Getting from Amerigo Vespucci airport to Florence downtown:
The Florence airport (FLR) is called Amerigo Vespucci and is situated on the north-west outskirts of Florence, just 4 km from the city centre.
From the Florence airport, you can get to downtown Florence either with a taxi or with the special “Vola in Bus” bus shuttle (run by BusItalia Sita Nord now) that you can take from the airport to the central Santa Maria Novella train station (SMN). It takes about 20 minutes, sometimes a little more if there is heavy traffic. The service runs daily, including Sundays and holidays. Departures from the airport are every 30 min between 5.30 am to 8.30 pm, then every hour until 11.45 pm. The last shuttle is at 1am, but at this hour, it will be more convenient to take a taxi. Departures from the city center (SMN train station) are every 30 min between 5.00 am to 8.00 pm, then every hour up until 11.00 pm. The last shuttle is at 12:30am.
A one-way ticket costs 6 euros while a round trip ticket costs 10 euros. Tickets can be purchased directly on board from the driver at no extra charge (but keep in mind they only sell one-way tickets on board). The round trip tickets have to be purchased before getting on the bus, at the Busitalia SITA bus station off SMN or at ATAF&Li-nea resellers (most newsagents sell ATAF tickets as well as many coffee “bar” shops).
The “Vola in Bus” bus shuttle routes and timetables
From Santa Maria Novella (central railway station) to Fiesole:
To continue from the railway station to Fiesole you should either take bus number 1B or 17 to Piazza San Marco and then bus number 7 to Fiesole, or a walk from the station to Piazza San Marco which is about 1,2 kms route. Please, remember to buy your bus ticket (1,20 euro) before boarding the bus. Tickets are on sale outside the railway station, ATAF ticket kiosks and vending machines, tobacconists, newspaper kiosks, and some bars.
From Florence city centre to the Course venue:
To get to Villa Schifanoia from the centre of Florence, you should take the number 7 city bus (ATAF) from Piazza San Marco, which goes roughly every 15-20 minutes, and get off at the stop marked SAN DOMENICO 01 – UNIVERSITÀ EUROPEA. (Note: there are several San Domenico stops before you arrive at the village of San Domenico.) The ride from the station takes about 20 minutes. At the actual stop you will see a bar/pizzeria on your left and a bar/café on your right. Cross the road and turn to the left into via Boccaccio. Villa Schifanoia is on the right-hand side after about 150 metres down the road (after the road narrows and after the traffic light).
Bus tickets (biglietti) must be bought before boarding and stamped in the machine on the bus. Tickets are on sale outside the railway station, ATAF ticket kiosks and vending machines, tobacconists, newspaper kiosks, and some bars.
For bus routes and timetables see the ATAF website or the number 7 bus timetable.
From Fiesole to the Course venue:
To get to Villa Schifanoia from Fiesole, you should take the number 7 city bus (ATAF), which goes roughly every 15-20 minutes from Piazza Mino (just in front of the J.J.Hill pub), and get off at the stop marked SAN DOMENICO. The ride takes about 5 minutes.
At the actual stop you will see a newsstand and a bar/pizzeria on your side of the street at the direction the bus is driving. Just follow the road and pass by the pizzeria and continue to via Boccaccio which is the right hand offshoot of the main road, just after the pizzeria. Villa Schifanoia is on the right-hand side after about 200 metres down the road (after the traffic light and after the narrow alley).
Normally, bus tickets (biglietti) must be bought before boarding and stamped in the machine on the bus. Tickets are on sale outside the railway station, ATAF ticket kiosks and vending machines, tobacconists, newspaper kiosks (one at Piazza Mino), and some bars (like J.J.Hill).
For bus routes and timetables see the ATAF website or the number 7 bus timetable.