*Make sure you validate your bus ticket as soon as you get on the bus or you can get a hefty fine. Being a tourist is not an excuse*
Florence, as in most of Italy, has many checks to make sure one has a ticket that is validated. Until it is validated, time stamped, it considered that you are using the bus without paying. The ticket is about 6 Euros. The fine can be up to 240 Euros. The fine usually starts off much lower, but Italian law is very strict, and very steep with fines. If you protest a fine, and it is thrown out of court, the fine is then able to be increased until you pay it. The law allows an increase up to 240 Euros.
Saying the bus was full, too crowded to validate your ticket will be laughed at, with the reasonable assessment that if the bus was not too crowded for you to be given a fine, then it was not too crowded for you to validate your ticket. It is disrespectful for those who are tourists to think they don´t have to pay the bus ticket: because they are not in their country. Also, if you plan on not paying the fine you will then get for not having a valid ticket, the next time you visit any Schengen or EU or European country, you might then have the huge worry suddenly realizing maybe your name is on a list and you might be in trouble when going thru customs, as a story I read of a woman on her honeymoon experienced. Nearly 10 years previously as a tourist, she rode a bus without a ticket, got a fine, did not pay it, and then on her honeymoon, when wanting a lovely Italian visit, was completely stressed out over this ticket and fine incident nearly a decade ago! It´s really not worth it: it´s a few Euros. If you can´t afford it, then just walk. It´s silly imho to risk a huge fine over a few Euros!
Buses can be very crowded, but it is not an excuse and will not be accepted.
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Again, to ask for a bus, and a ticket:
If you can´t find the bus, ask anyone "Dov´é il autobus?" (doe-veh-eh il auto boose). "Dove" means where: when you see it on websites, it is the info where the restaurant, hotel, etc is located. "Autobus" is city bus type buses. There is another name for long distance buses, which you don´t need for this.
The bus is cheapest with a roundtrip ticket at 10 Euros. But once they run out of round trips, you can only buy a one way ticket for 6 Euros. "Vorrei un biglietto andata e ritorno" is how to ask for a round trip ticket. It literally is asking for a ticket to go and return. To ask for a single one way ticket, I´d ask in Italian something like " Vorrei un biglietto solo andata, per piacere".
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Usually, you must buy a ticket beforehand, then validate it on the bus, as many buses do not sell tickets on board. See other post re bus tickets.
