ZTL exempt for tourists living in a hotel within the ZTL zones?

[M.Zhang]

I am a tourist staying at a hotel in Florence within a ZTL zone.
1) Can I drive my rental car to and from the hotel during my stay without having to be fined, if it has been reported to the ZTL authoirity?
2) Is the hotel supposed to help me to register the car plate to the ZTL authority in order to get the exempt? Or anyone else, or even I myself have to do so?
3) Is the exemption ALWAYS there, or it depends other condition or hotel's courtesy?

My case: Stayed in Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Firenze for 3 nights, on the day of my departure before check-out, I was still be charged of ZTL. The car was parked outside ZTL overnight and I was driving it to the hotel inside ZTL to check out, pick up luggage and leave Florence. I speak Chinese, English and German, don't understand Italian. Hope the Florence ZTL rules be somehow tourist-friendly, above all, Florence or even Italy in general.

 

[Lourdes]

Ciao M. Zhang,

Yes, if you stay at a hotel in Florence's historical center, which is all part of the ZTL zone (limited traffic area), then you can drive in and out to drop off luggage and passengers, as well as pick them up -- but you MUST make sure to tell the reception staff when you arrive that you reached them with a car EACH AND EVERY TIME so that they will add the license plate to the white list for THAT TIME. I think you have like a 2 hour window every time you enter the ZTL for you license plate to be registered. It has to be done each and every time, it doesn't stay on record for the duration of your stay, it has to be sent every time you ENTER the Ztl (not exit).

Some hotels offer parking at their premises or a special rate at a nearby private garage where you can park. But if you don't do that, then you have to leave the ZTL after you've reached the hotel and dropped off luggage and passengers as parking itself requires its own permit.

Only the hotel (or private garage) can communicate the license plate to the authorities, so that is why it is important you tell them to do it once you reach them.

Exemption is always there as a condition for all commercial businesses in the center to not be hurt by the ZTL. It is in their interests to make sure that clients are happy to stay with them, even if they are in the historical center.

IF you already stayed in Florence and got a fine for the last day, it was still the hotel's responsibility to communicate the license plate within the allotted time to ensure you could pick up luggage and passengers as you were checking out, you were still their client! I would reach out to your hotel and alert them to the fine, that you are unhappy with the poor service they provided in this regard. It isn't possible to expect their clients to know Italian and all the rules, so it up to them to ensure they cover all the bases and ensure you leave happy after your stay with them! I am sorry you got fined, I am not sure there is much recourse to follow however. It would be great service if the hotel were to admit their error and offer to pay it on your behalf. I hope this experience does not sour your entire stay and you hold your time in Florence dear in your memories!

 

[M.Zhang]

Ciao M. Zhang,

Yes, if you stay at a hotel in Florence's historical center, which is all part of the ZTL zone (limited traffic area), then you can drive in and out to drop off luggage and passengers, as well as pick them up -- but you MUST make sure to tell the reception staff when you arrive that you reached them with a car EACH AND EVERY TIME so that they will add the license plate to the white list for THAT TIME. I think you have like a 2 hour window every time you enter the ZTL for you license plate to be registered. It has to be done each and every time, it doesn't stay on record for the duration of your stay, it has to be sent every time you ENTER the Ztl (not exit).

Some hotels offer parking at their premises or a special rate at a nearby private garage where you can park. But if you don't do that, then you have to leave the ZTL after you've reached the hotel and dropped off luggage and passengers as parking itself requires its own permit.

Only the hotel (or private garage) can communicate the license plate to the authorities, so that is why it is important you tell them to do it once you reach them.

Exemption is always there as a condition for all commercial businesses in the center to not be hurt by the ZTL. It is in their interests to make sure that clients are happy to stay with them, even if they are in the historical center.

