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How to get from Rome to Florence
Popularly known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is where you’d want to go for the best of medieval art and culture. This old town produced legends – Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, among many others. And you can expect nothing but greatness here.
Visit the Uffizi and Accademia galleries for the most iconic European masterpieces, particularly the marble monument David. Walk the streets of the Historic Centre and marvel at how this ancient Etruscan settlement rose to become one of the wealthiest cities in the 15th century.
3 ways to get from Rome to Florence
The train is the most convenient way to travel the 275 km distance from Rome to Florence. Train fares start from €22.00 ($23.50) and the journey takes 1.5-4 hours. Other options include a 3.5 to 4-hour bus, a 3-hour flight (including transfers), and a 14-hour day trip. Rates range between €7.00 ($7.50) and €130.00 ($140).
We recommend taking the train from Rome to Florence for speed and comfort. Both train stations are within the city centres. Travel time with a regular train takes almost 4 hours and a ticket costs €22.00 ($23.50). High-speed trains are faster at only 1.5 hours, but fares start from €35.00 ($38).
The bus looks like a cheaper and faster alternative compared to the train, but this option requires additional rides. While bus tickets cost only €7.00 ($7.50), you need to spend more since the bus stations are located outside the Rome and Florence city centres. The estimated travel time (excluding transfers to and from bus stations) is 3.5-4 hours.
We don’t think it’s worth taking a flight for this route. Although the flight itself takes only 55 minutes, you’ll need extra time for airport transfers plus waiting time for your flight. With airfares from €101.60 ($110), it would be faster and cheaper to take a high-speed train. Also, note that flights are only available between the months of April and October.
TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.
Planning to visit Florence for just a day? You can get a 14-hour day trip from Rome to Florence with rates from €130.00 ($140). Although this is a very convenient option, we really think you would need a few days to fully appreciate the capital of Tuscany.
Rome to Florence by Train
When it comes to a combination of speed, affordability, and convenience, the train is the best choice to get from Rome to Florence.
You can choose from 2 main types of trains.
Regionale trains
Regionale trains are the slowest trains and offer the fewest departures for this route with only 9 trips daily. They have the longest travel time of more than 3.5 hours but are the cheapest at €22.00 ($23.50).
High-speed trains
If you’re looking to get to Florence more quickly, you can choose high-speed trains like NVT, Italo, and Frecciarossa. They offer multiple departures every hour from morning to night, so you can be very flexible with your schedule.
With high-speed trains like this, travel time is 1.5-2 hours with rates from €35.00 ($38).
Train schedules from Rome to Florence
You can buy your tickets at the train station or easily book them online beforehand. For the full schedule and online booking, you can visit Omio and BookAway.
Departure and arrival station
There are two departure stations in Rome: Roma Termini and Roma Tiburtina. These train stations are about 5 kms away from each other with the Quadriportico Verano Cemetery between them.
The trains arrive at Florence’s Santa Maria Novella Train Station, just a few meters away from the famous basilica of the same name.
Rome to Florence by Bus
If you’re looking for budget-friendly transport, then the bus is your best option. Bus tickets from Rome to Florence cost only €7.00 ($7.50) and travel time is around 3.5-4 hours, not much different from the regional trains that are 3x more expensive.
There’s a catch, though. Unlike trains, bus departure and arrival points are located outside the city centres of both Rome and Florence. That means additional travel time and extra cost on train, tram, or taxi rides to and from the bus terminals.
Bus schedules from Rome to Florence
PRO-Tip: Sometimes, FlixBus offers rare bus prices as low as €8.00 ($8.50). If that matches with the day of your trip, then lucky you!
If you want to get the best rates possible, then book your tickets online beforehand. They may not be as cheap as you want if you buy them at the bus station on the day of your trip. Itabus can be booked via Omio, while FlixBus tickets are available on its own website.
Departure and arrival station
All buses depart from Rome Tiburtina Bus Station, located about 8 km east of the city centre. You can get there via a 20-minute Metro ride.
Most buses will drop you off at Villa Constanza in Scandicci. From here, you are to take a 25-minute tram ride to Florence city centre. Some evening Flixbus trips head to Piazzale Montelungo which is nearer to the city centre.
Rome to Florence by Flight
There is also an option to take a flight from Rome to Florence, but this is only available from April to October. And even when it’s available, we don’t recommend it.
Although a flight between the two cities take only 55 minutes, both of their airports are located a little bit outside their city centres.
If you add the transfer time to and from the airports and the waiting time for your flight, you won’t save time compared to taking a regional train or a bus. High-speed trains are faster and cheaper.
Still thinking of taking a flight? Check out the detailed guide below.
Step 1: Rome City Centre to Fiumicino Airport
Flights operating the Rome to Florence route depart from Fiumicino Airport. To get here from the city centre, you can take a bus, train or taxi.
The cheapest option is a 45-minute bus that departs from Roma Termini. You can choose between Sitbus and Terravision with multiple daily trips between the airport and city centre. A ticket costs €5.00 ($5).
Looking for other ways to travel the 30 km distance from Rome city centre to Fiumicino Airport? You can also take a 30-minute train that costs €14.00 ($15) or a 40-minute taxi with fares from €48.00 ($52).
Step 2: Rome to Florence by Flight
There are 2 daily ITA Airways flights that operate the Rome to Florence route from April to October. Airfares start from €95.00 ($100) and flight time is 55 minutes.
Flights arrive at Florence Airport, located around 7 km northwest of the city centre.
Step 3: Florence Airport to City Centre by Tram
Taking a tram is the fastest way to get from Florence Airport to the city centre. The T2 tram station is located just outside the train station.
From Peretola Aeroporto to Unita Station in the city centre, travel time is around 20 minutes and a ticket costs €1.60 ($1.70). Trains depart every 11 minutes from 05:00 to 00:30.
Once at Unita station, you can either walk to your hotel or transfer to Santa Maria Novella Train Station. This is where you can take a train or another tram to your destination in the city.
Alternatively, you can take a 25-minute shuttle bus that costs €6.00 ($6.50) or a 20-minute taxi with fares from €25.00 ($27).
Rome to Florence by Day Trip
A day tour is a good option if you don’t have much time to explore the Renaissance streets of Florence.
GetYourGuide offers various day trip options from Rome to Florence. One of the cheapest tours costs €130.00 ($140) per person and already includes a side trip to Pisa and its iconic Leaning Tower. The tour takes 14 hours.
Book a Day Trip with GetYourGuide
For what it’s worth, we think that Florence deserves more than a single day. Apart from its many attractions, it’s also a good basecamp for other tourist destinations in Tuscany.
Ela is a storyteller, content producer, solo traveller and a mermaid-in-training. When she’s not in front of her laptop, you will find her barefoot and living her best tan on some island in the Philippines… Or exploring the depths of its seas as a budding freediver. An island girl at heart, she’ll be happy anywhere there is sea, sand, sun and coffee.
Based in Bali, Maarten’s passion for travel is undeniable. In 2016, he decided to quit his job as a stock analyst and started doing what he always dreamed of: travelling through South East Asia and helping other people plan their trips. When he is not working on Gecko Routes, you’ll find him surfing in the ocean or exploring the best gems of Indonesia.
