Flights to Florence

If you are a fan of stylish European beers, breathtaking architectural buildings, famous historical monuments, museums, free roaming in a pleasant and safe city, amazing cuisine with an emphasis on authentic and fine Italian food – Florence, the city of the Renaissance and the capital of the Tuscany region, is undoubtedly one of your must-see destinations the globe.

Florence is considered one of the five must-see cities in Italy and the “Uffizi” gallery located in the city is even considered one of the five most popular attractions in Italy alongside well-known attractions such as the Colosseum and the Vatican. It is the first city in Europe where streets were paved (starting in 1339) and in very large parts of it you can enjoy a one-of-a-kind walking tour, consisting of sidewalks and roads restored from the same stones that were used for the old paving.

Important information to fly to Florence

The international airport of Florence is Peretola which is still identified with its old name Amerigo Vespucci. The airport is very close to the city and only about 4 km away from it. Those flying from Israel will enjoy a comfortable and safe flight path throughout most of the year and a flight of about four hours, directly to the second largest airport in Tuscany and one of the busiest ports in all of Italy. The largest airport in the Tuscany region It is located in Pisa and from there you can reach the city very conveniently, usually using the low-cost airlines. For those coming to the city who make a stopover at another airport, you should know that arrival times get longer as the stopover is longer and may even reach 7-10 additional hours.

Also, you should know that there are no direct flights between Israel and Florence and it is necessary to fly with a connection, or to land in another city in Italy such as Rome or Milan and from which to reach by another means of transportation. The only way to fly direct to Florence from Israel is through the Spanish company Vueling, whose excellent advantages we will expand on later.

The recommended season to fly to Florence

Throughout the year, a large number of flights arrive in Florence from connection destinations such as Rome or Milan, as well as other European cities such as Paris, Barcelona, ​​Amsterdam, Munich and more. Florence’s peak season is in the months of July-October, when you can find low-cost flight tickets at a price of around 600 euros. But those of you who can be flexible with your travel dates and aim for the months of February-March will be able to enjoy a much cheaper price. Another cheap option is to search for flights to Florence in the 90th minute and enjoy floor prices.

The load of visitors in the city during the peak season (mainly July-August) is one of the highest in Europe. About six million tourists visit here every year, most of them between the beginning of July and the middle of October! Beyond the high humidity that characterizes the summer months, huge queues and congestion form around the main attractions, especially at the Basilica of Santa Croce and Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo of Florence), which may “win” you with an exhausting wait of nearly two hours.

How to get to the city from the airport

cab

Fixed price of 20 euros, plus an additional euro for each suitcase. At rate 2 (night, holiday or Sunday) you will be charged an additional 2-3 euros. The station is at the exit of the central field building on the right and you can easily follow the signs to it.

bus (line 66)

At a cost of 6 euros per person. The station is right in front of the taxi station and the journey takes up to 25 minutes and every half hour. The operating hours of the line are 20:00-05:00 and it reaches the main station in Florence – Santa Maria Novella. From there you can easily reach the central hotels in the city, preferably by taxi if you are accompanied with luggage. Due to the high density of this line, you may find yourself standing the entire way, so you should demonstrate your Israeli skills, hurry a little when leaving the airport and get to the first line. The tickets are bought at the nearby box office or directly from the driver and also allows you to get an excess so that there is no need to run to the exchange to cash out the bills.

Private transportation

A convenient and ideal option for families with children or groups, with a cost starting at 13 euros. The trip is booked through the counters of the many shuttle companies that exist at the airport.

Shared transportation

From 8 euros per person and is suitable for individuals or groups who wish to save on travel costs by traveling together with other travelers. This shuttle can also be ordered from the airport itself.

Car Rental

Renting a car is one of the most convenient and popular ways to travel in Florence and Tuscany in particular. However, some important points:

The car rental companies are not active from around 19:00-18:00 and if your flight lands at night, you will have to spend the night in a hotel near the field or in Florence itself and come to pick up the car the next day.

The city is connected to the major highways in the country (including A4 and A5) leading to all the cities and desirable destinations in Tuscany as well as other cities such as Milan, Rome, Venice, Pisa, Verona and more.