IF you already stayed in Florence and got a fine for the last day, it was still the hotel's responsibility to communicate the license plate within the allotted time to ensure you could pick up luggage and passengers as you were checking out, you were still their client! I would reach out to your hotel and alert them to the fine, that you are unhappy with the poor service they provided in this regard. It isn't possible to expect their clients to know Italian and all the rules, so it up to them to ensure they cover all the bases and ensure you leave happy after your stay with them! I am sorry you got fined, I am not sure there is much recourse to follow however. It would be great service if the hotel were to admit their error and offer to pay it on your behalf. I hope this experience does not sour your entire stay and you hold your time in Florence dear in your memories!

Thanks Lourdes for your extensive explantion!

Are you sure "Exemption is always there", as you said? If it is correct, then I am NOT supposed to pay the fine (though I already did). Let me explain very single details below.

I entered the ZTL at Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci at 9.11am on Mar. 17, 2025 to the hotel Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Firenze from the car park at Via Curtatone 1-3, where I parked overnight, in order to check out. The hotel frontdesk staff knew I entered ZTL but asked me to register, I said I am your guest, you are supposed to help me to register, for I experienced the same in Verona 2 days ago, where the hotel staff did all for me simply without my knowing it. As a tourst who doesnt understand Italian, how could I know how and where to register my car plate? So the Tivoli staff's request is really not workable and very unfriendly. I did write to the hotel but their Guest Relations Manager ALESSIA SIFANNO wrote back that it's all my fault. In this context, I had to pay the fine before the 5 days limit. I stayed in that hotel from 14 through 17 of March for 3 nights.

Could you please help me to figure who is fault in this case? I want to get it well sorted. Otherwise there will be more and more tourists like me to fall into this trap and pay the unexpected fines. This surely damaged the Tivoli hotel's image. With such bad services it does NOT deserve 5stars! Why the Verona NH hotel could do the registration for their guests, while Florence Tivoli not? Maybe each city has their own different regulations? It is almost impossible for foreign tourists to know all this. In a sharp contrast, China is much much more friendly to foreigners, they are enjoying too many special exemptions, for, as most Chinese put it, "they don't understand Chinese, that's their privilege".

​

 

[Lourdes]

I hope the info we share on here, on this public forum, will help all others who plan to reach a hotel, garage or other commercial activity in the center of Florence.

The city offers hotels and parking garages the "ease" of computer software to send license plates to the authorities to place their guests and customers in general on the white list, as it is part of them being able to conduct business in the historical center and thus not "be punished" for their location within the ZTL! It isn't an automatic exemption, the hotels and private garages have to very consciously ask their customers for license plates if they know you drove into the ZTL to get to them and send the number to the authorities - and, if they don't know, all they need to do is ASK guests as they arrive!

Your hotel is very close to the SMN train station so it is possible many guests just simply arrive at the hotel by walking there. But when you arrived, and especially when you left, since you say they knew you were going to the pick up your car to pick up luggage and passengers and leave, they should have asked for your license plate.

It seems to me that the problem occurred here at check out time - and I'm sorry to say that I know many Italians who work in hospitality don't express properly in English which could have led to miscommunication.

I'm rereading what you write:

The hotel frontdesk staff knew I entered ZTL but asked me to register, I said I am your guest, you are supposed to help me to register, for I experienced the same in Verona 2 days ago, where the hotel staff did all for me simply without my knowing it.

and I'm thinking the miscommunication happened when they "asked me to register, I said I am your guest, you are supposed to help me to register".

I'm just guessing at what might have been the intention of the staff. It doesn't seem that they asked you for your license plate again, and instead asked for a very generic "registration". I would also not have understood what that meant, since of course, you we're already a guest! So registration was the incorrect word to use, you were definitely not in need of registering anything. I assume you only got one fine for the day you were leaving and not for the day you arrived, so the license plate was correctly sent to the authorities on your first day of arrival.

