How To Get To Tuscany

Written By: Andrea Spallanzani
Reviewed by: Rick Orford
How & Why We Created This Article

This article has been written, reviewed, and fact-checked by Rick and I. We live in Italy and travel throughout the country to help you make the best choices for your trip. We wrote this piece to ensure you have the best trip possible on your next trip to Italy. Portions of this article have been written using assistive AI tools to help with tasks like research, spell-checking, grammar, and translation.

Last Updated March 11, 2024

Checklist:

  • checkedKey takeaways
  • checkedSubheading/Tagline
  • checked1-2 Tables (preferably somewhere near the top/middle of the article)
  • checked3-5 statistics of facts about the place or subject (bold it and highlight in blue)
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Answered PAA’s:

  • Is Tuscany closer to Rome or Florence?
  • What is the best month to visit Tuscany?

Key Takeaways:

  • Tuscany, located in central Italy, offers a unique blend of city life and rural villages, making transportation options essential for exploring the entire region.
  • There are two primary international airports in Tuscany: Galileo Galilei International Airport in Pisa and Amerigo Vespucci Airport in Florence, both with frequent connections to major European cities.
  • To fully experience Tuscany, it’s recommended to combine various transportation options, including renting a car to explore small towns and using public transportation like buses and trains for cities.

Tagline:

  • Explore Tuscany’s blend of city charm and rural beauty with transportation insights.

Table:

How To Get To Tuscany

Wondering how to get to Tuscany? Tuscany is a region located in central Italy that consists of 10 provinces with a  population of over 3.6 million residents. The two most notable cities in Tuscany are Florence and Pisa. Fodor describes Tuscany as having gorgeous views at every turn.

What makes Tuscany so unique is its combination of city life and rural villages. This makes transportation options necessary to explore the entire region fully. When visiting Tuscany on your own or with company, please take advantage of all it has to offer!

There are several inexpensive flights to Italy, generally to the larger international airports in Milan or Rome. For example, you can easily rent a car, drive to Tuscany, or take a train to Florence.

You can also find flights that fly into Pisa, Bologna, or Florence (from other European hubs) to get closer to your destination without needing extra travel.

The major car rental companies have offices at the major airports and the central train stations (Firenze SMN). Flying into Florence will put you right in the center of things, with most major attractions within walking distance of the central train station (Firenze SMN).

It’s simple enough to visit Tuscany from various parts of Europe by car or train, but there are also great deals with low-cost air carriers such as Ryan Air (which flies both to Pisa and Bologna). Traveling by rail is a smart option to see other areas in Italy.

AspectInformation
Best Airports1. Florence Airport (Peretola)
2. Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei)
Transportation– Car rental available at major airports
Options– Train services connecting major cities
– Bus services also available
Recommended ModeCar rental for exploring small towns and villages
International FlightsMultiple airlines serve Pisa, including RyanAir,
easyJet, Lufthansa, British Airways, and more
Travel PassesRail passes for train travel available
LanguageItalian is predominant; some English in cities
DrivingInternational driver’s license recommended

By Air: Tuscany’s Primary Airports are Florence and Pisa.

Tuscany has two international airports, the Galileo Galilei International Airport in Pisa and the Amerigo Vespucci Airport, also known as Peretola, in Florence. The Pisa airport is the biggest of the two airports, and it receives around 4 million passengers every year. Pisa airport is located about 80-kilometer from Florence.

Both airports have frequent connections to major European cities. Pisa is the central hub for most European scheduled flights, so tickets into Pisa may be easier to come by if you’re coming from Europe.

If you’re flying from further abroad, most airlines connect to a central hub city in Europe, and, from there, you can fly to Pisa or Florence. I suggest flying into Florence if you’re planning to use Florence as your base, as it is more comforting after a long flight not to take any further long trains or buses.

Landing in Florence rather than Pisa might be more convenient if your itinerary takes you through a tour of Tuscany. It depends on your touring plans and the place where you will be spending most of your time in Tuscany.

The Pisa Airport – Galileo Galilei

For information on arrivals and departures and airport services, contact the Information Desk in the Arrivals Area of the terminal. Every day from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. There is a desk where you may get information. In Pisa, there is no tourism info station at the airport.

There are around 22 airlines which you can travel to 74 destinations, some of the flights flying in and out of Pisa are the following:

  • RyanAir
  • easyJet
  • Lufthansa
  • British Airways
  • Alitalia
  • Qatar
  • Finnair
  • Norwegian
  • SAS
  • Vueling
  • Turkish Airlines

Daily Left Luggage/Luggage Storage

If you have luggage and wish to see Pisa for the day, you may leave it with the airline at the airport. Every day, including Sundays and holidays, the Information Desk (same as above) provides a Left Luggage service.

