Avoid Travel Scams2026–2027 Guide
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Destination · Western Europe

Travel Scams in Florence

Florence's documented problems are low-violence but persistent: taxi fare padding, distraction theft by child petition teams around the Duomo and station, counterfeit leather and fashion sold by unlicensed vendors (a fineable purchase for the buyer), restaurant bill surprises, and — for drivers — the historic-centre ZTL cameras that generate fines long after the trip.

1. Taxi fare padding and long-routing

Some drivers exploit tourists' unfamiliarity with legitimate supplements (luggage, night, pick-up) by piling on phantom extras, taking the long way round the one-way system, or running night/weekend tariffs in the daytime. Italian taxis are regulated and metered — the FCDO advises using only licensed cars from official ranks or apps — but visitor complaints about inflated Florence fares are a recurring theme on travel forums.

Warning signs

  • Meter 'not working' or covered when you get in
  • Route loops away from the direct one-way path
  • Surcharges added that are not on the posted tariff card
  • Refusal to give a receipt

How to avoid it

  • Use official white taxis from ranks or book via the itTaxi/Free Now apps
  • Check the meter is on and the tariff card is displayed
  • Look up the expected fare for common legs (airport, station) before travelling
  • Take the T2 tram from the airport to the centre instead
Sources

2. Counterfeit leather and the buyer-fine trap

Stalls and blanket sellers around San Lorenzo market hawk 'genuine Florentine leather' and designer goods that are cheap imports. Italian law targets the buyer as well as the seller: the FCDO warns that purchasing from unlicensed street traders is illegal and tourists can be stopped and fined. Travel-safety guides note the same for counterfeit fashion sold from street blankets.

Warning signs

  • 'Leather' jackets at a tenth of shop prices from a pavement blanket
  • Sellers who pack up instantly when police appear
  • No shop address, receipt or Italian tax documentation

How to avoid it

  • Buy leather only from licensed shops that issue a ricevuta fiscale
  • Test claims of 'genuine leather' with a price reality check
  • Never buy from unlicensed street traders — the buyer can be fined
  • Walk away when approached; don't handle the merchandise
Sources

3. Child petition and distraction pickpocket teams

Groups of children and teens work the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria and Santa Maria Novella station with clipboards, petitions or offered 'gifts'; while you read or sign, accomplices open bags and pockets. World Nomads documents the pattern in Rome and Florence specifically, and the FCDO flags distraction techniques as Italy's signature tourist theft method.

Warning signs

  • Children fanning out with clipboards or pieces of cardboard
  • One distracts while others press close from the sides
  • Anything thrust at your hands or laid over your belongings

How to avoid it

  • Do not sign petitions or take 'gifts' — keep moving
  • Hold bags in front with a hand on the zip in crowds
  • Step out of any group that surrounds you
  • Keep your phone secured when photographing the Duomo
Sources

4. Restaurant bill surprises (per-etto fish, inflated cover charges)

Tourist-zone trattorias exploit menu ambiguity: fish priced all'etto (per 100g) so a '€9' dish becomes €45, unpriced specials, and legitimate-but-surprising pane e coperto cover charges multiplied across the table. Travel-safety guidance for Italy advises always checking the written menu and demanding the official fiscal receipt if the bill looks invented — a rip-off can be refused, and police called on 112.

Warning signs

  • Waiter pushes a verbal 'special' with no stated price
  • Seafood priced per 100 grams rather than per dish
  • Cover or 'servizio' lines you never saw on the menu
  • Bill handwritten on scrap paper

How to avoid it

  • Ask the full price of specials and fish before ordering
  • Check the menu for coperto and servizio lines before sitting
  • Request il conto and a ricevuta fiscale
  • Query inflated items on the spot and call 112 if you are prevented from leaving
Sources

5. ZTL historic-centre camera fines

Florence's centro storico is a ZTL (limited traffic zone): drive past the camera sign without a permit and your plate is photographed automatically. Tourists in hire cars routinely receive multiple fines months later, inflated by the rental company's admin fees. The FCDO explicitly warns that entering a ZTL without a pass means your registration is caught on camera and a fine follows.

Warning signs

  • A yellow-bordered sign reading 'ZTL' with a camera above the lane
  • Your GPS routing you through the old town's gates
  • Hotel located inside the restricted zone with no parking advice

How to avoid it

  • Never drive into the centro storico; park outside and walk or take the tram
  • If staying inside the ZTL, have your hotel register your plate in advance
  • Ask the hire company how ZTL fines and admin fees are handled
  • Photograph any ZTL signage you do pass, for contesting errors
Sources

Practical safety briefing

  • Airport arrival: Florence airport (Peretola) is small and close-in: the T2 tram runs to the centre and official white taxis queue outside — avoid anyone soliciting inside arrivals, and expect a modest fare, not a long haul.
  • Trusted transport: Official metered taxis booked via itTaxi/Free Now or taken from ranks, the T1/T2 trams, and ATAF buses — validate every ticket to dodge inspector fines.
  • Money & payments: Use bank ATMs; carry some cash for markets and small vendors. In restaurants, watch for per-100g pricing and always collect the fiscal receipt.

Official travel advisories

  • UK FCDO — Covers distraction theft at tourist sites, licensed-taxi guidance, fines for buying from unlicensed street traders, and automatic ZTL camera fines in historic centres.

Compiled from documented reports and government advisories. How we verify scams. Last verified July 2026.