Did you drive at all during your 3 days in Florence or was the car parked the entire time? This is an important detail that everyone needs to know about: every single time you DRIVE INTO THE ZTL, your car gets photographed and it counts as an entrance that needs to be cleared by someone who puts you on that famous "white list" that the authorities use to take OFF cars that have been logged as having entered the ZTL without a permit. Let's say you enter the ZTL by taking a wrong turn and then exit the ZTL because you can't find the right address, you keep going around in circles and keep re-entering the ZTL as you drive around -- every single time counts as a possible fine, if no one sends your license plate to the authorities to basically say you entered the ZTL to get to them.

The parking lot where you say you went and picked up the car on day of departure is outside the ZTL so, theoretically, even if you did drive on those days and always parked there, you wouldn't have needed to enter the ZTL to reach that parking lot area.

Hotels don't keep license plate numbers, as far as I know. All they do is enter the number into the system and send it off to the local police so it goes on the "white list" of vehicles authorized to enter the ZTL to get to the hotel. The staff on site at the time of your departure should have clearly asked for your car's license plate to ensure it was sent to the authorities AGAIN. and made it clear that the "registration" was for the car. Here is where I think the error in communication happened, at least taking into consideration the words you have written.

More things to consider - although 4 months have passed so it it might be hard to remember - do you remember giving them your license plate again at that time, when you were leaving? Do you recall whether they confirmed the license plate had been sent to the authorities?

I hope you understand that, at this point, it isn't a matter of whose fault it is. I don't think you will get your money back considering the hotel staff is blaming you. You have written about your experience here and you can keep doing reviews on other platforms about the service you received at your hotel here in Florence. There is a lot of competition in the hospitality sector here in Florence, so if the hotel and other places care for their image, they have to care for their guests too and part of that is coming halfway at the very least when problems arise.

My hope is that your entire experience will not be ruined and you will come to remember your time in Florence with fondness, particularly having seen the sights, art and gorgeous views the city has to offer. I hope you had many more positive encounters with all the people you came into contact during your visit in Italy, so that it can outweigh any of the bad ones.

 

[M.Zhang]

I hope the info we share on here, on this public forum, will help all others who plan to reach a hotel, garage or other commercial activity in the center of Florence.

The city offers hotels and parking garages the "ease" of computer software to send license plates to the authorities to place their guests and customers in general on the white list, as it is part of them being able to conduct business in the historical center and thus not "be punished" for their location within the ZTL! It isn't an automatic exemption, the hotels and private garages have to very consciously ask their customers for license plates if they know you drove into the ZTL to get to them and send the number to the authorities - and, if they don't know, all they need to do is ASK guests as they arrive!

Your hotel is very close to the SMN train station so it is possible many guests just simply arrive at the hotel by walking there. But when you arrived, and especially when you left, since you say they knew you were going to the pick up your car to pick up luggage and passengers and leave, they should have asked for your license plate.

It seems to me that the problem occurred here at check out time - and I'm sorry to say that I know many Italians who work in hospitality don't express properly in English which could have led to miscommunication.

I'm rereading what you write:

and I'm thinking the miscommunication happened when they "asked me to register, I said I am your guest, you are supposed to help me to register".

I'm just guessing at what might have been the intention of the staff. It doesn't seem that they asked you for your license plate again, and instead asked for a very generic "registration". I would also not have understood what that meant, since of course, you we're already a guest! So registration was the incorrect word to use, you were definitely not in need of registering anything. I assume you only got one fine for the day you were leaving and not for the day you arrived, so the license plate was correctly sent to the authorities on your first day of arrival.

Did you drive at all during your 3 days in Florence or was the car parked the entire time? This is an important detail that everyone needs to know about: every single time you DRIVE INTO THE ZTL, your car gets photographed and it counts as an entrance that needs to be cleared by someone who puts you on that famous "white list" that the authorities use to take OFF cars that have been logged as having entered the ZTL without a permit. Let's say you enter the ZTL by taking a wrong turn and then exit the ZTL because you can't find the right address, you keep going around in circles and keep re-entering the ZTL as you drive around -- every single time counts as a possible fine, if no one sends your license plate to the authorities to basically say you entered the ZTL to get to them.

