Santa Maria Novella station: the best way to Florence's historic centre for four people
Four people on the C1 bus pay 8 euros in total, which is more than the taxi for the same ride. A taxi to the Duomo is about 6 to 10 euros for the whole car, so 2 euros or so each for four, and it drops you at the door. For a hotel in the centre within 15 minutes of the Duomo, walking is free. A taxi pays off only with heavy bags, bad weather or a hotel on a street with cobbles. A pre-booked car is not worth it for this trip.
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Walk: about 15 min on foot, and it costs nothing.
On foot
Walk
15 min
For the groupFree
Walk
Free · about 800 m · flat, 15 minutes with a case
- Per person
- Free
- Door to door
- 15 min
- Runs
- 24 hours
- Frequency
- Any time
- Board at
- Front exit onto Piazza della Stazione
- Suitcases
- Fine
Taxi
Official taxi
15 min
For the group€6–€10estimate
Official taxi
White Florence taxi · metered, minimum 5.80 euros
- Per person
- €6–€10 per vehicle
- Door to door
- 15 min
- Runs
- 24 hours
- Frequency
- Rank outside the station
- Board at
- Taxi rank on the station forecourt, Piazza della Stazione
- Suitcases
- Carried for you
Bus
Electric bus C1
20 min
For the group€8
Electric bus C1
Autolinee Toscane · 2 euros · Via Cerretani and Via Roma
- Per person
- €2
- Door to door
- 20 min
- Runs
- 07:00–20:30
- Frequency
- every 10 min
- Board at
- Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini, a short walk from the station
- Suitcases
- Awkward
Every option in detail
On footWalk
- €0
- 15 min
- 24 hours
- → Piazza del Duomo
Leave by the main exit, cross the forecourt and walk along Via de' Panzani and then Via de' Cerretani to the Duomo. It takes about 10 minutes with a day bag and 15 with a wheeled suitcase. The pavements are flat but narrow in places, and in the afternoon they get crowded. Most hotels in the centre are within 5 to 15 minutes of the Duomo. This is the best option unless the weather is bad or your bags are very heavy.
BusElectric bus C1
- €2
- 20 min
- 07:00–20:30
- → Via Roma, by the Duomo
The C1 minibus runs through the historic centre and stops near the Duomo, but its nearest stop to the station is a few hundred metres away, so it saves almost nothing. A single costs 2.00 euros on the urban ticket, valid for 90 minutes, or 3.00 euros bought from the driver. Press reports give the C1 hours as 07:00 to 20:30. It can be crowded and has little space for large cases.
TaxiOfficial taxi
- €6–€10 per vehicle (estimate)
- 15 min
- 24 hours
- → Any address in the centre
There is no fixed fare in town, and the meter decides. The Comune's table sets a start charge of 3.80 euros and a minimum fare of 5.80 euros on weekdays, 8.10 euros on Sundays and holidays and 9.70 euros at night (22:00 to 06:00). A ride to the Duomo is short and normally comes out at about 6 to 10 euros with a bag or two. Taxis can enter the ZTL, so they drop you at the door. Book through the Radio Taxi numbers 055 4242 or 055 4390 if the rank is empty.
Practical tips
- The taxi rank is on the station forecourt, Piazza della Stazione, outside the main exit. Radio Taxi can be called on 055 4242 or 055 4390.
- The tram stop Alamanni-Stazione is outside the station, but the tram does not reach the Duomo. T2 runs to the airport and T1 to Careggi.
- Left luggage is on the ground floor along platform 16, open 07:00 to 21:00, at about 10 euros per bag per day.
- The ZTL covers the historic centre. In the main sectors it is active from 07:30 to 20:00 on weekdays and to 16:00 on Saturdays, with extra limits on summer nights, so a car cannot drive to a hotel in the centre without a permit. Check the Comune di Firenze mobility page.
- Cameras at the ZTL gates fine unauthorised cars automatically, and the fine arrives by post weeks later. Taxis are allowed in, so a taxi or a walk is the safe way to reach a hotel in the centre.
- The walk to the Duomo is on pavements with kerbs, so lift the case at crossings. The route is Via de' Panzani then Via de' Cerretani.
Questions travellers ask
Santa Maria Novella station with four people: what is the cheapest way?
Walk: Free for the group of four, about 15 min door to door.
Santa Maria Novella station: what is the best option for four people with four suitcases?
Walk: about 15 min on foot, and it costs nothing.
Santa Maria Novella station: is a taxi cheaper than four tickets?
No. Walk costs Free for four tickets, against Official taxi at €6–€10 for the group.
Santa Maria Novella station: is one taxi enough for four people?
The fare here is counted for up to 4 passengers per taxi, so four people go in one taxi for €6–€10.
Santa Maria Novella station: which options are easiest with four suitcases?
The comparison marks these as awkward with suitcases: Electric bus C1. Luggage is carried for you with: Official taxi.
Santa Maria Novella station: where do these prices and times come from?
Prices and times were checked on October 4, 2026 against Autolinee Toscane, Comune di Firenze, linked in the list of options on this page.
