Map of Santa Maria Novella

Santa Maria Novella is a fairly elaborate stations with many rooms and a few hidden tracks.  This map will be your guide to the station when you arrive.   There is a small food court located at the bottom of the station where you can wait for your train to arrive while enjoying a snack.  On the bottom left of the map you will find a ticket office where you can receive information about train travel.  Please also note that tracks 1 and 2, 3 and 4, as well as 17 and 18, are located slightly apart from the main rail road tracks.  Please go to their respective sides of the train station to find guidance towards your train on tracks 1, 2, 17, and 18.

It would be advantageous for those traveling to S.M.N. to print out or save a copy of this map until your final departure of Florence.

Useful Phrases at the Train Station

 
Although there are many workers at S.M.N. who do speak fluent English, it is always a good idea to have a few basic phrases at your disposal.  Plus the Italians always appreciate travelers that put in the effort to speak their language even if it is hard to converse.  Never be afraid to try speaking Italian, fore you will only learn this way.  Below are a list of useful words and phrases to have while traveling by train in Italy.


Platform     Binario
Train            Treno
Excuse me    Scusi

Corresponding Cities
Rome	Florence	Milan	Naples	Lake Como	Venice	Bologne
Roma	Firenze	Milano	Napoli	Lago di Como	Venezia	Bologne

 

Days of the Week
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Domenica	Lunedi	Martedi	Mercoledi	Giovedi	Venerdì	Sabato

Quanto costa per uno biglietto per (City Name)?
How much does it cost for a ticket to  (City Name)?

Vorrei fare una prenotazione.
I would like to make a reservation.

Quanto tempo e il train per Roma?
How long is the train to Rome?

Vorrei uno biglietto di andata e ritorno per Firenze, per favore.
One full trip ticket to Florence, please.

Che binario per (Name of City)?
Which platform for (Name of City)?



Il treno e in ritardo?
The train is ______?
late:         in ritardo
early:       presto
on time:   il tempo

How to get to the Train Station from the Duomo

Luggage

Luggage

If you are staying in Florence for an extended time but are taking day trips to other destinations around Italy and you do not want to carry any large suitcases with you as they can be an enormous hassle on trains, Firenze SMN train station has the answer. “Deposito Bagagliamano” or Baggage Deposit is the special area in the Florence Santa Maria Novella train station where you can leave your luggage in a secure area for a fee. 

The Baggage deposit is located directly next to platform 16, across from McDonalds and on the immediate left when entering through the turnstile entrance. 

At the Baggage Deposit, you can leave bags, backpacks and, the most popular item, trunks. 

The Luggage Depository is open at very convenient times, for 18 hours a day. Opening at 6AM and closing at Midnight, seven days a week

Price

The luggage depository charges €3.80 for the first 5 hours the bag is left, €0.60 per hour between hours 6-12, and then €0.20 per hour after 13 hours.

Rules

• The luggage weight limit is 20kg per one bag
• Hazardous substances and hazardous materials are prohibited 
• Luggage check cannot exceed five days

If you have any other questions regarding baggage check, you can ask in person at the train station or give them a call at +39 055.23.52.190

Using the Self-Service Machines

There are eight self-service machines in the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station, they are located in two groups of four in the middle of the train station, split by the customer service desk. These machines are touch screen and one can use these machines for most all of their train needs such as:

• Purchasing tickets
• Collecting tickets 
• Changing dates and times of tickets

To purchase a ticket departing from that station

1. select language
2. choose date by selecting “Modify Date and Time” in the right hand corner
3. choose destination either by typing in using the on screen keypad or selecting a popular destination on the right hand side
4. once destination is selected, choose the correct time that you wish to depart and then press “proceed”
5. the machine will then ask if you would like a “Base” or a “Flexible” ticket, select “Base”
6. If your train has class distinctions, you will now be asked to choose which class, first or second, to ride, select and press “proceed”
7. The machine will now begin the payment process, first step is to choose method of payment, “Cash” or “Credit Card”
8. If cash is selected, simply place the money, coins or bills, into the machine at the appropriate slots (they will be lit up when ready to take the money)
9. If Credit Card is selected, slide the card into the appropriate slot, the payment will be processed and if accepted a ticket will be printed