The parking lot where you say you went and picked up the car on day of departure is outside the ZTL so, theoretically, even if you did drive on those days and always parked there, you wouldn't have needed to enter the ZTL to reach that parking lot area.

Hotels don't keep license plate numbers, as far as I know. All they do is enter the number into the system and send it off to the local police so it goes on the "white list" of vehicles authorized to enter the ZTL to get to the hotel. The staff on site at the time of your departure should have clearly asked for your car's license plate to ensure it was sent to the authorities AGAIN. and made it clear that the "registration" was for the car. Here is where I think the error in communication happened, at least taking into consideration the words you have written.

More things to consider - although 4 months have passed so it it might be hard to remember - do you remember giving them your license plate again at that time, when you were leaving? Do you recall whether they confirmed the license plate had been sent to the authorities?

I hope you understand that, at this point, it isn't a matter of whose fault it is. I don't think you will get your money back considering the hotel staff is blaming you. You have written about your experience here and you can keep doing reviews on other platforms about the service you received at your hotel here in Florence. There is a lot of competition in the hospitality sector here in Florence, so if the hotel and other places care for their image, they have to care for their guests too and part of that is coming halfway at the very least when problems arise.

My hope is that your entire experience will not be ruined and you will come to remember your time in Florence with fondness, particularly having seen the sights, art and gorgeous views the city has to offer. I hope you had many more positive encounters with all the people you came into contact during your visit in Italy, so that it can outweigh any of the bad ones.

Thanks Lourdes for the reply!

Some more details to clearly locate where the problem is:

1) I put my car plate number on the hotel check-in sheet on the first day of arrival. The hotel staff should know the number. After the check-in, I gave the car key to the frontdesk clerk, they helped me to park at one of their contracted garage.
2) I parked at that garage for some 20 hours. During this 20 hours I didn't use the car. So it's in the garage all the time.
3) On the 2nd day I drove away from the garage and no longer drove into the ZTL when it's active afterwards before we left the 3rd day norming.
4) The fine sheet clearly indicates Date 17.03.2025, Time 9:11am pass ZTL at Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci. This is exactly the time I drove to Tivoli to check out. I don't have any other time to enter ZTL before and after this time.
5) At 9:20am when we check-out at the Tivoli frontdesk, the staff told us to go to the contracted garage (where we parked the first day) to pay some money for ZTL. Because our experience in Verona 2 days ago, we turned away, for we thought it's the hotel's duty to do it, why the guests had to do?

I still think it's Tivoli's fault, not mine? How do you think?

 

[Lourdes]

What was the name of the contracted garage? Was it within the ZTL?

It seems the problem was that on that morning when you were checking out, the staff at the hotel believed you were still parked at the garage from the first day and that the garage was handling the communication to the authorities.
Garages within the ZTL are like hotels, they also send license plate numbers to the authorities when you enter the ZTL to add you to the white list.
Some garages charge an extra euro for the communication of the license plate, some are included in the daily fee - so maybe this one required you to go pay for the communication, an extra euro for that?

In any case, the thing is if the garage was within the ZTL, you would have already been inside the ZTL in the morning and there would have been no "entrance" into the ZTL and need on the part of the hotel nor the garage to send your license plate.

So this is where you are this point: it seems the hotel did not understand you were parked elsewhere so did not understand the need for THEM to send the license plate number to the authorities.

 

[M.Zhang]

What was the name of the contracted garage? Was it within the ZTL?

It seems the problem was that on that morning when you were checking out, the staff at the hotel believed you were still parked at the garage from the first day and that the garage was handling the communication to the authorities.
Garages within the ZTL are like hotels, they also send license plate numbers to the authorities when you enter the ZTL to add you to the white list.
Some garages charge an extra euro for the communication of the license plate, some are included in the daily fee - so maybe this one required you to go pay for the communication, an extra euro for that?

