Travel & Visa
FLORetina 2019 – Florence Retina Meeting
Travel info
Florence is well connected with the rest of Italy and with Europe, and easy to reach by air or land thanks to its central position in Italy. Fares and timetables below are those published for the 2019 congress.
By airplane
Florence Airport
Amerigo Vespucci international airport is 4 km north-west of the city center, a 25-minute ride on the Volainbus shuttle to the central railway station (€ 6,00 one way, € 10,00 return) or a 15-minute taxi ride at fixed fares (€ 22,00 working days, € 24,00 holidays, € 25,30 at night from 22:00 to 06:00, plus € 1,00 per piece of luggage and per passenger from the 4th).
Direct flights connect it to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Bucharest, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, London Gatwick and City, Madrid, Munich, Paris CDG and Orly, Tirana, Zurich and Vienna.
Pisa Airport
Pisa's Galilei Airport is about 80 km from Florence, linked to the city by train (every hour) and by the Terravision bus (18 return journeys covering all flights).
Bologna Airport
With the high-speed “Frecciarossa” line linking Bologna and Florence in just 35 minutes, Bologna airport is also an easy gateway to Florence; the two cities are also connected by the “Appennino Shuttle” bus.
By train
The city's main railway station, Firenze Santa Maria Novella (SMN), is in the city center, close to the major tourist attractions and the main node for city buses. Other important stations are Firenze Campo di Marte and Firenze Rifredi, connected to the center by local trains and ATAF buses. Rail services are run by Trenitalia and Italo.
By car
Drivers were advised to park and use public transport to reach the city center, paying attention to the access points of the Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) in the historic center, monitored by electronic gates and open only to authorized vehicles. Hotels and garages could arrange temporary ZTL access for their guests.
By tramvia
From the airport, tram line T2 “Leonardo” reaches Piazza dell'Unità Italiana in 20 minutes: the “Unità” stop is 400 m from the congress center. From the A1 Firenze Scandicci motorway exit, tram line T1 connects the Villa Costanza car park to the “Valfonda – Stazione SMN” stop, in front of the congress center.
Visa
All non-EU foreigners entering Italy must provide the documentation justifying the reasons and duration of their stay and, in certain cases, the availability of adequate economic means and lodging. Where needed, visa applications are made at the Italian diplomatic and consular representations in the country of residence; the website of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains who needs a visa and which documents are required.
For FLORetina 2019, AIM Group International (the official congress PCO) supported participants' visa applications with invitation letters, and issued the guarantee letters required for citizens of the People's Republic of China. Participants were reminded that a visa application could take up to 120 days, that the application fee (from € 35 to € 116 per person) was paid to the consulate or embassy in local currency, and that presenting the requested documents did not necessarily ensure the issuance of the visa.