My son is flying into Rome at the end of August, to study at the College in Florence.
What is the best way to get to Florence. Train or Bus.. How much does it cost, how long does it take to get to Florence.?
Is the bus or train better ?
Thank you in advance for any advice . Andrew Ludwig, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
Use the search function here. It is a frequently asked and answered question. Easiest is train. A couple of direct trains each day from the airport to Florence. All others require a train change in Termini (Rome's main train station). Train service to Florence is hourly and 30 min service to Termini. Total train time 2.5 to 3 hrs add another hour for waiting or changing trains. Max cost about 50 euro but probably closer to 45.
We just bought our tickets at the train station at FCO when doing this so we didn't have to worry about a late plane. The agent at the train station for the Termini Express will sell you a ticket for the next train to Florence you can easily catch -- I assume he would do so for the FCO/Florence train as well. When we last did this we needed to take the train to Termini and get the Florence fast train there. (you really don't want to try to buy that ticket at Termini which is a big confusing crowded station and with long lines for tickets). This way if your plane is early you don't have to wait and if it is late you don't have to worry. Last minute tickets are more expensive but to us the lack of worrying about it was worth it.
As a parent whose daughter studied in Europe as well, one of the things you hope for is that the experience makes them more competent adults. Your son can certainly scope this out and take charge of it; it is not complicated or daunting.
Hi Andrew. Is your son going to study at the Academy of the Arts in Florence? My son is going to study there in the fall and he is also going to fly into Rome for the 1-week Introduction to Italian Culture class. I don't know if your son is in the same program but I was hoping that transportation from Rome to Florence would be included for the group.
My husband & I will be visiting our son for a few days at the end of September and then we are going to travel to Rome to begin a Globus "Best of Italy & France" tour. Our plan is to take the train from Florence to Rome. I have explored options and there are several trains per day and the fares seem reasonable.
I hope your son has a great trip!
Dawn Levesque, Moline, IL USA
The walk up price for Roma Termini to Firenze S.M.N station is 48 EUR. The Leonardo Express from the airport to Roma Termini is 14 EUR. Just buy tickets when he gets through immigration with his luggage. If the timing works and he can make one of the 2 direct trains a day, ticket is 56 EUR. Also, if he wants to save 6 EUR, he can take the local regionale train to Roma Tiburtina station and get to Florence from there. Trains are pretty much every half hour during the day.
