Sooooo easy to use, and WAY INEXPENSIVE!…read more We were doing a bit of sight-seeing outside of Florence, and hiring a private driver just wasn't going to cut it for us. We didn't need (or want!) to spend a ridiculous amount of money, and where we were going there were no trains. One day we had lunch reservations in Panzano in Chianti -- approx 60min ride only 3.80EUR each way. The other trip was to visit the Florence American Cemetary - approx 30min ride, only 2.30EUR each way. So basically, the SITA location is probably Southwest of the SMN train station. So if you were facing the train station, it would be to your left. This is the small little hub, complete with waiting area, for the regional buses. The buses were very clean, and in good condition. More like coach buses - - much better than what I was expecting. You go inside, and purchase your ticket from the office - -you can purchase round-trip if you'd like. Or... you can also purchase the one-way from your destination too, most likely at a Tabacchi store. Buses are very timely and on-schedule. I would definitely recommend using the SITA for any regional travel.

There are some things you must know before riding the buses in Florence. First of all, you MUST…read morehave a ticket, and you must stamp your ticket on the bus the first time you get on one. Tickets can be purchased at many locations, such as tobacconists, newsagents, some coffee shops (anyone with "ATAF" stickers on their shop windows); and from the ATAF booth or two automated ticket vending machines at the Santa Maria Novella train station. They have their own form of police who check passengers on the bus to see that passengers have activated their tickets. If you do not have a ticket or you did not activate your ticket, be prepared for a hefty fine. It is really not worth it. We purchased bus tickets for € 18 each, which covered us for 7 days. A single ticket is € 1.20 and only good for a total of 90 minutes. They have a one day ticket for € 5, a 3-day ticket for € 12, a 7-day ticket for € 18 and a daily family for € 6. There are three doors on the buses (except on the small busses); the front and back ones are for getting on and the middle one is for getting off. After you get on, make your way to the nearby "ticket validating" machine and put your bus ticket in. The date and time is then printed on the ticket, starting the validity period of your ticket. You basically have 90 minutes on a single-use ticket, so you could get on and off of different buses and still use the same ticket during that time period. Another thing you need to do is to get a bus map that will tell you how to get around the city. It will clearly mark the routes. We liked that many stops had an electronic sign that would tell you how long the wait was for the bus to arrive. The busses were very efficient on this trip. (They were a lot newer than on our last visit.)

Overall I found the bus system to have many routes and stops. The app is nice to see when the next…read morebus will be to plan your trip accordingly. My main reason for the lower stars is because you can't buy a new ticket on the bus. There are many outside vendors but still inconvenient. Also the bus system is regularly delayed so this can be a nuisance in planning your day especially if you are a daily commuter. Bottom line...good system to get around Firenze but make sure to buy a ticket at a vendor or at the train station. Also the app is very helpful to see when your bus will arrive. Pros Many routes and stops Generally easy to find the stops App to see when you bus is coming Cons Regularly delayed The app should have a better map of the routes Be able to buy on the bus...I realize you can buy on the app but I had issues since I have an international phone number

Great experience! Luca was a gracious host / guide. extremely fortunate to have him show us these…read morebeautiful locations.

We used Luca from Let's Andiamo for a custom day tour around Tuscany (Siena, San Gimignano and…read morearea, from Florence). Luca is a great guide who knows the area in and out really well. He also keep a clean and well maintained Mercedes van for a premium experience. Luca listened to our need and preferences and created a unique experience for us, including a lunch in a quaint winery. He was also really engaging to our young daughter also making sure she is not bored. We will contact Luca and use his service again when we are back in Florence.