--- title: "Train Stations in Florence: Which One You Need" date: 2026-06-20 author: "Johan E. Johansson" featured_image: "https://everyrail.com/wp-content/uploads/florence.jpg" categories: - name: "Destinations" url: "/destinations.md" --- # Train Stations in Florence: Which One You Need Florence has one main train station, Santa Maria Novella, in the centre of the city. It also has two outer stations, Campo di Marte and Rifredi, and some long-distance trains stop only at those instead. That one detail catches travellers out more than anything else here. Before you book, and again before you travel, check the exact station name on your ticket. ## Florence’s three train stations at a glance Florence is “Firenze” on every booking site and departure board, so that is the name you will see when you search. The main station is written as Firenze S.M.N., short for Santa Maria Novella. The other two are Firenze Campo di Marte, east of the centre, and Firenze Rifredi, to the north. For almost every visit, Santa Maria Novella is the station you want. The others matter because some intercity and high-speed services skip the central station and call only at Campo di Marte or Rifredi. A few cheaper advance fares depart from them too. StationWhere it isMainly used byBest forSanta Maria Novella (S.M.N.)City centreMost high-speed and regional trainsAlmost every visit to FlorenceCampo di MarteEast of centreSome intercity and high-speed servicesWhen your service calls there; check before you travelRifrediNorth of centreSome intercity trains; occasional cheaper faresWhen the fare is cheaper and you can plan the short hop## Santa Maria Novella, the station most trains use Santa Maria Novella is Florence’s central terminus, and it is the one to aim for. It sits on Piazza della Stazione, right on the western edge of the historic centre, so you arrive in the city rather than on its outskirts. It is one of Italy’s busiest stations, owned by the national infrastructure company RFI. It is also a dead-end station, which matters in one practical way. Trains reverse out the way they came in, so check the departure board for your platform rather than assuming it. The Duomo is about a ten to twelve minute walk from the front doors. If your hotel is near the station, you may not need any city transport for your whole stay. Santa Maria Novella has the facilities you would expect at a station this size: staffed and self-service ticket machines, places to eat, and a left-luggage office, usually near the higher-numbered platforms and open from early morning to late evening. Both main operators have a presence here, including a Casa Italo point for Italo passengers. If you plan to leave bags before check-in or after checkout, confirm the current left-luggage hours on the day, as they change. ## Campo di Marte and Rifredi, and when your train uses them Campo di Marte and Rifredi are normal stops on the network, not problems to avoid. The catch is that they are not central. You only want to arrive at one if you know how you will reach the centre from there. Campo di Marte sits east of the historic core and is used increasingly for national and some international services, so a fast train you assumed would terminate at Santa Maria Novella may call here. Rifredi, to the north, is the city’s third-largest station, and you will sometimes find cheaper advance fares departing from it. Neither is far out, and both connect to the centre quickly. The saving on a Rifredi fare only makes sense once you factor in the short extra hop. If you are offered a fare from Campo di Marte or Rifredi, it is usually fine to take it. Just note the station name and plan the connection rather than discovering it on arrival. ## How to avoid arriving at or leaving from the wrong station The single most useful habit in Florence is reading the exact station name on your ticket. It will say Firenze S.M.N., Firenze Campo di Marte, or Firenze Rifredi, and those are three different places. Confirm it when you book, then check it again before you travel. The mistake that actually costs people happens on departure. You head to Santa Maria Novella because it is the obvious station, only to find your train leaves from Campo di Marte or Rifredi. The fix is easy if you have time, because local trains link all three stations every ten minutes or so and the ride takes just a few minutes. The trouble starts when you have not allowed for it. If your ticket shows an outer station, build in a buffer and treat the connection as part of the journey. ## Getting from Santa Maria Novella into the centre From Santa Maria Novella, the usual answer is to walk. The historic centre is compact and mostly flat, the Duomo is roughly a ten-minute walk, and most of what visitors come to see is within easy reach on foot. The streets near the centre are cobbled, which is worth knowing if you are dragging heavy luggage. If you would rather not walk, trams, buses and taxis all run from directly outside the station. The taxi rank is in front of the station, with the tram and bus stops alongside. For a central hotel, walking is normally quicker than waiting for anything else. ## Connecting between the stations and reaching the airport Two short journeys come up again and again: hopping between Florence’s stations, and getting to the airport. Local trains connect Santa Maria Novella, Campo di Marte and Rifredi in just a few minutes, running frequently through the day, and you buy a local ticket from a machine before boarding. The airport is the one to plan for, because there is no direct train to it. Florence Airport, also called Peretola and shown as FLR, is served by tram line T2, which runs from the city to the terminal. The tram stops at Via Alamanni, right beside Santa Maria Novella, so the changeover from train to tram is easy. A taxi is the alternative if you have an early flight or a lot of luggage. ## Operators and tickets at Florence Two companies run the fast trains through Florence. Trenitalia is the national operator, and its premium services carry the Le Frecce brand, including the Frecciarossa. Italo is a separate high-speed operator. Both serve Santa Maria Novella, and you can buy from either directly. This is where a common confusion comes in. Names like ItaliaRail, Trainline and Rail Europe are resellers, not train companies. They sell tickets for Italian operators such as Trenitalia and Italo, sometimes with a booking fee, so a question about “Trenitalia versus ItaliaRail” is really comparing an operator with a reseller of that operator’s tickets. For shorter trips around Tuscany, such as Pisa or Lucca, you will be on Trenitalia regional trains, which do not need seat reservations and can be bought on the day. For the high-speed routes, such as Rome in around 90 minutes, book ahead, since advance fares are usually cheaper than buying on the day.