In any case, the thing is if the garage was within the ZTL, you would have already been inside the ZTL in the morning and there would have been no "entrance" into the ZTL and need on the part of the hotel nor the garage to send your license plate.

So this is where you are this point: it seems the hotel did not understand you were parked elsewhere so did not understand the need for THEM to send the license plate number to the authorities.

It's Garage Giglio on the same street of Tivoli, 60m away from each other, sure, it's also within ZTL.

You are always thinking nicely of the hotel. Maybe this time it's wrong. Just imagine: if they thought I was still parking there all the 3 days, how they would tell me to pay for not being fined? Actually I clearly told them I parked only one day there, the other two days I parked in a parking lot outside ZTL. They knew this by heart. The fact is hotel didn't like to help us to send the plate number to the authority, for they knew all: my plate number, parked only one day in the garage they contracted, rest of time parked outside ZTL, I drove into ZTL to check out...

Could you help me to find out a full set of the ZTL regulations in Florence in English, especially regarding to hotel guests with cars staying in hotels within ZTL? I need to figure out my ultimate question:

1) If the hotels are obliged or their duty to send the car plate numbers to the authority? If they failed to do so, who will be charged of fines?
2) If no for the above, is it true the hotel guests are to be the ultimate persons who are to send the plate number?
3) For each successful sending, how long are the numbers to be kepted in the white list? 24hours or for the complete stay period in days?

Each of these conditions presents itself to the tourists as sort of traps which need to be well maintained and finally avoided. Maybe the Florence municipality or the regulations are quite tourist-friendly, but only this specific Tivoli hotel happened to be not that friendly, or due to so many ifs, happened to behave not quite properly unconscientiously?

As soon as the ZTL regulations in hand, the answer will be clear: who is to be blamed for the fines?

To help tourists coming to Florence to avoid the ZTL fines in future, we need to make it clear. This is also the initial intention this website/forum was created for.

Thanks again Lourdes for your time and effort to help me resolve this issue!

 

[irfantipu]

Thank you for your message and for sharing your experience during your stay in Florence.


To address your concerns:

1. Driving in ZTL Zones as a Hotel Guest:
   Yes, tourists staying at a hotel within a ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone) are generally allowed to drive to and from the hotel without receiving a fine if the hotel properly registers the car’s license plate with the ZTL authorities. This is an exception to the ZTL rules specifically made for hotel guests.
2. Responsibility for Registration:
   It is the hotel’s responsibility to report your rental car’s license plate to the ZTL authority on your behalf. You should provide the hotel with your plate number in advance or at check-in. Most hotels in ZTL zones are aware of this requirement and will handle it for their guests. Tourists do not typically register their own cars directly.
3. Is the Exemption Guaranteed?
   While there is a general ehsaas (consideration) for tourists in this matter, the exemption is not automatic and depends on timely and correct registration by the hotel. If the hotel fails to notify the authorities, the fine can still be issued. Therefore, it's important to confirm with the reception whether your plate has been successfully submitted.

Regarding your specific case at Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Firenze:
If your plate was not reported to the ZTL system when you drove into the zone on departure day, the fine could be valid. You may wish to contact the hotel and request written confirmation that your license plate was submitted to the ZTL authority for all the days of your stay, including the day of checkout. If you have that confirmation, you might be able to appeal the fine.


Florence’s ZTL rules can be difficult for tourists, especially when there’s a language barrier. It's recommended to always verify this at check-in and get written proof if possible.

 

[M.Zhang]

Thank you for your message and for sharing your experience during your stay in Florence.


To address your concerns:

1. Driving in ZTL Zones as a Hotel Guest:
   Yes, tourists staying at a hotel within a ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone) are generally allowed to drive to and from the hotel without receiving a fine if the hotel properly registers the car’s license plate with the ZTL authorities. This is an exception to the ZTL rules specifically made for hotel guests.
2. Responsibility for Registration:
   It is the hotel’s responsibility to report your rental car’s license plate to the ZTL authority on your behalf. You should provide the hotel with your plate number in advance or at check-in. Most hotels in ZTL zones are aware of this requirement and will handle it for their guests. Tourists do not typically register their own cars directly.
3. Is the Exemption Guaranteed?
   While there is a general ehsaas (consideration) for tourists in this matter, the exemption is not automatic and depends on timely and correct registration by the hotel. If the hotel fails to notify the authorities, the fine can still be issued. Therefore, it's important to confirm with the reception whether your plate has been successfully submitted.

