fares that matter most to visitors. The ride from Florence Airport, Peretola (FLR), to hotels in the historic centre is a fixed €28 by day, €30 on public holidays and €32 at night, according to the city's official tourism site, with €1.10 added for each piece of luggage. For two travellers arriving with a suitcase each, that is hard to beat, and we will say so throughout.
The taxi becomes the weaker choice when the trip is not simple: a family of five with checked bags, a group, an arrival at Pisa rather than Peretola, a fair week when the ranks empty, or a day that runs from the city into Chianti. This guide covers the fares, the ranks and the phone numbers, the limited traffic zone, and where a fixed Elly8.net car, from US$105 per vehicle from FLR to the centre, earns its place.
How much is a taxi in Florence?
Florence taxis run on the meter, with extra charges for nights and weekends, out-of-town trips, luggage at €1.10 a piece and more than three passengers. Two routes have fixed fares: Peretola airport to historic-centre hotels at €28, €30 on holidays and €32 at night, and Santa Maria Novella to Campo di Marte or Rifredi at €11.
The figures come from Feel Florence, the official tourism site of the Comune di Firenze. It says the taximeter inside the vehicle shows the fare to be paid and that on many vehicles you can pay by credit card. The airport fixed fare covers the historic centre, the UNESCO area; addresses outside it run on the meter.
See Florence prices and reserve
| Fare | Day | Public holidays | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peretola airport (FLR) to hotels in the historic centre | €28 | €30 | €32 |
| Santa Maria Novella station to Campo di Marte or Rifredi station | €11 | €13.20 | €14.60 |
| Luggage | €1.10 per piece | €1.10 per piece | €1.10 per piece |
The surcharges, explained
Feel Florence lists four kinds of extra charge on the meter: the time of day, with night and weekend rates; the route, when the trip leaves the city; luggage, at €1.10 a piece; and the number of passengers, when there are more than three on board. The same page lists reductions: 10% to and from the Careggi and Meyer hospital area, 15% for people with motor or visual disabilities, and Taxi Rosa, a 10% discount for women travelling at night between 21.00 and 04.00.
For the airport run, the fixed fare replaces the meter, but the luggage charge still applies. Feel Florence's arrivals page describes the €28 airport fare as excluding luggage, night-time and public holiday surcharges. So a couple with two suitcases pays about €30.20 by day, and a family of four with four cases more than that, before the extra-passenger charge.
Where to find a taxi: ranks, phone and app
Ranks. Feel Florence lists taxi ranks in squares across the centre, including the station, the Duomo, Santa Croce, Piazza della Repubblica and Santa Maria Novella.
Radio taxis. The city's taxi drivers belong to three companies, which Feel Florence lists as CO.TA.FI on +39 055 4390 or +39 055 4499, SOCOTA on +39 055 4798 or +39 055 4242, and ItTaxi on +39 055 3131.
The app. The tourism site names itTaxi as the app for calling Florence's taxis. Other ride-hailing apps may show options in Florence, but availability varies, so check before relying on one at the airport late at night.
Recognise the car. Florence taxis are white. Use the rank, the radio numbers or the app, and you are in a licensed vehicle with a meter.
What typical rides cost
Apart from the two fixed routes, Feel Florence does not publish the full meter tariff, so we will not invent a per-kilometre price. What we can give you is distance and time, from the public OSRM router for a clear road, so you can judge the size of the trip.
| Trip | Routed distance | Clear-road drive | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peretola airport to the historic centre | 7 km / 5 mi | about 16 min | €28 fixed by day, plus luggage |
| Peretola airport to Santa Maria Novella station | 7 km / 4 mi | about 14 min | Airport fixed fare if your hotel is in the centre; otherwise meter |
| Santa Maria Novella to the historic centre | 1 km / 1 mi | about 3 min | Meter; often quicker on foot |
| Historic centre to Piazzale Michelangelo | 7 km / 4 mi | about 12 min | Meter |
| Historic centre to Fiesole | 8 km / 5 mi | about 15 min | Meter, out-of-town route |
| Historic centre to The Mall Firenze outlet | 27 km / 17 mi | about 38 min | Meter, out-of-town route |
Note the short, odd ones. Santa Maria Novella is about a kilometre from the centre, and in a city of narrow one-way streets a taxi can take longer than walking. Piazzale Michelangelo is close as the crow flies but the road winds up the hill, which is why the routed distance is 7 km.
The limited traffic zone and why it matters
Florence's historic centre is a ZTL, a limited traffic zone. Feel Florence explains that it is controlled by electronic gates reading the number plate of every vehicle, with a sign showing whether access is allowed. The daytime ZTL runs Monday to Friday from 7.30 to 20.00 and Saturday from 7.30 to 16.00, and is off on Sundays and holidays; from the first Thursday of April to the first Sunday of October there is also a summer night ZTL on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 23.00 to 03.00.
Access depends on authorisation. The tourism site explains that a driver heading to a hotel or garage inside the zone must give the vehicle's details to the reception or garage, which passes them to the municipal police; a car only dropping off luggage may stay for up to three hours; and the city sells a special temporary permit for a fee. Fines follow visitors home. For a visitor this has two consequences. A rental car is a poor fit for a hotel inside the centre. And the "door" of many hotels is down a pedestrian lane, so whoever drives you will set you down at the nearest point a car can legally reach. A local chauffeur who knows your hotel's approach is a real advantage. See chauffeur vs car rental.
Arriving at Pisa instead of Peretola
Some itineraries arrive at Pisa International Airport (PSA) instead, and here the taxi picture changes. Visit Tuscany, the region's official tourism site, says a taxi from Pisa airport to central Florence costs around €170 plus any supplements. The same page describes the alternatives: the PisaMover shuttle to Pisa Centrale in about 5 minutes, then a train to Florence roughly every hour taking from 50 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, or a direct airport bus taking about 60 minutes, traffic permitting.
