Florence invented the Italian ZTL in 1990 and still has one of the strictest. The whole historic centre, on both banks of the Arno, is closed to visitors' cars for most of the day, and the fines sent to foreign tourists are a local legend. There are two ways to do it right: leave the car at a park and ride on the tram lines, which is what most people should do, or drive to one of the car parks inside the ZTL that register your number plate on arrival.
- 07:30-20:00ZTL, Monday to Friday; Saturday until 16:00
- € 2 + 3first hour, then each hour, on blue lines near the centre
- 20 minby tram from the Villa Costanza car park on the A1
- € 83-333the fine for entering the ZTL
Car parks, one by one
| Car park | Where | Spaces | Price | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Villa Costanza Park and ride | A1, Scandicci On the motorway itself, between the Scandicci and Impruneta exits: you park without leaving the A1 and take tram T1, 20 minutes to the station | 24 hours | ||
| 2. Guidoni Park and ride | Viale Guidoni On tram T2, towards the airport: for those arriving from the A11 | |||
| 3. Stazione S.M.N. Garage or car park | Piazza della Stazione 13 Underground, inside the ZTL: the plate is registered | 24 hours | ||
| 4. Sant'Ambrogio Garage or car park | Piazza Annigoni 9 By the market, ten minutes from Santa Croce | €1.00 first hour 07:00-14:00; €2.00/hour afternoon, night and holidays | 24 hours | |
| 5. Beccaria Garage or car park | Viale Amendola 7 On the boulevards, outside the ZTL, east side | €1.70/hour | ||
| 6. Parterre Garage or car park | Via del Ponte Rosso 4 Piazza della Libertà, outside the ZTL, north side: fifteen minutes on foot from the Duomo | |||
| 7. Fortezza Fiera Garage or car park | Piazzale Caduti nei Lager At the Fortezza da Basso, by the station | |||
| 8. Oltrarno Calza Garage or car park | Piazza della Calza At Porta Romana, for Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli gardens |
Car parks on the map
Positions on the map are approximate: follow the road signs for the entrance.
The ZTL: where you cannot drive
A ZTL (zona a traffico limitato) is an area where only authorised vehicles may drive during certain hours. Cameras at each entrance read the number plate, and the fine arrives by post weeks later, also abroad and also through the car hire company, which adds its own fee. The sign is a white circle with a red border; an electronic panel below it says varco attivo (do not enter) or varco non attivo (you may enter). Satellite navigators often ignore the ZTL: trust the signs.
| Sectors A, B, O | Mon-Fri 07:30-20:00, Sat 07:30-16:00, all year |
| Summer night ZTL, all sectors | Thu, Fri and Sat 23:00-03:00, from early April to the first Sunday of October |
Sector A is the heart of the centre, B the ring inside the boulevards, O the Oltrarno; F (San Niccolò) and G are added on summer nights. Car parks inside the ZTL, such as the one under Santa Maria Novella station, Sant'Ambrogio and the central market, send your number plate to the city when you park, which makes the entry legal: drive straight there by the signed route and keep the receipt. Hotels can do the same for the time needed to unload. Petrol Euro 1 and diesel up to Euro 4 cars may never enter.
If your hotel is inside the ZTL, write to it before you arrive: many can register your number plate for the time needed to unload.
Street parking: what the colours mean
Outside the ZTL the city is divided into five parking zones. For visitors, blue lines are paid from Monday to Saturday, 08:00 to 20:00. In zone 1, next to the centre, rotation spaces cost €2.00 for the first hour and €3.00 for each following hour; in the other zones €1.00 and then €2.00. Many blue spaces are free for residents, so they are often full, and white lines here are for residents only: an exception to the national rule.
- Blue lines: paid parking. Pay at the meter, entering your number plate, or with an app, and check the sign for the hours.
- White lines: free, sometimes with a time limit and a parking disc.
- Yellow lines: reserved for residents, disabled badge holders, taxis or deliveries. Never park there.
- No lines: look for signs. A tow-away symbol means the car will be removed.
Good to know
- Prices of the municipal car parks change by time band: the board at the entrance prevails.
- Private garages in the centre charge around €35 a day and often include the ZTL registration: ask before you arrive.
- The viewpoint of Piazzale Michelangelo has parking and is outside the ZTL, but its access road joins the night ZTL in summer.
- Diesel Euro 4 and Euro 5 cars have further limits on weekdays from 08:30 to 18:30.
- If you are only passing through Tuscany, visit Florence by train from wherever you sleep: the station is in the centre.
Sources
- Comune di Firenze, ZTL
- Firenze Parcheggi
- SicurAUTO, ZTL di Firenze (aprile 2026)
- SicurAUTO, parcheggi a Firenze (aprile 2026)
Checked in November 2026