London to Florence by Train

Train service

Eurostar

Eurostar is an international high-speed rail operator connecting the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.

SNCF

SNCF is France’s state-owned rail operator, running high-speed, regional, and international TGV services across Europe.

Trenitalia

Trenitalia is Italy’s state-owned rail operator, running high-speed, intercity, and regional trains across the country and beyond.

NTV

Italo (NTV) is Italy’s first private high-speed rail operator, offering a competitive alternative to Trenitalia since 2012.

Train tickets

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London to Florence by train is a long but very doable journey across three high-speed rail networks. There is no direct train, so the usual route is Eurostar from London to Paris, a Paris to Milan or Turin high-speed train, then an Italian high-speed train to Firenze Santa Maria Novella.

London to Florence by train at a glance

The shortest sensible version of the trip uses three trains and two main changes.

The key planning point is Paris. Eurostar arrives at Paris Gare du Nord, while trains to Italy normally leave from Paris Gare de Lyon. Build in time to cross Paris, buy or validate any local ticket, find the correct hall, and absorb a small delay.

The best route via Paris and Milan

For most travellers, the best London to Florence by train route is London to Paris, Paris to Milan, then Milan to Florence.

This route keeps the journey simple. It uses the most frequent final leg, because Milan to Florence has many high-speed trains. It also gives you a choice on the France to Italy leg: SNCF’s TGV INOUI or Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa, depending on the date, fare, and connection.

London to Paris by Eurostar

Start at London St Pancras International and take Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord. Eurostar’s own route page gives a headline London to Paris journey time of 2 hours 16 minutes, while SNCF Connect currently shows multiple daily London to Paris departures and a shortest time of around 2 hours 18 minutes.

Arrive at St Pancras in good time. Eurostar is not a domestic train: you clear ticket checks, security, and border controls before boarding. Once you arrive in Paris, border checks are already done, so you can leave Gare du Nord and make your Paris transfer.

Paris to Milan by TGV INOUI or Frecciarossa

From Paris, continue to Italy from Paris Gare de Lyon. Two operator brands matter here: TGV INOUI and Trenitalia Frecciarossa.

SNCF announced the return of direct TGV INOUI trains between Paris and Milan from 31 March 2025 after the Maurienne line reopening. Trenitalia also restored Frecciarossa service between Paris and Milan from 1 April 2025, and Trenitalia France lists Paris-Milan services in its current timetable section, with schedules valid through 30 June 2026.

This is the leg to check first after Eurostar. It is long, popular, and more date-sensitive than the Milan to Florence leg. If the direct Paris to Milan trains do not suit your day, look at Paris to Turin with a change onward, or consider breaking the journey overnight in Paris, Lyon, Turin, or Milan.

Milan to Florence by Frecciarossa or Italo

From Milan, take a high-speed train to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, Florence’s main central station. Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa network runs on the Turin-Milan-Bologna-Florence-Rome axis, and Trenitalia promotes up to 80 Frecciarossa connections a day between Milan and Florence, subject to date variations.

Italo is the other strong choice on this leg. Its Milan to Florence route page lists a 1 hour 43 minute journey time, 16 daily trains, and fares from EUR 17.90 when available.

For most travellers, the Milan to Florence leg is the easiest part of the route. The bigger decision is how much connection time to leave in Milan, especially if your Paris to Milan train arrives at a different Milan station from your onward departure.

Same-day travel and overnight stops

Same-day London to Florence by train can be possible on some schedules, but an overnight stop is often the calmer plan.

If you want to do it in one day, start with the earliest practical Eurostar, then check whether a Paris to Milan or Paris to Turin train lines up with a safe Paris transfer. After that, check the onward Italian high-speed trains to Florence.

Do not build the trip around perfect connections. A missed Paris to Milan train is much harder to fix than a missed Milan to Florence train. For Paris, leave a generous margin because you are changing stations. For Milan, leave extra time if your France to Italy train and your Florence train use different Milan stations.

An overnight stop makes the journey feel much less brittle. Paris is the easiest stop if you want a relaxed first day. Milan works well if you want to finish most of the distance before sleeping. Turin can be a good option when the France to Italy train stops there and the onward fares are attractive, but Milan usually gives more choice for Florence.

Tickets, fares, and booking strategy

Book London to Florence as a set of high-speed legs, and compare the total before you commit.

Eurostar advertises London to Paris tickets from GBP 39 one way in Standard, subject to availability. SNCF’s France to Italy announcement launched Paris to Milan fares from EUR 29 at launch, and Italo lists Milan to Florence from EUR 17.90 when those fares are available.

Those are not a guaranteed London to Florence total. They are useful fare anchors. The real price depends on your date, how early you book, the class of travel, and whether the cheapest quota has sold out.

A sensible booking order is:

1. Check Eurostar from London to Paris.
2. Check Paris to Milan or Paris to Turin on TGV INOUI and Trenitalia Frecciarossa.
3. Check Milan or Turin to Florence on Trenitalia and Italo.
4. Add connection time, then compare the whole trip against an overnight split.

If you book separate tickets, each operator may treat missed onward trains differently. A through booking from a reputable reseller can be worth considering when it protects a connection, but always check the terms before paying.

Interrail and Eurail on this route

Interrail and Eurail can work for London to Florence, but this is not a reservation-free route.

Eurostar requires pass-holder reservations on London routes, and Eurostar states that pass-holder seats are subject to availability. Eurail lists London to Paris Eurostar reservations as mandatory, with a published fee of EUR 35 in Standard and EUR 40 in Eurostar Plus.

You should also expect reservations on many high-speed trains in France and Italy. That means a pass may still be useful if London to Florence is part of a longer trip, but it is not automatically cheaper than point-to-point tickets for this one journey.

Before buying or activating a pass, price the route both ways:

Reserve Eurostar as early as you can if you are using a pass. A normal full-fare ticket can still be available after pass-holder places have sold out.

Stations and connection tips

The two stations to plan carefully are Paris Gare du Nord and Paris Gare de Lyon.

Eurostar arrives at Gare du Nord. Trains to Milan, Turin, Lyon, and the south-east usually leave from Gare de Lyon. Gare de Lyon is served by RER D and is also a major long-distance station for TGV, TER, and Trenitalia services.

For most travellers, the RER is the simplest cross-Paris transfer when it is running normally. A taxi can be easier with heavy luggage, but traffic can erase the advantage. Either way, do not plan this as a tight connection.

In Italy, check the Milan station carefully. Some international services use Milan Porta Garibaldi, while many onward high-speed trains to Florence use Milano Centrale. If your itinerary changes station in Milan, add time for that transfer too.

Florence’s main arrival station is Firenze Santa Maria Novella. It is the right station for most visitors because it sits on the edge of the historic centre.

Recommended booking plan

Build the itinerary around the scarce legs first.

Start with Eurostar and the Paris to Italy train. Those are the legs where timing and price usually decide the whole journey. Once those are fixed, add the Milan to Florence train, where you normally have more choice.

For a low-stress trip, choose one of these patterns:

• Same-day route: early Eurostar, generous Paris transfer, Paris to Milan or Turin, then an evening Italian high-speed train to Florence.
• Overnight in Paris: afternoon or evening Eurostar, sleep in Paris, morning train toward Milan or Turin, then onward to Florence.
• Overnight in Milan: London to Paris and Paris to Milan in one day, sleep near the station, then take a morning Frecciarossa or Italo to Florence.

If you are travelling in summer, around holidays, or with a rail pass, book the international reservations first. The final Milan to Florence train is important, but it is rarely the leg that makes or breaks the trip.