To purchase a ticket departing from a different station

1. Select Language 
2. Select “Modify Departure Station” 
3. Change station by typing in name or selecting a popular station on the right hand side
4. Select proceed
5. Follow steps 2-9 above

At anytime in the purchasing process, the transaction can be terminated by selecting “Annulla” or “Cancel” on the screen

What InterCity Ticket is Right for You?

The intercity train runs throughout Italy.  It is the most convenient form of transportation for long distance travel connecting to all major cities north of Naples allowing for a time saving solution to bus, car, and plane travel.  Of course there are a few things you need to know before buying tickets.

The majority of ticket packages are valid for a two month time period (60 days) from the date of purchase until their expiration.  For example, if you buy a ticket on the 12^th of February, it will expire at midnight on the 11^th of April.

Tickets in the country are sold based on a variety of needs.  Below you will find a description of the most common tickets available for purchase.

The one week traveler:

If you plan to vacation in the country it is best to look for short term tickets which are valid for consecutive days.  Having this option will give you unlimited train access during your stay.  You will not have to worry if you have enough travel days on your card or what days you are allowed to use the train system.  To avoid any conflicts of travel it will be safest to buy a consecutive day pass.  For a full array of travel options and to buy tickets, please click here.

Study Abroad Students:

For students traveling abroad there are a few specific issues to consider.  

The first will be how many days you will be traveling.  For weekend travelers, keep in mind that you may only need to use two travel days per weekend.  The first will be to get to your destination and the second will be to come back.

If you plan wisely, it is feasible to visit multiple cities by using only two travel days.  To do this, pick a city on the way to your final destination, and simply stop there—yes, it’s that easy.  Since a travel day is valid for the full day, you will be able to get off and on the train as you wish.  However, if you take the fast train, you must make and pay a reservation fee for each leg of travel.  An example of this scenario would be if you are traveling from Milan to Rome and wish to stop in Florence during your day of travel.  If you plan to take the faster train, you will need to make a 10 euro reservation fee to go from Milan to Florence, and then make another reservation of 10 euros to take the fast train from Florence to Milan.

The European traveler

2^nd class and seating:  You will notice that on the majority of websites and when buying tickets at the station, there is a 1^st and 2^nd class option.

Please Advise:  A second class ticket is available for the economical traveler.   This class ticket is discounted appropriately for those who do not need the extra leg room; yet also note that comparatively, the rail lines in Italy have far greater space to offer the customer than those in America.  But if you wish to travel in style, a first class ticket is always available.

Unlike regional trains in Italy which have open seating, you must pay attention to the correct train car and seat assigned to you.  At busy times the trains will book completely and getting in the right seat the first time will save you the hassle of seat searching in a crowded train.

Intercity Destinations Departing from Florence

Santa Maria Novella is the main station in Florence.  From here you may find many different companies tracking to all major cities throughout Italy.  You will also find regional trains which you may use to arrive at smaller towns within the Tuscan region.  Provided below are the most common cities to reach when departing from Florence along with the approximate duration of the trip.

Travel Information from S.M.N.
City	Rome	Milan	Bologna	Naples	Pisa
Duration (Fast)	1:35	1: 45	00:37	3:00	---
Duration (Regiona)	4:10	4:30	1:00	6:00 – 7:00	1:00
Price 1st  Class	63  Euros	71  Euros	36    Euros	103  Euros	8.70  Euros
Price 2nd Class	45  Euros	53  Euros	25    Euros	72    Euros	5.80  Euros

Military Time to Standard Time Conversion

You may find time conversion tables useful as you will see that many forms of travel utilize the 24 hour military clock to avoid confusion in departure and arrival times.  For a quick rule of thumb, subtract twelve (12) from any number above 12:59 to determine the number in standard time.

