Santa Maria Novella Travel: Top Transportation Choices Reviewed

Santa Maria Novella Travel: Top Transportation Choices Reviewed

Santa Maria Novella train station exterior

If you’re hitting up Florence, Italy, more often than not you might just find yourself rolling into or out of Santa Maria Novella station, sometimes called Firenze Santa Maria Novella. Now, that station is, at its core, the heart of the city when we talk about public transit, and it sees an ocean of folks pass through every day. Getting around isn’t usually something anyone looks forward to, so it stands to reason you’d want to figure out your options in advance so your time spent isn’t any more annoying than it should be. What we will look at here are some suggestions to consider, hopefully this info makes your experience a bit smoother, as far as it’s going to go anyway.

Taxis near Santa Maria Novella

Taxi queue outside Santa Maria Novella

Hopping into a taxi could be an alright option for quite a few travelers, mainly because, honestly, it’s a quick way to get where you need to be after arriving, and the taxi rank can usually be spotted just outside the station, which can be good if you have baggage. One thing you may want to be aware of is that, often, fares can be more costly for tourists; that’s not the sign of a driver trying to take advantage of you, it could be a combination of various local costs associated with driving. Expect to shell out a bit more than you planned, especially if you’re traveling during rush hour or on a weekend. So, what’s the upside? Taxis can be especially handy if you’re lugging around some pieces, or perhaps you need to reach lodging quickly.

Ride-Sharing options: Uber and more!

Uber app on smartphone

Apps like Uber have, very naturally, found a pretty firm place in some spots across Italy, Florence isn’t completely on board. Just so you’re aware, in Florence, the option you’ll spot there is Uber Black, that usually translates to higher fares when all’s said and done. What this boils down to is this option is comparable in expense to taxis. Maybe that’s worth keeping in mind when assessing what options make good sense. Maybe the edge Uber has is doing everything via the app? Check out app availability, but be prepared for higher fees for something, at least some consider, might be convenience.

Local buses

Florence local bus

The bus network across Florence is a relatively inexpensive way to get all around the city, though just to mention the buses can get crammed during the rush hours and are potentially slower compared to taxis, especially thinking about all the city traffic. Okay, so anyway, close to the station, you’ll spot the main bus terminal. It’s usually pretty straightforward buying your tickets at nearby kiosks. Another idea is to load up the “Ataf” cell app for tickets and timetables for the buses and even the trams too. That said, this may work if your phone plan will handle the download there, because some travelers would probably not want to mess with that when the are overseas, but, hey, could be easy to plan that out before leaving on vacation. Now, you may not see bus rides as a fun aspect when we discuss seeing all the sights when you visit, even so they could be thought of as quite the cost-effective choice for the budget travelers, which means those vacationers will have money left for other things when visiting Florence.

Tramvia (Tram) Services

Florence tram at station

Florence added the Tramvia network to add some ease for those moving about in this city, that’s to say there are several lines, all aimed at connecting the SMN station to spots a little outside the heart of the district. The tram can usually be looked at as somewhat speedier than those buses, and those trams tend to be relatively modern too, hopefully offering pretty nice trips if they have air conditioning, at least to some degree anyway. You might find that useful since things can get awfully warm when people flock there. Usually you could find tickets through the vending machines that are next to the stops, or with the “Ataf” application, just as with the buses. For reaching locations just away from the key traveler sites, the tram choice might work nicely. Still, keep your radar up for crowding issues on different times. You can’t anticipate when a crowd will show up.

Car rentals by Santa Maria Novella station

Car rental agency sign

Thinking of seeing the area close to Florence? Hiring your own set of wheels through vehicle places right near the train stop maybe turns out quite useful. A variety of rental counters like Avis, Hertz, but maybe others you are aware of, sit really nearby, and could afford you a degree of autonomy. However, make it a point to remember that maneuvering around central Florence, with limited traffic areas possibly causing problems, so to speak. Then, vehicle parking could cost an arm and a leg also. Typically you’d want your GPS fired up, and do, also, a check of traffic laws out there prior to launching on those jaunts through Tuscany. Anyway, that choice is pretty golden if you will head outside the areas downtown, for those places, driving might make them pretty easy to check out in an afternoon or two . Make plans in advance so things happen smoothly!