Florence has only one airport (FLR) which is known by many names:
-Amerigo Vespucci
-Florence Peretola
-Peretola
-Auroporto Amerigo Vespucci
-Aeroporto Di Firenze
FLR is located about 4 kilometres NE of Florence Sentrum (the center of Florence).
"Vola in Bus" or "Volainbus" is the Italian phrase for the bus which runs frequently, about every half hour at peak times, from the airport in PISA (Galileo Galilei airport in Pisa) to the Florence Airport. Maybe people fly into Pisa then continue on into Florence. It was an option I thought about too, but once I decided to focus just on Florence, I decided to fly directly into Florence. On another visit, including other cities, Pisa is just one of the many options for day trips easily accessible via Florence. Flying into Pisa, then busing or training to Florence, provides the views along the way, if one doesn´t want an actual day trip.
The orange city buses from Florence airport runs frequently to the train station, a great location to meet, such as for those of us who are lucky enough to have family, friends living in Italy to meet us. Taxis and other options are available, but that is much more expensive, and imho hassle as Florence is much easier I´ve heard and read to negotiate on foot, without a car. If you have a rental car, you must park it and think about those costs too! Where I´m staying, taxis are not allowed I´ve heard, but either way the bus is easy and quick, and we´ll walk the rest of the way or take another bus depending on the time, and weather:)
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The Train Station at Santa Maria Novella also has many names or words associated with buses in general:
-Autostazione Sita
-ATAF, which runs the main city service routes; Piazza Statione (side Piazza Adua)
-SITA, LAZZI, and CAP which are bus services running to the outskirts and nearby city
-biglietteria, which are ticket offices
-biglietto, ticket
-pullman, regional intercity coaches, also called autobus, which is also the term for citybus
Timetables are not easily gotten, and not always easily figured out. Most tourist offices will have timetables, as well as the main office of the bus company. I´m used to having free written timetable booklets on each bus & at the bus station which are able to be taken with one; large signs in bus stations with schedules; smaller signs on each bus naming each stop; and online websites with schedules, times, routes and alternative routes. Though Florence is also a small, very walkable city as is where I live, so I´m sure, as long as I memorize the main areas, bring a proper map, have a basic ability to ask questions in Italian and ask questions if need be, I´ll figure it out. Or, I can walk,)
More info HERE on getting around in Tuscany.
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-Capolinea, is the end stop of a route
-abbonamento, monthly bus tickets for longer stays
-T, tabacchi, tobacconists, as explained in previous posts
Look for large sign outside a shop, sign is usually a dark colour such as dark blue or black, with a large T on the front, making the shop a biglietteria, a ticket office/place to buy tickets.
-Ditto look for a small orange sticker or sign with ATAF which means they sell tickets
-as noted in other posts, some bars, newstands also sell tickets
-One use tickets which can be used up to an hour after it is stamped; day tickets, 3 day tickets, monthly tickets, or 4 journey tickets can be purchased. If I was planning on using the bus lots during my 2 weeks stay, I might get a monthly ticket if it would save money. But I don´t think I will be using the bus that much in Florence, as it is such a walkable city. Still, I will see when I get there how much a abbonamento would be and if it is worth it versus the amount of times I might end up using the bus.
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For smaller streets, instead of the usual sized orange buses, there are smaller electric buses serving a circular route linking the East and West sides of the city, along the tiny streets of the Lungarno, Ponte Vecchio, and Piazza Signoria.
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And the sightseeing buses, which may or may not be running during offseason. I´ve noticed their sites say both that they only run seasonally, and that they run year round. I´ll surmise they are not running off season, but if they are, after all my years of traveling and living in various places around the world, not trying things like this but living more as a local, I would like to try them. Sounds fun, and not my usual thing to do! I am trying to expand my experience, and be a little touristy, too.
Though, the frugality in me, screams ah it´s so expensive, get a city pass, walk. As I bet, a tourist bus will cost more just once than getting a monthly city, or a weekly pass. Have not seen prices for the abbonamento.
