How to get from Rome to Florence on your own: by train from Termini and Tiburtina Stations, by bus or car? Distance, travel time, ticket prices 2026, what do you need to know? Is it possible to get to Florence from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, and how to do it – see the Eurotraveler article.
You won’t get enough of Rome alone – sooner or later any tourist will realize this rather simple truth. In the sense that the Forum and the Colosseum, sunrises and sunsets, pizza in Trastevere and the Coppede quarter are beautiful and wonderful, but after all, are there other cities in Italy that deserve the most attention?!
Therefore, after seeing the main sights of Rome in about 3-4 days, the traveler thinks about where to go next. That is, perhaps he does this even before arriving in Italy – a ready-made route or at least a general idea of the next direction of travel saves a lot of (valuable) travel time.
Wouldn’t you agree that when the opportunity to see something new and interesting comes up, it’s a sin not to take advantage of the chance?! And in this sense, the capital of Tuscany looks especially interesting – you can get from Rome to Florence by train in just 1.5 hours.
I mean, on the fastest and most expensive, the Frecciarossa, the Red Arrow. More thoughtful and non-stop trains take from 3.5 hours to cover the ~270 km distance between Rome and Florence. And yes, you will have to make a transfer along the way.
Is the game worth the candle, that is, the money? Again, maybe that’s the way to go: drive slowly, mentally preparing yourself to get a better look at Florence? And then stay in this city for a night or even two – which you definitely won’t regret later?
You’ll have to think about this yourself – we’ll just provide you with the actual facts.
Trains
One way or another, railway traveling is the easiest and almost eliminates any nervous movements to get from Rome to Florence. Therefore, in fact, it is practiced by the vast majority of travelers!
You need to act as follows!
Studying the schedule on the website trenitalia.com. Figuring out exactly what time you should leave. Buying tickets online there.
If you are not sure to the last whether you will go, do not have a valid bank card in Italy, or simply do not trust the Internet, make a purchase at the train station (Termini or Tiburtine).
Next, you arrive at the selected station with tickets or without them. And then get what you need in a battle with the terminal or by explaining the matter the cashier (not everyone understand English).
Tickets must be validated in a special vending machine before boarding (there is no need to validate tickets purchased online – they contain the train number and departure time).
After that, you dive into the “Red Arrow” and arrive at the place in 1.5 hours. There, at Florence’s central station, Santa Maria Novella (Firenze S. M. Novella – FSMN), disembark and go explore the city.
Buying a ticket right before the trip is a costly event. For an adult traveler to travel on the upcoming Frecciarossa train from Rome to Florence will cost 55 €. You will have to spend the same amount on the way back if you intend to return to the starting point. And yes, children can count on a discount.
If you buy a ticket about a month before the trip, you will have to pay much less, starting from 33 (approximately) euros one way.
Trains run frequently, about once every 35-40 minutes. And even if you plan to visit Florence in May or June, which are very popular months among tourists, you will almost certainly be able to buy them for today or tomorrow.
Intercity
In addition to the direct Frecciarossa express trains, which run like wildfire without stopping, Intercity trains also serve the direction, providing 1 or 2 transfers. Tickets for them are decently cheaper – from € 24.5, but you will spend a lot more time on the way.
By Bus
This method also does not involve significant energy expenditure. And it is especially suitable for those who:
- A. Not in a hurry.
B. Want to see the region at least briefly (so that later – yeah – to draw up a plan of traveling around Tuscany by car)
Again, a ride from Rome to Florence by bus will please thrifty people, since it costs significantly less than the railway option. For certain (not too convenient because evening) time intervals, a ticket can be purchased for €11-12. This is if you decide on the same day or the day before – a month before departure, you can buy it for €7-9.
You will have to travel by bus much longer: from 3’15 to 4 hours! But it is unlikely that you will have to suffer: all cars are equipped with toilets and free Wi-Fi points.
One way or another, the length of the trip can have a significant impact on the program of the visit. First of all, because it is difficult to see Florence in 1 day, and even not arriving early in the morning.
As a result, in most cases, you will have to stay overnight. And then, perhaps, on 1, 2, 3 more – Florence is a city that makes you fall in love with yourself with incredible ease.
Must be considered!
There is a caveat – Flixbus buses do not arrive in the center of the capital of Tuscany, but at the Florence Villa Constanza Bus Station parking lot. From which you still need to get to the center of Florence by tram (T1.3). And that’s at least another half hour of time – if you decide to use the same Firenze S. M. Novella as the starting point.
Admittedly, this is not too critical if you are going to stay at least 1 night. But it’s better for day travelers to get to Florence from Rome by fast or slow train.
By the way, buses depart from the “Eternal City” from Tiburtina, the second largest railway station in the capital. Or from the main bus station of the Italian capital, Anagnina. Anagnina Station – Line A is a diagram of the Rome metro.
Where to Stay Overnight
We recommend that you pay attention to Il Villino Rosa Apartments. Which are located near Santa Maria Novella Train Station and about 1.5 km from Palazzo Vecchio. You can’t call them cheap at first glance… but expensive, too.
In our opinion, the price of 170-180 euros (together with city taxes) per day for three people looks more than reasonable for a city like Florence. Again, you will not stay in a room of 15 m2, but in an apartment of 40 m2. With a simple kitchen!
By Car
This option is suitable for solid and self-confident travelers. Because Italians drive carefully, but quickly and impulsively.
And the traffic even on toll highways on weekends and holidays is such that you should not relax for a second. Especially when you consider that there are enough sections with a speed limit of 130 km/h.
However, on provincial free highways, it is also better to control yourself and not be distracted by the beauty passing by. Because there are many roundabouts.
Anyway, the journey time from Rome to Florence by car is from 3 hours.
There are even traffic jams on expressways, and they sometimes occur unexpectedly. Suddenly, the brakes start to slow down sharply ahead and the traffic stops in three or four lanes at once.
The cost of a trip may shake considerations about its expediency. Since you will have to pay about €20 just for driving on the toll highway in one direction. Another 40 euros will be spent on fuel payments – car “food” is very expensive in Italy.
Add here the cost of renting a car and possible fines from unseen cameras. There are also difficulties with parking – it’s easy to find a convenient place for a car in Florence only on Sundays and public holidays. When even in paid parking lots you can park your four-wheeled friend for free.
By the way, the ZTL zone (Zona Traffico Limitato – you can’t enter there without a special permit) in the Tuscan capital stretches as far as two banks of the Arno River. And entering it can lead to unpleasant consequences for cash deposits.
How to Get from Rome Airport
The most “cool” tourists, who are not going to stay in the Italian capital at all, go to Florence directly from Rome’s main airport, Fiumicino. Let’s assume that it’s not on an airplane, as connecting flights is often not the easiest and fastest procedure. Let’s also note the taxi: the fee of €400-500 for such a trip is beyond our understanding.
There are three ways left, and all of them are “variations on the theme” of the above.
For example, from Rome Fiumicino airport you can get to Termini or Tiburtina by Leonardo Express (more expensive) or bus (twice as cheap). Then you know.
You can also get into a rental car directly in Fiumicino. And having slightly rearranged the route (the navigator in your smartphone will help you), go in the chosen direction. In this case, the journey will take about the same amount of time as if you had started from Rome itself.
It won’t work any other way, since there are no direct buses (or trains) from Rome airport to Florence…
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© Eurotraveler
