Ok, confused a bit here. Looked at several hotels in downtown Florence and they offer hotel shuttles from the airport in the range of 60-80 Euros. I went to taxifarefinder.com to see what a taxi could cost and it comes out around 20-25 euros. What gives? Is it difficult to get a taxi at the airport or why would they charge so much more?
Thanks!
Why do they charge you so much more? Because they can. Take a taxi.
Around the world, private car transfer services are nearly always considerably more expensive than a taxi (the differences in much of Asia are huge). Rome is a bit of an exception - taxi is 48Euro to/from FCO and you can get a private vehicle transfer for 55Euro (although some hotels charge much more).
Taxi fares are fixed price from the FLR airport to the city. See the table at:
http://www.aeroporto.firenze.it/en/the-passengers/transport/taxi.html
Taxis should charge a fixed price between 20 and 25 euros, more expensive by night and on festive days, plus a fee per piece of baggage between the airport and any destinations in the Florence centre. They are usually plentiful at the airport, if to many travellers arrive at the same time you just wait and other taxis will come.
It may be more difficult to get a taxi early in the morning for going back to the airport, so I usually reserve a taxi when I have to leave for the airport.
In Florence taxis must charge a flat fee from the historical center to the airport (or vice versa). It's 20 euro. Night and early morn there is a night surcharge of about 4 euro. The luggage charge is one euro per piece of luggage. The most I've ever spent is 28 euro, but that was from my house, on the opposite side of town in Florence. I never had to wait for more than 5 to 10 min for a taxi either. It might be anecdotal evidence, but 27 years living in Florence and about 40 times visiting since is a good size sample for any statistical survey.
jeremy,
There is an airport shuttle which is fairly cheap. Have a look at THIS website for more information.
I'd also suggest using a Taxi. The airport is only a short distance from the city and as Roberto mentioned they charge a flat rate. As I recall, my last bill for transport from the airport to Firenze SMN was €24.
Great, that's what I figured. Thanks everyone!
Never use a shuttle in Europe to get to the airport; they are often unreliable and a no show on the way to the airport or (as once happened to me in Rome) an incompetent shuttle driver who burns an hour aimlessly wandering through the outskirts lost and trying to find the last passenger can really mess up your trip. In the case of the lost shuttle driver who was literally asking old ladies on street corners for directions, we would have missed the plane out of FCO if I had not over my family's objections ordered the thing an hour earlier than the recommended timing. We only just barely made the plane as it was.
Hotel arranged 'shuttles' or cars involve a kickback to the hotel and are usually much more expensive. Hotels do not as a rule have their own shuttles as is common in the US.
