Unlike most large cities where flagging a taxi on the street is quite normal, Florence has various restrictions in place that limit this method. Basically, by law, the taxi is not allowed to pick up customers if they haven’t pre-booked or are outside an authorized taxi rank. However, booking a taxi in Florence is very easy. The city is served by two main taxicab operators: Taxi 4242 (Tel: +39 055 4242) and Taxi 4390 (Tel: +39 055 4390). Orders are taken 24 hours over the phone so that one is easily able to book a taxi pickup any time of day. For added convenience, both Taxi 4242 and Taxi 4390 have mobile applications whereby you can book a taxi straight from your smartphone. These will, more often than not, enable you to track the location of your taxi in real time, provide an estimated time of arrival, and perhaps even give you the facility for electronic payment, thus liberating you from carrying cash.
