driving in florence

There is nothing to fear about driving to Florence.
Most Italian towns have restricted access to motor vehicles to their ancient historical centers (including Pisa). Basically only residents with permit (along with transit, police, emergency vehicles) are allowed to drive in the ancient historical core of those towns.
However there are no restrictions outside of the historical center.
The restricted traffic area is called Zona Traffico Limitato (Limited Traffic Zone) and at all entrances it has the road sign below.
http://www.lagazzettaennese.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ztl.jpg
The white round sign with red border is the International road sign symbol for NO MOTOR VEHICLES ALLOWED. Unfortunately the US has adopted only some road signs from the international road signage system ,but not this one.

If you intend to have a car while in Florence, it is advisable to find a hotel outside the ZTL area, so basically outside the ancient historical core of the city. Some hotels may give you a temporary access to the ZTL, but I find it more convenient to stay outside of the historical center altogether with a car. There are hotels that are just outside of the ZTL but still within a short distance from the sights. Tell me what your budget is, and I can suggest some.

There was a time you could download a ZTL map of Florence from this webpage:
http://en.comune.fi.it/administration/mobility/florence_by_car.html

They still offer the link, but the file is broken. Everyone, please write them and ask them to fix the link. It's possible they are updating the map, and they are very slow at updating in Italy. They need to be nudged.

In the meantime, you can go here to get an idea of the same thing:
https://www.autoeurope.com/italy-ztl-zones/. Click on the "larger map" icon to see more detail.

For many years, before I had a ZTL permit, I parked my car at Parcheggio Sotterraneo Parterre, just north of Piazza della Libertà. I found it easy to use and reach by car. It's open 24 hours and an enjoyable walk to the city center. Taxis are easy to call, as well. There are other parking lots on the outskirts of the city, depending on what may be convenient for your needs.

Parcheggio Sotterraneo Parterre
Via Madonna della Tosse, 9
+39 055 5030 2209

I would say there is plenty to fear about driving in Florence, especially if you've never driven in Italy before, or if you're a timid, non-aggressive driver. I am neither, so I enjoy the madness. But madness it can be. Good luck.

Are you aware that traveling between countries there could be a huge drop off fee.

I wondered about where the OP was planning on dropping off the car, too. Since she's new to the forum I wasn't sure if she was aware of the huuuuuge drop off fees if they drop in a different country. Hopefully they're circling back to France.

Appreciate all replies...we would not be dropping the car off , just leaving it while visiting for a few days in Florence..we are aware of the cost of dropping off rental vehicles. Have decided to just drive into Florence and put up with the traffic congestion etc.

Please read this, then download their PDF.

https://www.italybeyondtheobvious.com/dont-mess-with-ztl-zones

You CANNOT drive into Florence unless you plan on incurring large fines!

Have decided to just drive into Florence and put up with the traffic
congestion etc.

PLEASE DO NOT just drive into Florence. PLEASE read and heed all the info you can find about the ZTLs . Otherwise you could unknowingly end up with hundreds of Euros in fines.

Three rules for driving in Florence: don't do it, don't do it, don't do it. While I believe the ZTLs are well signed, anyone can make a mistake, especially with an impatient local tailgating you and honking, etc. ZTL mistakes cost $300-400 each.

I am looking forward to the post trip report on how the visit to Florence went. And then the one six months later.

The ztl fines and added rental company processing charges could easily exceed the steep charges of a car drop in another country.
With so little information in the post it’s hard to gauge what amount of knowledge you have regarding Italy’s traffic laws and ztl’s. The idea expressed conveys you may be under the wrong impression about this. People here are trying to help you avoid several hundred $ in fines. Recently a visitor to Italy came back here and shared her $750 in fines she racked up in about 20 minutes driving into Florence passing through ztl’s and that she wished she had taken the time to prepare, The ztl boundaries in Florence are confusing.

Take a train.
Ps granted I am a casual observer but the scooter seemed to be the preferred vehicle among Florence residents.

Joe, me too . ;)

I think that the ZTL fears are overblown, unless you are like this American tourist driving in Florence

LOL, Roberto!

OK, so you've gotten the red flags about ZTLs, which apply to other places in Italy and not just Florence. Ticketing is also possible for things like driving very slightly over highway speed limits and straying into bus lanes. Some posters have driven umpty times in Italy without incident, and others have managed to unconsciously wrack up considerable tickets... which don't arrive until long after the fact, and all caught on camera. So it's a matter of doing the homework and having your wits about you.

The link Gerri provided is excellent. It even has a link to a map of Florence showing all the areas of the city. That plus the free download might help you avoid any costly surprises in the months following your trip.

Another potentially helpful resource is this free download from Gemut.com. It covers more than Italy.

I think that the ZTL fears are overblown...

I agree. I noticed the ZTL's were prominently marked in Florence, as well as all the other towns and cities we visited.

Whether the OP or others choose to drive in Florence is another matter. We stayed in Greve and at the recommendation of Gino at our agriturismo, we opted to take a public bus to Florence. I noticed the traffic there was congested as it is in Rome. From our bus I watched a lot of "free form driving". I feel I could have handled it, but I don't think I would be comfortable driving in some of the bottleneck areas. We came in from the south, I don't know how the traffic is coming in from the north.

I would just take the trains if it was me...Travel light, relax and enjoy!

Full disclosure. I have driven in many major American cities. I would never consider driving in Europe, especially in Italy. I've seen how people drive in Rome and Florence. In fact, it made me a far more prayerful person than I normally am.

I love public transport in Europe for this very reason.

Please read this, then download their PDF.

Some of the information in the italybeyondtheobvious PDF may be outdated, including the map. If you want "official" and up-to-date information, it's best to contact the Comune you plan to drive in. If their PDF download is broken, ask them to fix it. You not only will be helping yourself, you will be spreading the love and helping every other smart traveler.

Another warning: Addendum regarding Florence ZTL, November 18th, 2016 on that webpage tells a typical story -- an Italian business telling the customer one thing and the local police in Italy contradicting the business. Securing precise, up-to-date information, especially for the ZTL zones in Florence, is not easy.

The bottom line: if you're the type of traveler who is willing to throw caution to the wind, budget your trips accordingly. Wealthy people have no problem paying their ZTL fines when visiting Italy. And Florence is happy to take their money.

There is a scene from National Lampoon's European Vacation which bears watching. This was me in Rome in the 1970s and in Paris in the 1990s. Watch and learn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAgX6qlJEMc

Full disclosure. I have driven in many major American cities. I would never consider driving in Europe, especially in Italy.

Full disclosure. I have driven in many major American cities, including LA, Boston, NYC, Atlanta, New Orleans, Washington DC, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle.

I love driving in Europe , including Italy. As wonderful as their public transportation is, there are places off the beaten path difficult or impossible to reach without a car. I remember standing in the ruins of an Iron Age brach (fort) in a remote area on the northernmost part of the Isle of Skye. I remember taking a wrong turn in Tuscany and winding up in a charming area way away from any bus or train lines.

We choose our use of cars and public transportation wisely. A car is more trouble than it is worth in big cities. That's why we either stay outside of the cities and commute into the center of town or not rent a car if we are just hitting the big cities.

Don't drive in Europe. That will keep all the charming out of the way places we've discovered from being overrun by tourists.

return rental car in Pisa, take train to Florence