The institution that is mandated with the work of managing transport in this city is known as ATAF. Santa Maria is the main railway station from where all trains are coordinated by this company. It is at this station that you may take a free map of the city. The information desk is always ready to assist visitors with all the information they need concerning Florence.
Buses are the best means of transport for those who are interested in sightseeing. Alternatively, you may walk since nearly all tourist attraction sites are only a walking distance within each other. However, there comes a time when one needs to give a rest to tired legs. In this case, you need to jump into a bus. All bus services cover all transit points within this city.
You need to buy tickets in advance before boarding a bus. The tickets are validated by the onboard machines that the transport company has put in place. You can buy these tickets in news stands or the ATAF kiosk at the railway station. The tickets can be used by several people as long as information about the right number of travelers is given out when they are being validated.
The transport system here is very easy to get used to as long as you have a map. Bus stops are clearly marked with the numbers and directions that should correspond with the services that you have paid for. Many bus stops are equipped with efficient electronic display systems that indicate when the next services will be available.
The buses that ply across city stations always follow a tight schedule. This positively impacts on tourism in a very big way. If you want to travel further into the countryside, you have to make use of the available regional companies such as SITA.
Bus tours are a good way of engaging in sightseeing around the city. The only problem is that they are very expensive since few people make use of them. The direct impact is that they have to charge exorbitantly for any service that they offer so as to make reasonable returns.
The best way to see the real geography and scale of Florence is through sitting atop an open double-decker bus. Buses that go as far as Fiesole are the best since they reach out to many regions of the city in the course of the tour.