The city center area, which is the heart of the tourist center and full of great attractions, is restricted to the entry of vehicles and this is regularly and strictly enforced by surveillance cameras. Therefore, it is recommended that you give the hotel the details of the car you rented in advance and they will pass the information on to the police so that you can enter without a fine or inconvenience.

Train coming from Rome

A comfortable and pleasant trip of about an hour and a half separates Rome and Florence and it is actually one of the best ways to reduce the cost of getting to the city. The cost of a train ticket is 45 euros.

Florence airport

Pertola Airport is not very big but is considered accessible, comfortable and very well equipped. It’s easy and simple to get to in any way you choose and it includes free Wi-Fi, charging areas, luggage storage (great for those in the city for a stopover or for travelers outside of Florence), ATMs active 24/7, friendly information desks, a modest but good variety of cafes, pizzerias and restaurants, a selection of duty free shops that include Italian and international brands, jewelry, perfumes, wines, food, fashion and gifts. The field is fully accessible to the disabled and is equipped with special telephones that provide assistance and guidance. In addition, edit the field to submit additional assistance if necessary and contact the airline for this.

Following the congestion in the city in the summer months, the field also becomes very busy and has long queues. It is recommended to arrive early at the check-in and check-in stations, as well as equip yourself with a luggage cart for the walk to the bus station to avoid carrying your luggage for a long time, which will surely cause delays on the way.

Low cost flights to Florence

As mentioned, the recommended months for the cheapest flight are February-March, but a flight around April-June or September-October can also be attractive and cheap. From November the temperatures drop significantly and of course the prices are firm, but keep in mind that most of the trip in the city is physical and done on foot so the weather is important.

Florence is considered a unique and unusual city in the Italian landscape and therefore many from the country and the world flock to it at every opportunity. Until about a decade ago, all visitors to the city had to pay dearly for a stay of a few days and were limited to booking through a very small number of airlines, including Israel’s El Al, Italy’s Alitalia, Switzerland’s Swiss Air, Germany’s Lufthansa and France’s Air France – all of which fly direct to Rome or Milan. In the past the price was also very expensive even though it was a flight with an intermediate stop. The low-cost revolution that led to a new price range made the visiting audience for the first time interested in connection flights to Florence as a very attractive way to travel, since the prices are significantly cut – 40%-30% of the normal price.

Today, travelers to Florence can enjoy a wide variety of well-known and attractive low-cost companies such as Rainier, EasyJet, West Air and others, which take a 3-hour flight to Rome and from there an additional flight of about 70-100 minutes to the airport in Florence. It is also possible to purchase a combined ticket where the flight to Rome is made through El Al and the continuation is made with another company such as Alitalia or Lufthansa.

The prices for a low-cost flight to Florence outside the tourist season range from 250 to 400 dollars per ticket (although it is advisable to compare prices through Travelist or Gulliver, which will also locate cheaper flights, depending on the date), when a significant increase in price occurs during the Christmas week when the price of the ticket can range around 500 dollar. In the requested month of April, the price is usually $500-600.

The cheaper the flight ticket, the longer the waiting time for the next flight from the stopover destination. On the other hand, the stop is made in a desirable European city, so it is worth considering an option to extend the trip and visit the connection city for a few hours, maybe even overnight. For those in a hurry who still want to get to Florence as quickly as possible, it would be correct to fly via Rome or Milan, which would allow the total flight time to be six and a half hours, of course depending on the wait at the airport.

And what does someone who is still interested in a direct flight do? It turns out that there is an excellent option for Israelis from Ben Gurion Airport. A direct flight to Florence can be made through the Spanish airline Vueling, which operates a weekly flight (or more, during the season) from Tel Aviv to Florence under low-cost conditions. The company offers the choice of a direct flight on certain dates of the year, while the rest of the time it includes a stopover in Barcelona (route of approximately 7 and a half hours). The company will be able to offer you a convenient choice between three flight routes under varying conditions in relation to the flight and the mode of flight, so the price can be cheap and economical especially for flights in the peak season – only about 250 euros!