Every day from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. You may check your luggage; pick-up times are from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Each bag costs €7. Every bag will be x-rayed at the left baggage counter as if it were hand or hold luggage going on a plane.

If you’re traveling by train from Pisa later, do not leave your luggage at the airport rather than at the Pisa Central railway station. Profer Cooperativa, a cooperative that runs the baggage deposit at the airport, costs €5 per bag and is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am to 9 pm.

Getting around Tuscany from Pisa Airport

By Car

 The Pisa International Airport has direct access to the Firenze-Pisa-Livorno dual carriageway (Pisa Centro – Aeroporto exit), the Genova-Rosignano A12 motorway (Pisa Centro exit), the Firenze-Pisa A11 road.

The station is connected to the Pisa Central Station by a People Mover bus shuttle that runs every 5-8 minutes from 6 am until midnight (from there, you may take trains to other cities, including Florence and Lucca).

The train shuttle service’s terminal is immediately adjacent to the passenger hall. You may also take the bus or a taxi to get to the heart of Pisa. Notably, Pisa attracts over 1 million visitors every year, so the place might get a bit crowded sometimes. If you need a car to get around in Tuscany, the airport is home to many of the biggest rental companies, and It takes about a three-hour drive by car from either direction.

By Train

If you fly into Pisa and need to get to Florence, take the new PisaMover shuttle from the airport to Pisa Centrale train station and then a train to Florence.

Use the rail to travel around Tuscany. The main railway stations are in Grosseto, Pisa, and Florence. These cities, as well as Siena, Lucca, San Gimignano, Arezzo, and Volterra, may all be reached by train easily.

Tickets and rail passes may be purchased at any railway station. Rail Europe sells advanced rail passes if you travel from the United States. A rail pass will allow you to go anywhere on the train network for a set amount of time without limit. In addition, some train stations have a connecting bus service that will transport you to some more rural regions.

By Bus

A few bus companies also depart from the airport to Tuscany. You may purchase tickets when you arrive at both.

Getting to Tuscany from Florence Airport

Airport To Tuscany

By Bus Or Car

If you are traveling to Tuscany, landing at Florence airport is always the best option because of its proximity to Tuscany, which also makes Florence the best option to set your base from

The airport at Florence has direct access to the Firenze-Pisa A11 motorway and the A1 “Autostrada del Sole.” It’s on the northwestern outskirts of Florence. A taxi or bus takes you to Tuscany and the city center. It is approximately a 15 to 30 minutes drive from Florence airport.

Rent a car to take you to the sites of Tuscany at your leisure. While there are major cities in Tuscany, the bulk consists of little towns and villages that are best seen by cars. Hertz and Avis provide major rental car companies from Tuscany’s airports.

The Auto Europe website is an excellent resource for locating cheap automobile rentals in Tuscany. Remember that manual transmission vehicles are the standard in Europe; if you need one, inquire about an automatic option when reserving your rental vehicle.

Get an international driver’s license if you want to drive in Tuscany. It’s a good idea to learn a little Italian in rural regions, where you’re less likely to encounter people who speak English. However, if you are still unsure where to stay in Tuscany, feel free to check this out.

FAQs:

What is the best month to visit Tuscany?

The optimal time for traveling to Tuscany falls between mid-to-late spring (April to May) and early autumn (September to October). During these seasons, the Tuscan landscape reaches peak vibrancy and the weather tends to be agreeable, with temperatures ranging from approximately 63°F to 79°F.

Is Tuscany closer to Rome or Florence?

The Tuscan border lies roughly 120 to 160 kilometers north of Rome, varying by location. By car, the nearest Tuscan towns require around a 1.5-hour drive from Rome. Florence, the capital of Tuscany, sits 273 km (170 miles) to the north of Rome, which equates to approximately a 3-hour drive or 1.5 hour high-speed train ride.

Final Words

While Tuscany may be best known for its sprawling vineyards and picturesque rolling hills, the region is also home to several beautiful cities and small towns.

To fully explore all that Tuscany has to offer, it is necessary to combine various transportation options. After arriving at the nearest airport (Florence), the best way to travel around the region is by car.

This allows you to easily access the many small towns and villages that comprise most of Tuscany. However, when exploring the cities, it is best to take advantage of public transportation options such as buses and trains.

By combining all of these transportation options, you will be able to fully experience all that Tuscany has to offer.