The Florence Airport or Train Station to SRISA
When you arrive in Florence from the airport or the Santa Maria Novella (SMN) train station, take a taxi (conveniently waiting outside the door) to the school to pick up the keys to your apartment. The taxi ride from the airport is a fixed €28 to €32 depending on the time of day plus €1.20 for each bag. For light travelers, take the tram wich costs €1.70 and walk to SRISA San Gallo Campus.
To go to the school, ask the taxi driver to go to Via San Gallo 53/red (red numbers) Phone: 055-462-7374. After checking in and getting your keys, a staff member will accompany you to your apartment.
IMPORTANT!! Check-in Times: The office at SRISA is open from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday-Friday. If you arrive over the weekend or after business hours you must make your own arrangements to stay in a hotel. It is extremely important that you notify us of your flight number, arrival time, and date. If you do not have the information when you apply please notify us as soon as possible by email to: housing@santareparata.org. Before booking your ticket, remember to consult your housing information for specific check-in and check-out times.
Arriving in Rome
Flights into Rome arrive at the Da Vinci Airport at Fiumicino. From the airport there is a train that runs every 20 minutes to the Rome central train station called ROMA TERMINI. There may be a couple of stops along the way, at Roma Trastevere but stay on the train until the final stop at ROMA TERMINI. The ride will take about 35 minutes.
Once at the Roma Termini station, transfer to a train for Florence SMN station. Tickets for Florence can be purchased at either the airport or Roma Termini stations.
Arriving in Milan
Malpensa is the international airport for trans-Atlantic flights arriving in Milan. The procedure for arrival in Milan is similar to the one for Rome. Take the Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale station then transfer to a train for Florence SMN station.
If you plan, you can buy tickets online on Trenitalia or Italo. There is also the Flixbus which takes longer but is budget-friendly.
Students should consult the Pre-Departure Handbook for more detailed information.
Arrival in Italian cities other than Florence, Milan and Rome
If students arrive in another Italian city (particularly for those traveling before school begins), the procedure is essentially like the one for Rome and Milan.
Buying train tickets in Italy
PLEASE NOTE: Italian train information, hours, and pricing can be found on Trenitalia or Italo.
- Tickets can be purchased online (see links above) or in the stations at the ticket machines or information booths (most of the train clerks at the station speak English).
- Buy a ticket to FIRENZE SMN (Santa Maria Novella) station, the main station in Florence.
- Locate the track (binario) the train departs from and at what time. This information is on the ‘PARTENZE’ timetable board located near the tracks. IMPORTANT: be sure to match the train numbers of the timetable and your ticket.
- If you are taking a regional train without seat assignments, VALIDATE the ticket by stamping it at one of the validation machines in the station, or if you purchased it online, check-in before the departure. REMEMBER to do this! There are large fines to pay the conductor if you do not validate your ticket before boarding the train.
- For the fast trains, like Italo or Frecca Rosa, you should have received an electronic ticket with a QR code and assigned seats. No need to validate, the conductor will scan your ticket during the journey.
When you arrive at Firenze SMN, take a taxi to the school as described above or walk if traveling light.
Other helpful transportation information in Italy
Storing Bags while at the Station
Many, but not all, train stations have places to store luggage — Deposito Baggagli. These are safe and easy to use, with the obvious exception of valuables such as cameras and purses, which should be kept with you.
Taxis – General information
The easiest places to find a taxi are at airports, train stations, or other major public spaces, where there are official taxi stands/stops.
The general Italian system is to call for a Taxi and dispatchers usually speak English. You will declare your location, and they will locate a taxi for you. They will then give you the name of the cab (ex: Milano 33), followed by the estimated time of arrival: usually 3-5 minutes.
Buses/Trams in Italy – General Information
There are buses and trams operated by Autolinee Toscana in Florence that are urban and exurbana (they go to different towns in Tuscany). You can download the app or use contactless payment for your tickets.
There is also the Flixbus from Rome and Milan, and Sky Bus Lines Coronna from Pisa, which take longer but are budget-friendly.