            

 Ex.  13:45 – 12 =  1:45

         22:00 – 12 =  10:00

For your convenience, a list of military numbers and their corresponding time is provided below.

01:00	1   am	13:00	1   pm
02:00	2   am	14:00	2   pm
03:00	3   am	15:00	3   pm
04:00	4   am	16:00	4   pm
05:00	5   am	17:00	5   pm
06:00	6   am	18:00	6   pm
07:00	7   am	19:00	7   pm
08:00	8   am	20:00	8   pm
09:00	9   am	21:00	9    pm
10:00	10 am	22:00	10  pm
11:00	11 am	23:00	11  pm
12:00	12 am	24:00	12  am

Decoding the Paper Map

You will find large paper time tables across the country's many train stations.  It may be difficult to decode at first, but with a few quick tricks you will be a professional in no time.  The following will help you in your travels so you do not miss your next train.

If you look at the picture to the right, there are stripes of blue with white numbers written in them.  These numbers represent Military time.  Underneath each hour is a list of times listed in bold during that hour.  Each of these times is divided by a black bar.  If you look to the right of each bold time, you will find the destination of the train, once again, in bold. Its time of arrival is listed to the right.

Below each destination is a list of stations at which the train will stop at on the way.  To the right of each of these stations, is the time of arrival.

The blue circles indicate which track the train will arrive at.  It is a wise decision to always double check times by asking a station worker or referring to the station’s list of departure information.

Destinations written in red are express trains.  These make limited stops while in route.

Italian Train Ticket Validation Process

      Validation of tickets is important for all travelers planning to take trains and busses in Italy.  Although some are lucky enough to rarely have train personnel check their tickets, persons who do not have a validated ticket may have a damper put on their day by a hefty fine.  Therefore one should take 1 minute to validate their ticket at the yellow boxes found around the station.

     If you are found riding the train without a valid ticket you may face a fine.  The tickets are valid for 90 minutes after validation by the machine.  Keep this in mind before validation.


 To validate follow these few simple steps: 

1.  Find a yellow box and identify that it is operable 

2.  Fully insert the end of the ticket into the black slot on the middle of the machine until you feel the ticket reach the backboard 

3.  You will hear the machine activate and print a line across the inserted end of the ticket. 

4.  If this does not happen try to move the ticket to the left side of the slot.  By doing this you are trying to activate the motion sensors to validate the ticket.

Regional Trains

Description
Regional, or Regionale, Trains are local trains that are designed to run around work and school schedules. These are the cheapest trains and are a very reliable form of travel when going sort distances around Italy. Regional trains stick to running in one region of Italy and have many stops in short increments. Most regional trains do not have class sections but rather one generic class in which seating is done on a first come, first serve basis. However some regional trains do offer a first class, and this is known as "Prima Classe". Seats on regional trains are often hard to find, and because of this standing sections can be heavily populated, this however is usually a small inconvenience because travel time on a regional train is typically much shorter than on the EuroStar or the Intercity trains.


Distinguishing Features
Regional trains tend to be older and shorter trains such as pictured below.
















They can also be, albeit rarely, double decked commuter trains


Aside from physical attributes, a regional train can be recognized by an "R" before its train number on the departure board also a regional train will have numerous stops in small increments of time in less popular areas. Also, a ticket for a regional train is very likely to be an "open date" ticket valid anytime two months after purchase. Thus it will not have a seat assignment, train number, or a date and time.

Prices and Popular Destinations
Train prices typically range from 1-8 euros per ticket. A train ticket from station to station inside the city of Florence will cost 1.70 Euros, whereas a regional train to Pisa can cost as much as 7 euros in first class, and 5.80 euros in second class