Getting around any city on taxi is not difficult, but you do have to know ahead of time that in Italy taxis cannot be flagged down as they pass you along the street! This is true in Florence as well as other main cities in Italy. Taxis in smaller towns are not as common, they are often private drivers and need to be booked ahead of time.
So in Florence, taxis are "stationed" at special taxi parking stands in most of the major squares in the city and at the Florence airport and that is the cheapest way to take a taxi.
The alternative is to request a taxi by phone, just know that the taxi arrives with the "call fee" added on: €2,40 in Florence, and €4,80 for other towns in the Florence area.
Taxi Stands
So let's start with a map of the main TAXI stations across the historical center:
If you're downtown and need a taxi, you can head to one of the main piazzas and look for the taxi stand. Go to the top of the line of taxis that are there and ask the driver before getting in about going to your destination. The clock and fare starts once you get going.
The Florence Airport
I feel I need to single out the airport as a special location as a lot of taxis are at the airport waiting for customers. Just follow signs as you leave the airport and get in line. The line moves fast and they will find a taxi to fit your group and the number of luggage you have.
Also important to know is that between the airport and downtown hotels, there is a set standard fee:
- daily (6am-10pm): € 28,00
- Sundays and holidays (6am-10pm): € 30,00
- night (10pm-6am): € 32,00
This includes up to 3 people and 3 pieces of luggage; it costs €1,30 per extra bag or person beyond those for a max extra fee of €14,40.
I will admit that since the tram was built between downtown and the airport, the tram is the cheapest solution to get downtown from the airport and viceversa (even if you have to pay an extra ticket for your luggage - yes, only small backpack size are free, anything else you need to get a tram ticket for the luggage). The tram takes you directly downtown to the SMN train station and, if you're staying nearby, you could just walk to your hotel or B&B. So what is better? This really depends on your situation: are you traveling alone and with just one piece of luggage? Or is your hotel far from the SMN train station?
In my case, I'm often traveling to the airport as a family with 3 kids (all under 13), way too much luggage and we don't live downtown. It is just more convenient for us to call a taxi, even if we pay around €45-50 for the ride. The tram would be a lot of hassle for the family to handle.
Calling for a taxi
If you're not sure how far you are from a major piazza or just don't want to walk there, then the alternative is call for a taxi.
In Florence, there are two main taxi cooperatives: So.Co.Ta. http://www.4242.it/ and 4390 http://www.4390.it/ and basically you call those numbers to request a taxi: either 055.4242 or 055.4390. Make sure to tell them a name for the booking and the number in your group so that they can send the appropriate size taxi for you and your group, especially if you're more than 4 people.
The confirmation of the taxi call is that they give you estimated time of arrival and a name of a city and a number. This is the "name" of your taxi so you know it is the one you booked. For example, they will tell you 5 minutes and then say "Berlino 210". When the taxi arrives, on the side of the taxi near the front door you should see this name. Before you get on, they will confirm your name so that you know that is the taxi you called. This is for your safety and "proof" of your booking, especially if you're in a busy area and other people nearby also called a taxi and believe your taxi is theirs ;-).
Having explained all this, to be honest, the easiest way to "call for a taxi" nowadays is by APP: just download either TaxiMove or APPTaxi and use that to request a taxi: it removes all language barriers! You give your name, the number of people traveling with you, you get the confirmation of time and taxi number all on the app. It also makes is easier and faster to pay, although it is possible you pay a bit extra as a commission to the app. Not totally sure about that, as when we generally need a taxi we just call.
However, either TaxiMove or APPTaxi should work for one of the other taxi companies.
Base fares in Florence
So here are the base fares, I can't really give you samples as total cost depends on the standard fare + meter (based on time/distance). There is a tariff table inside all taxis, required by law, so check if there are variations to this info and make sure it is correct when you're about to pay.
Example of some basic charges within the Florence city boundaries:
- Preliminary fixed charge: € 3.60 (minimum fare €5,50)
- Preliminary fixed charge on Sundays and public holidays: € 5.80 (min. charge €7,20)
- Night-time preliminary fixed charge (from 22.00 to 6.00): € 7,30 (min. charge €9,20)
- Baggage supplement (max. 7 items): € 1,10 per item
- As stated above, Florence Vespucci Airport to City centre: set standard fare of € 28.00 (plus baggage supplements listed above + extra fee for night (+€4) or holiday/Sunday (+€2) travel)
In addition to the base, you will have the meter running and then also pay extra per luggage €1,20.
For a complete table with fees, the website of the Comune di Firenze (fees last updated on 01/01/24) where you'll also find other set fares for trips from the center to the hospitals.
If you are a woman out in the city center and have to get back to your hotel or apartment alone at night, take the taxi! Be safe and get a 10% discount off the fare if you travel alone between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. - the discount is NOT automatic, you have to ASK FOR THE DISCOUNT!
You can also ask for a discount if you're heading to the Careggi or Meyer hosptials (-10%)or if you're disabled and/or use a wheelchair (-15%). I don't think these are automatic, you need to ask for them.
If you are at least 3 people going to the same location, you can ask for the "multiplo" fare when you book where you pay a set fee per person if you're traveling within the center. Cost depends on time of day and whether it is a weekday or Sunday/holiday.
Sample fares from Florence to locations outside of the city
If you're interested in having a general idea of how much a taxi could cost for moving about FROM Florence, here's the costs offered as approximate from the 4242.it website:
To other airports:
- Pisa: € 190,00
- Bologna: € 240,00
Some Destinations in Tuscany
- Pisa: € 190,00
- Montecatini Terme: € 130,00
- Siena: € 170,00
- Livorno: € 220,00
- Forte dei Marmi: € 260,00
- San Gimignano: € 140,00
- Viareggio: € 220,00
From Florence to the Shopping Outlets
The amounts to the outlets are just an estimate, as the actual cost will depend on the meter and thus on traffic conditions. If you generally ask the cab to wait for you at your destination, the cost is an additonal € 38 per hour.
- Outlet Leccio "The Mall" OR Outlet Barberino "Mc Arthur Glen": : € 90,00 (Roundtrip with 1 hr wait: € 150,00)
- Outlet Lavanelle Outlet "Prada": € 145,00 (Roundtrip with 1 hr wait: € 210,00)
Ok, I hope I've covered most of your basic questions about using taxis in Florence - let me know in the comments below if I forgot something or if you find something to share from your own experience.
Last update: 12/12/2025
