Florence ZTL · guide for international drivers
Florence ZTL for rental cars and foreign number plates
The ZTL (zona a traffico limitato) covers a large part of Florence’s historic centre. Drive in with a rental car or foreign plates and no permit, and the cameras record the plate: a fine follows. This guide explains how the zone works and how to reach a guarded garage inside it without one.
No need to give us your number plate in advance. The ZTL permit is issued at the garage when you arrive.
Booking takes place on our main website, cityparkingfirenze.it (form in English).
What the ZTL is
ZTL stands for zona a traffico limitato, a limited traffic zone. The entrances are fitted with cameras that read number plates, and the gates are active at set times. When a sign or panel shows “varco attivo”, only registered vehicles may pass.
Many visitors only find out afterwards. A satnav can route you through the zone to reach a hotel, and nothing physically stops the car: the camera simply records the plate and the fine is generated automatically.
Rental cars and foreign number plates
The fine is addressed to the registered keeper of the car. With a rental, that is the rental company: it must tell the Polizia Municipale who holds the rental contract, and the notice is reissued in your name. It then reaches your home address, often months after the trip. Penalties added by the rental company are often void.
With a foreign plate the procedure is the same in principle. Italy can trace keepers in other EU countries, so a letter that arrives after you are back home should not be ignored. Each passage through an active gate can count separately, so a wrong turn can cost twice.
Fine amounts and zone rules are set by the City of Florence: check its official information before you travel.
How it works with City Parking
- Book online or phone the garage. You don’t need to give us your number plate in advance: handy with a rental car, whose plate you only find out at pick-up.
- Set your satnav to the garage address and drive straight there, even if the sign at the gate says “varco attivo” (gate active).
- On arrival our staff issue the ZTL permit for your car on the City of Florence portal.
- The registration covers your drive in up to 3 hours before the start of your stay. Minimum stay: 1 hour.
The registration does not cover lanes reserved for buses and taxis: keep out of them.
Practical checklist
- Book a garage before you set off, and put the garage address in the satnav, not “Florence centre” or the hotel.
- Do not worry if the sign at the gate says “varco attivo”: with a booking you drive straight to the garage and we register the plate on arrival.
- Stay out of bus and taxi lanes: the registration does not cover them.
- Ask your hotel whether it is inside the ZTL. If it is, park at the garage first and go to the hotel on foot or by taxi.
- Keep your rental contract and the garage receipt together until the trip is over.
- Arrive and leave within the garage’s opening hours.
Our garages inside the ZTL
All three garages are inside the zone. Pick one on the map of the centre by walking distance to where you are going:
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City Parking Fiesolana
Via Fiesolana 17R, 50122 Firenze · ZTL
Opening hours: Every day 7:00 am–11:30 pm
Phone: +39 366 571 6947
PROMO: €30 per night until 6 Dec
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City Parking Via Venezia
Via Venezia 20, 50121 Firenze · ZTL
Opening hours: Mon–Sat 7:00 am–9:00 pm, Sun 8:00 am–9:00 pm
Phone: +39 335 746 5740
Not part of the promo
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Garage Firenze Borgo Pinti
Borgo Pinti 101R, 50121 Firenze · ZTL
Opening hours: Mon 8:00 am–2:00 pm, Tue–Fri 8:00 am–8:00 pm, closed Sat–Sun
Phone: +39 327 755 0590
PROMO: €30 per night until 6 Dec
Heading for the Duomo, the David or Santa Croce? Pick the garage by walking distance and read how the ZTL works for your car.
Rates
Promo for arrivals up to and including 6 December 2026, only at City Parking Fiesolana and Garage Firenze Borgo Pinti: €30 per night and €7 per hour for small, medium and large cars, with the ZTL permit free of charge. Vans, minivans, very large cars and luxury cars are excluded and stay at €50 / €10. City Parking Via Venezia does not take part.
| Vehicle | per day | per hour |
|---|---|---|
| SmallFiat 500, Toyota Aygo, Smart | 7 € | |
| Medium / LargeToyota C-HR, SUV, Mercedes GLE | ||
| Luxury · Van · MinivanMercedes Vito, 7+ | 50 € | 10 € |
Up to 4 hours you pay by the hour; above 4 hours the daily rate applies. 15 minutes of tolerance on the hour and 30 minutes on the day. The exact quote appears in the booking form.
Arriving in Florence by car
- From the north (Bologna, Milan) on the A1 motorway: exit Firenze Nord.
- From the south (Rome) on the A1: exit Firenze Sud or Firenze Impruneta.
- From Pisa, Pisa airport, Livorno and the coast: the FI-PI-LI dual carriageway.
- In every case, set the satnav to the garage address rather than to “Florence centre” or your hotel: it is the garage booking that makes your drive into the ZTL legal.
Questions from international drivers
Can I drive into the Florence ZTL with a rental car?
Yes, if you are going to one of our garages and have booked: we register the plate of your car with the City of Florence, and the registration covers your drive in up to 3 hours before your stay starts.
Does it work with a foreign number plate?
Yes. The registration is by plate number and works for Italian and foreign plates alike.
Do I have to apply for a ZTL permit myself?
No, and you don’t need to send us your plate in advance either. Our staff issue the permit at the garage when you arrive.
What if I have already received a fine?
Fines are issued by the City of Florence. Only the person named on the notice can ask for it to be cancelled, with an appeal to the Prefetto within 60 days from the notification (free of charge). If the fine concerns your stay with us, contact the garage: it checks the plate registration and helps you prepare the appeal. Do not pay before you have read our fine guides.
Does the registration let me drive around the centre?
No. It is meant for reaching the garage, up to 3 hours before your stay starts. Bus and taxi lanes are not covered.
Is my hotel inside the ZTL?
Many hotels in the centre are. Ask your hotel. Either way, set the satnav to the garage, park, and continue on foot or by taxi.
What does parking cost?
From €35 per day or €7 per hour for a small car, €40/€8 for medium and large cars, €50/€10 for luxury cars, vans and minivans.
How do I change or cancel a booking?
Write to prenotazione.cityparking@gmail.com.
Are you City Park / City Parcheggio in Florence?
Yes: our name is City Parking Firenze; some guests know us as City Park or City Parcheggio. Same garages, same booking.
Why book direct instead of a booking platform?
Your booking goes straight to the garage that looks after your car. For changes or questions you speak with the garage staff, and the garage itself registers your plate for the ZTL.