Regarding your specific case at Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Firenze:
If your plate was not reported to the ZTL system when you drove into the zone on departure day, the fine could be valid. You may wish to contact the hotel and request written confirmation that your license plate was submitted to the ZTL authority for all the days of your stay, including the day of checkout. If you have that confirmation, you might be able to appeal the fine.


Florence’s ZTL rules can be difficult for tourists, especially when there’s a language barrier. It's recommended to always verify this at check-in and get written proof if possible.

Thanks irfantipu for your answer!

Yes indeed the Florence ZTL rules are tricky and the very hotel I stayed, Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Firenze, didn't perform properly, that's the point. I did all correctly: told them and even wrote down my car plate number in the check-in sheet upon check-in, in the morning of check-out I told them specifically I drove here from outside ZTL to check out and pick up luggage, but they insisted on I should do the report myself. As you said, how could a foreigner who didnt understand Italian figure out the reporting? This hotel, or the staff at the frontdesk, were not very friendly or snobbish, making their guests finally pay the high fines in 4 months.

Your recommendation is correct: double check with hotels regarding to ZTL exemptions, if possible get written proof.

 

[M.Zhang]

Below is the Chinese version of the ZTL thread to better inform Chinese tourists of the ZTL troubles in Florence and in Italy in general.

注意：若你住的酒店在佛罗伦萨的限行区（俗称ZTL区域）内的话，且你又是开车入住的话，一定要与该酒店确认他们将把你的车牌号上报的警察局，否则你将面临高额罚款。我就是在2025年3月入住了佛罗伦萨蒂沃利加迪宫酒店(Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Firenze Hotel)，在退房时将车从ZTL外开去酒店办理退房时，该酒店不给我办理上报而导致4个月后收到罚单，支付了近100欧元的罚款。所以若入住这家酒店一定要注意了，或者其他在ZTL区域内的酒店，也要与酒店再三确认他们去上报，以避免罚款。

意大利有很多城市均有ZTL限行区，开车时一定要注意，尤其是不在此入住时更要避免误入限行区。切记！

 

[Lourdes]

Ciao M.Zhang,

I am not trying to defend the hotel in any particular way, just trying to figure out if the situation has arisen because of human error and not because they did it on purpose.

I've been scouring the web to see what additional info I can find about the ZTL rules. On the Servizi della Strada website (https://www.serviziallastrada.it/se...azioni-circolazione-e-sosta-autobus/normativa), which is the entity that handles the permits to enter ZTL and the white list for the municipal police, they basically say that hotels, garages, rental car agencies and a variety of other commercial activities located within the ZTL CAN send the license plates of their clients to the white list. I also learned there is a cost of 1 euro each time this is done. So the regulations basically the commercial activities CAN send license plates for their clients but it doesn't say they HAVE to. My understanding from checking out websites for hotels and garages is that they usually use it as a selling point/marketing material to say they do it for their clients. Some I see ask for that extra euro to do so (mostly garages). So it makes me wonder if somehow the hotel staff meant you had to go back to the garage to pay that extra euro?

In any case, at this point, you can try to appeal the fine - the process is here but only in Italian, so it means the city cares very little in making it easy for foreigners to do so: https://poliziamunicipale.comune.fi.it/come_fare/ricorso.html

Essentially, the steps for this process are:
1. Contact hotel: I know you've already done this, so did the hotel confirm it ACTUALLY DID FILE the license plate or that it FAILED to submit the license plate for a specific reason? can you ask for confirmation that has the date of your departure, you want something that clearly has the date and written confirmation that they did file or failed to file the license plate. You say they blame you, but what is their excuse?

