I'm new to the board, so I'm sorry if this has already been asked. What is the best way to travel from the airports and then from city to city? We're thinking about taking a trip to Venice, Florence and the Cinque Terre area. Thank You.

Hi A,

From the Venice airport into the city you can go by either bus, train or boat. Boat is the most fun and memorable!

I have not flown into the Florence airport, but would imagine bus or taxi would be best.

For traveling between the destinations you name, trains are the way to go.

Buon viaggio!

<<From the Venice airport into the city you can go by either bus, train or boat. Boat is the most fun and memorable!>>

"Boat" is at least three kinds of different craft. Search "Alilaguna" here on this forum for more info. Taxi (on 4 wheels) is also just as much an option as bus or train. In fact, I don't know how train fits into the question at all, unless you mean taxi or bus to Mestre, then train to Venice.

<<I have not flown into the Florence airport, but would imagine bus or taxi would be best.>>

Taxi is quite affordable. The distance is short.

<<For traveling between the destinations you name, trains are the way to go>>

I would generally agree with this. For a family of four, rental car <i><b>could</b></i> about the same price (mostly useful if you wanted to visit smaller towns en route between one of these three).

Best wishes,

Rex

As to the rental car: it will be pretty much useless in Venice other than to take up a parking space and I would not rent one to travel between Venice and Florence where you'll end up parking it all over again; take a train between these two cities.

You might want to rent a car in Florence for the trip to the Cinque Terre but again, if you are simply doing it to get from A to B I would opt for rail travel.

A car WILL give you more flexibility in stopping off in smaller towns on the way as was mentioned above...but if you aren't planning to do that I'm not sure renting a car would be worth it.

Can anyone tell me a general idea of the price of a taxi from the Florence airport to the city? My husband and I figured we'd take a train or bus because that's what we always do in Europe, but if cabs aren't too bad that might be better than hauling our stuff to our hotel, which is up in Piazzale Michelangelo.

There is no train from the Florence airport, only bus or taxi. The bus would take you to the train station, where you would have to get a taxi anyway. The airport is only 10-15 minutes from the center of Florence. With two people, especially since you're headed across the river, I'd take a taxi.

Hi Merry,

Figure 15-20E for the taxi.

Thanks for the info! One more question...if my reservation says I'm flying into FLR, is that the airport that's very close to the city, or the airport that's closer to Pisa? I'm flying from the States but connecting at Gatwick on Meridiana. According to a Google search of FLR it's the Florence airport proper, but for some reason I had it in my head that it was the Pisa airport.

Hi M,

FLR is just outside Florence.
PSA is the Pisa airport.