An Elly8.net transfer from Pisa International to the historic centre of Florence costs from US$305 in a business sedan, US$400 in a business SUV and US$490 in a First Class SUV to US$795 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle, all-in, over about 83 km (51 mi) and roughly 87 minutes on a clear road. For one or two people with light bags, the train or the bus is far cheaper. For a family with checked luggage after an overnight flight, a single vehicle with a chauffeur waiting in arrivals is a different experience.
When the taxi is the right choice
- Two travellers, Peretola to a central hotel, by day. €28 plus luggage, about 16 minutes on a clear road. Take the taxi.
- Short evening hops across the river to a restaurant in the Oltrarno, or up to Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset and back down.
- Spontaneous trips you did not plan for, from a rank or by phone.
- Rain. A short trip in a downpour is exactly what a rank is for.
And for a solo traveller with a carry-on, Feel Florence's arrivals page points to the T2 tram from the airport, about 20 minutes to the centre, at €1.70 for a 90-minute ticket, payable by contactless card on board.
When a pre-booked car wins
- Families and groups with luggage. The taxi charges per bag and adds a charge above three passengers, and you may need two cars. An Elly8.net Business SUV carries six passengers and six bags for US$140 from FLR; an Executive Sprinter carries 12 passengers and 12 bags for US$275.
- Pisa arrivals. A fixed price in US dollars, booked weeks ahead, rather than an estimate in euros at the kerb.
- A name board after a long connection. The chauffeur tracks your flight and waits in arrivals after you collect your bags; waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary.
- Child seats. Requested at booking and fitted before pickup, rather than hoped for at a rank.
- Fair weeks. During the Pitti fairs at the Fortezza da Basso, the ranks empty at closing time. An hourly chauffeur, from US$85 an hour in a business sedan to US$170 in a Sprinter with a 3-hour minimum, keeps a car waiting between the fair, showrooms and dinner. See conference transportation.
- Out of the city. Chianti, Siena, San Gimignano. The eight-hour Chianti wineries day costs from US$630 in a business sedan to US$1,255 in a Sprinter; see wine tours.
Elly8.net fares in Florence
| Vehicle class | Passengers | Bags | FLR to the centre | PSA to the centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Sedan | 3 | 2 | US$105 | US$305 |
| First Class Sedan | 3 | 2 | US$185 | US$535 |
| Business SUV / Van | 6 | 6 | US$140 | US$400 |
| First Class SUV | 6 | 6 | US$170 | US$490 |
| Executive Sprinter | 12 | 12 | US$275 | US$795 |
Prices are per vehicle and the same in either direction. They include the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and airport meet and greet; tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost. Round trips from FLR cost from US$200 in a business sedan to US$525 in a Sprinter. For an evening, the evening out and event night package costs from US$425 in a business sedan to US$850 in a Sprinter. All fares are on the Florence page and the packages page.
A fair verdict
By day from Peretola, with two people and two bags, take the taxi: the city's fixed fare makes it simple and cheap. For a solo traveller, the tram is cheaper still. For families, groups, Pisa arrivals, fair weeks and any day that leaves the city, a pre-booked car at a fixed fare is the calmer choice. The same logic holds in other cities: our guides to Copenhagen taxis and Brussels Airport taxis reach similar conclusions. For the general case, see chauffeur vs taxi.
How to book
- Pickup and drop-off. Enter FLR or PSA with your flight number, or Santa Maria Novella with your train, and the exact hotel or villa address.
- Vehicle. Choose by passengers and bags, and add child seats.
- Reserve. Press Reserve now on the Florence page for a published fare and pay by card in US$, or use the web booker for any other address. Confirmation arrives by email.
Rides in Florence are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, refunded to the original card. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory. Travelling on? See Rome, Venice and Milan.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a taxi from Florence Airport to the city centre?
A fixed €28 by day to hotels in the historic centre, €30 on public holidays and €32 at night, according to the city's official tourism site, plus €1.10 for each piece of luggage. Addresses outside the historic centre run on the meter. An Elly8.net business sedan costs US$105 fixed.
How do you call a taxi in Florence?
Use a rank, such as those at the station, the Duomo, Santa Croce or Piazza della Repubblica, call one of the radio taxi companies, CO.TA.FI on 055 4390, SOCOTA on 055 4242 or ItTaxi on 055 3131, or use the itTaxi app. Florence taxis are white.
Can you pay a Florence taxi by card?
On many vehicles, yes, according to the city's tourism site, but not necessarily all. If you only carry cards, say so when you call or ask at the rank before you get in. Elly8.net fares are paid in advance by card in US dollars.
Is there a taxi charge for luggage in Florence?
Yes. Feel Florence lists €1.10 per piece of luggage, which applies on top of the airport fixed fare. There is also a charge when there are more than three passengers on board, which is one reason larger families often book a vehicle sized for the group.
How much is a taxi from Pisa Airport to Florence?
Visit Tuscany puts it at around €170 plus any supplements. The alternatives are the PisaMover and a train, or a direct bus of about 60 minutes. A fixed Elly8.net transfer costs from US$305 in a business sedan to US$795 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle.
How does the ZTL affect hotel drop-offs?
Entry through the gates depends on authorisation, and the city's tourism site sets out rules for hotel guests arriving by car, including a three-hour limit for luggage drop-offs. Many hotels sit on pedestrian lanes, so give us the exact address and the partner plans the closest legal set-down, with the chauffeur helping with bags.