2. Appeal the fine: With the "proof" that you stayed at the hotel, and were leaving the hotel the day you were fined, you can try to appeal the fine by writing to that email on the page linked above. You have 60 days from the day you received the fine to contest it. The fine you received should have this info on it.

Even if the hotel admits responsibility, and in this case it seems they won't admit to it, there is no guarantee that the fine will be refunded. I also don't know how the appeal process works since you paid the fine.

FOR EVERYONE reading this post who stays in the center and drives into the ZTL: I recommend everyone very clearly gives their license plate at arrival and departure from the hotel and waits to receive confirmation that it has been sent before leaving the reception area!

 

[M.Zhang]

Ciao M.Zhang,

I am not trying to defend the hotel in any particular way, just trying to figure out if the situation has arisen because of human error and not because they did it on purpose.

I've been scouring the web to see what additional info I can find about the ZTL rules. On the Servizi della Strada website (https://www.serviziallastrada.it/se...azioni-circolazione-e-sosta-autobus/normativa), which is the entity that handles the permits to enter ZTL and the white list for the municipal police, they basically say that hotels, garages, rental car agencies and a variety of other commercial activities located within the ZTL CAN send the license plates of their clients to the white list. I also learned there is a cost of 1 euro each time this is done. So the regulations basically the commercial activities CAN send license plates for their clients but it doesn't say they HAVE to. My understanding from checking out websites for hotels and garages is that they usually use it as a selling point/marketing material to say they do it for their clients. Some I see ask for that extra euro to do so (mostly garages). So it makes me wonder if somehow the hotel staff meant you had to go back to the garage to pay that extra euro?

In any case, at this point, you can try to appeal the fine - the process is here but only in Italian, so it means the city cares very little in making it easy for foreigners to do so: https://poliziamunicipale.comune.fi.it/come_fare/ricorso.html

Essentially, the steps for this process are:
1. Contact hotel: I know you've already done this, so did the hotel confirm it ACTUALLY DID FILE the license plate or that it FAILED to submit the license plate for a specific reason? can you ask for confirmation that has the date of your departure, you want something that clearly has the date and written confirmation that they did file or failed to file the license plate. You say they blame you, but what is their excuse?

2. Appeal the fine: With the "proof" that you stayed at the hotel, and were leaving the hotel the day you were fined, you can try to appeal the fine by writing to that email on the page linked above. You have 60 days from the day you received the fine to contest it. The fine you received should have this info on it.

Even if the hotel admits responsibility, and in this case it seems they won't admit to it, there is no guarantee that the fine will be refunded. I also don't know how the appeal process works since you paid the fine.

FOR EVERYONE reading this post who stays in the center and drives into the ZTL: I recommend everyone very clearly gives their license plate at arrival and departure from the hotel and waits to receive confirmation that it has been sent before leaving the reception area!

Thanks Lourdes for your reply!

After lots of discussion and web consultation here come to the following conclusions:

1. The rules for Florence's ZTL (Traffic limited Zone) are actually very simple: vehicles entering the ZTL area must be on a whitelist, or drivers will face a fine. If you're staying at a hotel within the ZTL area, the hotel may offer to add your car plate number to the whitelist as one of their services. However, please remember that this is, by no means, their responsibility or obligation; it's just a service, perhaps a kindness, or even a favor. If they fail or are unwilling to help you upload your plate number to the whitelist, it is the driver or owner of the car who will be fined, not the hotel.

2. As first-time visitors to Italy who do not understand Italian language, it's crucial to avoid driving into the ZTL areas. Even if you're staying at a hotel within ZTL and need to check in, check out, or move luggage, you must inform the frontdesk each time you enter the ZTL area and arrive at the hotel that you drove into the area. Confirm with the hotel frontdesk that they will whitelist your car plate. Once again, they don't have to do this, but it's a service. Even if they agree to do it, and for some reason your license plate happens to be NOT on the whitelist, you'll be fined, not the hotel. So, you need to know where to check if your license plate is on the whitelist. (Note: I don't know where to check, or where and how tourists can register their license plates themselves. In short, in Italy, especially Florence, be wary of ZTL zones when driving.)

