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Where to sleep in Florence when traveling by car?

Traveling around Florence by car can be a real challenge, do you want to know more? Here are our tips for staying in Florence and avoiding Limited Traffic Zones.

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Where to sleep in Florence when traveling by car?

Florence is a city full of charm and full of problems for those who are driving! Since most of its area is restricted to vehicle traffic, it is not difficult to get a fine there. Thinking about how to help you avoid this problem, we made a very special post about: where to sleep in Florence traveling by car? Here at Your Travel to Italy with Ana Patricia you make the trip of your dreams!!! ALSO: see our “Accommodation in Italy – Tips for your holidays!”

Introduction

Florence is the cradle of the Italian Renaissance! An open air museum, with gardens, monuments, churches and more! Everything is extremely well maintained, but to keep everything in order, there are some measures to be taken, one of which is to restrict vehicle traffic in some parts of the city. Unfortunately the most restricted areas are the most sought after by tourists and include the city center. Also visit our section on Driving in Italy!

It is not difficult to find someone on social media complaining that they received one (two, three) ticket because they did not know about the restriction or because they did not notice that they were in a ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato – Limited Traffic Zone). Well, we have some tips to avoid this kind of thing and, besides, we will give you some suggestions of where to sleep in Florence if you are traveling by car.

About the Historic Center of Florence

Well, first of all it is important to know that the most important part of Florence is, of course, its historic center, as this is where the most visited tourist attractions are concentrated. It is PERFECT to be toured on foot, because there you will find an attraction next to the other, literally! If you do not enter any attraction, you can walk the entire center in just half an hour. However, consider that the average car park value for hotels in this area costs around 25 to 32 Euros, so it is more interesting to stay outside the historic center.

Where to sleep in Florence when traveling by car?
Florence Map (Source: Visit Firenze)

The historic center of Florence is highlighted on the map, within the yellow demarcation, and this part is the oldest in the city, therefore, the best preserved. If you are driving, it is important to know that in this area is the ZTL of Florence, that is: there, YOU CANNOT GET IN WITH THE CAR! (only exceptions such as official and / or authorized cars). In this area the chance of getting a fine is very high, so: avoid it!

Attention

  • If you opted for a hotel within the historic center, remember to apply for Traffic Authorization to the Hotel BEFORE you get there! They will ask you for information such as the license plate, estimated time of arrival, name and document in order to issue the authorization and, only then, will you be able to enter ZTL without any problem, O.K.?
  • Remember that when you pass any sign where there is the ZTL you will automatically get a FINE, so immediately inform the hotel front desk your car’splate so that the person in charge of the Hotel informs the Comune to remove the fine !!!

1) Where to sleep in Florence when traveling by car? OUTSIDE THE FINES REGION – CLOSE TO ATTRACTIONS

A tip to avoid problems with fines: it is better to stay OUTSIDE the historic center region. Where? See below some neighborhoods that we indicate.

Santa Maria Novella

A very good place to stay is close to Santa Maria Novella Station (SMN), which is just a 5 minute walk from the historic center. Piazza San Marco, Piazza Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio and Piazza Santa Maria Novella (St Mark’s Square, Santa Croce Square, Vecchio Bridge and Santa Maria Novella Square). If you INSIST on staying in the heart of the city, I suggest you choose a hotel between Piazza San Marco, Piazza Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio and Piazza Santa Maria Novella. They are incredible areas to stay and stay close to the main points.

Oltrarno

If you prefer to stay outside the busy center, a good suggestion is to stay at Oltrarno. It is south of the Arno River and very close to the craft shops; from there to Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens there is a short distance, easily done on foot. Santo Spirito nell’Oltrarno Square has great hotels.

Tip

  • If you don’t like movement, noise or if you have a light sleep, choose internal rooms, not the ones at the front of the hotel, because as they are facing the street, especially if you are traveling during high season, the movement in the streets will until late at night, then you may have trouble sleeping.

2) Where to sleep in Florence when traveling by car? OUTSIDE THE FINES AREA – AWAY FROM ATTRACTIONS

The PERFECT location for those driving, however, is far from the city center. The main advantage is also the value of the accommodation, as the most remote hotels, those that are outside the historic center charge a lower daily rate and it is possible to arrive and leave by car without worrying about traveling through some ZTL.

Among the best locations are: Fortezza da Basso, Piazza Beccaria, Porta al Prato, Oltrarno, Piazza della Libertà, Poggio Imperiale, Piazzale Michelangelo / San Niccolò, Campo di Marte and Via Bolognese. Indication of Hotels for you to sleep OUTSIDE the ZTL of Florence. Below are some hotel suggestions for you to sleep OUTSIDE Florence’s ZTL and avoid a possible fine:

Hotels that are very close to the Center, on average from 5 to 15 minutes:
  1. Hotel Jane – to book click here!
  2. Hotel Orcagna – to book click here!
  3. Hotel Mediterraneo Firenze – to book click here!
  4. Hotel Golf – to book click here!
  5. Hotel Bologna – to book click here!
  6. Hotel David – to book click here!
Hotels that are a little further away:
  1. Hotel Villa La Stella – to book click here!
  2. Hotel Paganini – to book click here!
  3. Hotel Franchi – to book click here!

Tip

Florence Surroundings

If you are thinking of using Florence as a base city to get to know Tuscany and you are driving, you can spend the night on the outskirts of the city and enjoy the benefits of being close to the city, but in the middle of the countryside tranquility. In the ‘interior’ of the outskirts of Florence, there is more space available, the accommodation offers private parking, nature, fresh air and gardens. Several hotels also have a swimming pool and restaurant. The official Florence website offers GREAT accommodation options! If you want to have a ‘wider’ panoramic view of where to sleep in Florence, you can read this post!

Regarding ZTL!

Well folks, nobody escapes the ticket! There is no point in saying that you are a tourist, that you did not know, that you do not know the region: they fine without mercy! Not to mention that, in some entrances and exits, there are monitoring cameras that control entry and exit of vehicles, so, many times, you end up being fined and you don’t even know! In this post we talk a little more about the dreaded fines! It might be interesting to take a look!

As we said earlier, the ZTL in Florence covers a large part of the city. In this link you can see ALL THE FLORENCE ZTL (LIMITED TRAFFIC ZONE)! Remember that there are some applications that indicate the ZTL too. One of them is the already famous Waze, which shows drivers alternative routes to avoid these areas. Another great app is the ZTL Firenze (available for Android and iOS) that alerts the city’s ZTL.

Tip

Traveling by car in Italy

How about if I give you a rental car option? Are you ready for it? If you are renting a car be sure to read our posts in the section Driving in Italy on the blog Your Travel to Italy. In addition to car itinerary tips, we have everything about signage, tolls, roads and many more tips.

Don’t know where to rent the car?

We have a partner that can help you: Rent Cars! Have you ever thought about renting a car in Italy, without leaving your home? Click on the banner below to learn more! Search, compare and choose!



Conclusion

Where to sleep in Florence when traveling by car?  Traveling by car can be great, but in some cities like Florence, it is better to leave it parked and take a nice walk! Take the opportunity and observe the details of the buildings, the architecture, the life of the Fiorentines and don’t be in a hurry because, after all, you are in the incredible, historic and unique Florence!

If you feel insecure or have no time, and need help to organize your trip, do not hesitate to look for me! I will love to help you make your dream trip to Italy. And how can I do that? Continue reading this post until the end and you will understand how can we make your life and journey easier ????

Did my post help you? If yes, make sure to leave your comment below, but if you still have questions, just leave them as a comment below and I will reply, O.K.?



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