The short answer
Have your hotel register your number plate before you drive in — not after. It is free and it covers your stay, and the property knows the procedure. If they cannot, park at the T2 Guidoni park-and-ride and take the tram in: €1.50 for up to five hours. Taxis may enter the zones freely, so a hotel inside the ZTL is never a problem if you arrive by taxi.
The hours
Read off the council's own pages. Hours are set by decree and can change without notice.
Sectors A, B and O
These are the central sectors, restricted on working days throughout the year.
Sectors A, B and O
Summer night ZTL — ALL five sectors
This is the one that catches people. From the first Thursday of April to the first Sunday of October the restriction extends to sectors F and G as well — so a street that is open on a Tuesday afternoon is closed on a Friday night. The exact dates shift every year.
Sundays and public holidays
The daytime restriction does not apply, though the summer night band still can.
Some gates
A handful of gates are permanently reserved. No permit lets a private car through those.
Three things that catch out visitors
- The summer night ZTL is not the daytime one. Between the first Thursday of April and the first Sunday of October, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 23:00 to 03:00, the restriction extends to all five sectors. Sectors F and G, open on a Tuesday afternoon, are closed on a Friday night. The season shifts every year, so check the current ordinance if you are driving in spring or autumn.
- The Scudo Verde is not a toll. The name misleads. It is an environmental zone covering much of the city, active 24 hours a day since 1 April 2025, with no charge of any kind. It bars only heavily polluting vehicles — broadly those built before 1997 — which is under 10% of the Italian fleet. A recent hire car is unaffected.
- Some gates never open. A few are permanently reserved for buses and emergency vehicles, 24 hours a day. No permit gets a private car through those, so follow the signs rather than the satnav.
Parking, and paying for it
The simplest option for a visitor arriving by car is the T2 Guidoni park-and-ride on viale XI Agosto: open 24 hours every day, with the tram and buses into the centre. €1.50 for up to 5 hours, €2.50 up to 12.
If you do park on the street, two things worth knowing. The meters take coins and cards, but only Visa, Mastercard and Maestro — not American Express. And of the seven parking apps the council accepts, only Tap&Park charges no commission; the others may add costs.
Vehicles heading to a garage or commercial car park inside the ZTL can be authorised, so if your accommodation has an arrangement with a garage, ask about it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive to my hotel inside Florence's ZTL?
Only if the property registers your number plate with the council before you drive through a gate — not after. Registration is free and covers the length of your stay, and the hotel knows the procedure and its own booking system, so let them do it. If your accommodation cannot or will not register the plate, park outside the walls and reach it on foot or by taxi. Taxis may enter freely.
What are the ZTL hours in Florence?
Sectors A, B and O are restricted Monday to Friday 07:30–20:00 and Saturday 07:30–16:00, all year. On Sundays and public holidays the daytime ZTL is not active. From the first Thursday of April to the first Sunday of October there is also a summer night ZTL from 23:00 to 03:00 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and that one extends to all five sectors. As verified on 12 August 2026 with the city's mobility department.
What is the summer night ZTL and why does it matter?
It is a separate restriction that runs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights between April and October, from 23:00 to 03:00, and unlike the daytime ZTL it covers all five sectors including F and G. That means a street you drove down freely on a Tuesday afternoon can be a fined entry on a Friday night. It is the single most common way visitors get caught in Florence.
What is the Scudo Verde? Do I need to pay it?
No — and this is worth saying clearly, because the name sounds like a charge. The Scudo Verde is a separate environmental scheme covering a large part of the city, live since 1 April 2025 and active 24 hours a day, but it involves NO TOLL of any kind. It restricts only heavily polluting vehicles, under 10% of the Italian fleet, broadly those built before 1997: petrol cars Euro 0 and diesel Euro 0 and Euro 1. Any modern hire car passes. The council provides an online plate check if you want to be certain.
Where can I park if I cannot enter the ZTL?
The practical answer is the T2 Guidoni park-and-ride on viale XI Agosto, open 24 hours every day, with the tram and buses running into the centre. It costs €1.50 for up to 5 hours and €2.50 for up to 12. Vehicles heading to a garage or a commercial car park inside the ZTL can also be authorised — ask the operator.
Can I pay for street parking with American Express?
No. Florence's parking meters accept coins and cards, but only on the Visa, Mastercard and Maestro circuits. Bring one of those. Of the seven parking apps the council accepts, only Tap&Park charges no commission — the others may add costs.
Are motorcycles allowed in the ZTL?
The rules for two-wheelers differ from those for cars and are set separately, so do not assume a scooter is exempt. If you are riding rather than driving, check the current provision with the council or ask us and we will confirm it for you.
I got a ZTL fine from Florence months after my trip. What do I do?
That is normal: the gates photograph the plate and there is no roadside stop, and with a hire car the request goes through the rental company. The fine should reach an address abroad within 360 days. If you believe it is wrong, you can write to the Prefetto of Florence or appeal through the Giudice di Pace. Note too that since the December 2024 reform of the Codice della Strada, repeated entries into the same zone on the same day count as a single violation, so a multiple fine for one day is worth contesting.
Driving into Florence on a Friday night?
Tell Pronto your hotel address and your dates — it reads this same verified data and answers in seconds, free during beta. And if you are actually driving in, we will confirm the current position with the council for you. That is the part a web page cannot do.
More verified Italy guides
Sources: Comune di Firenze mobility department (mobilita.comune.fi.it) and Servizi alla Strada (serviziallastrada.it), the council's own operator, which issues permits online. Hours are set by decree and change without notice; this page carries the date it was last checked and is reviewed monthly.