3. I stayed at the Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Hotel in Florence for three nights in March 2025. It's located in a ZTL zone. Upon check-in, I filled out the car plate number in the check-in form and handed the car key to the frontdesk. They helped me park my car in a partner garage with the hotel. For the next two days, I parked my car in a parking lot outside the ZTL zone. However, on the morning of check-out, when I drove from outside the ZTL zone to the hotel to check out and pick up my luggage, the hotel staff told me I had to go to the same garage where I'd parked the day before and pay a 11 Euro fee to avoid a ZTL fine. This clearly shows that the hotel's service is poor. They could help you as their guests to upload your car plate number, which is a simple task, but they made their guests feel uncomfortable. Of course, they're not wrong. Uploading license plates isn't something they're required to do for guests. If the hotel's failure to whitelist a guest's license plate results in a fine, and the hotel is then the one being fined, I think they'd definitely help you upload it. Unfortunately, Florence's ZTL zone doesn't follow that rule; it's the car owner or driver who's fined.

4. Hotels uploading license plates for their guests is a service they provide to attract more guests. But hotels like Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Firenze, where I stayed, clearly do not care about this. Exposing this here is to let more guests, especially those who drive, avoid being frustrated by ZTL fines. As a foreigner with a rented car, it's four months before the police find your address and mail the ticket. At that point, the fine, plus over-due charges and processing fees, is around €100, if unable to pay in time, the fine could be as high as €200. Foreign tourists, please be aware of this.

 

[M.Zhang]

In order for more people to avoid unexpected fines due to ZTL, the above texts are translated into Chinese and German.

谢谢Lourdes您的答复！

经过大量的讨论和探讨，得出以下结论，请外国游客注意避免ZTL罚款。

• 佛罗伦萨ZTL限行区的规定实际很简单：进入限行区的车必须在白名单中，否则驾驶员将面临罚款。如果你是住在ZTL区域内酒店的住客，酒店作为他们提供的服务可以为住客将车牌放到白名单中，但切记这并不是他们的责任，而是他们的服务或友善或是恩赐，一旦他们未能或不愿意帮住客上传车牌到这个白名单中，被罚的不是酒店，而是驾驶员或车主本人。
• 作为初到意大利且不懂意大利的游客来说，一定要避免驾车进入ZTL这类临时限行区内，既便你是住在限行区内酒店的住客，需要办理入住或退房或搬运行李，也一定要在每次进入限行区达到酒店时告知前台你刚才是开车进入限行区来到酒店的，要与酒店前台确认他们会帮你将车牌放入白名单，再次强调：帮你放不是他们必须要做的事，而是他们的服务，既便他们答应会帮你放，最后由于某种原因你的车牌并没有在白名单中，被罚款的是你，而不是酒店。为此你要知道在哪里查看你的车牌是否在白名单中？（注：我尚不知道在哪里看？或在哪里游客自己去申报车牌？总之，在意大利，尤其是佛罗伦萨，开车去玩时一定要小心ZTL限行区。）
• 本人2025年3月入住3晚于佛罗伦萨蒂沃利加迪宫酒店(Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Firenze Hotel)，它位于ZTL限行区内，在办理入住时将租来的车车牌填报在入住登记单上，并将车钥匙交给了前台，他们帮我将车停到酒店有合作关系的车库内，后两天我将车停在限行区外的停车场，但在退房当天早上开着车从限行区外进入限行区到酒店办理退房拿行李时，该酒店工作人员告知，我要自己去到前天停车的那个车库缴纳十几欧元免得被ZTL限行区罚款。可见这家酒店的服务不是很到位，他们帮你上传车牌只是举手之劳，却让一个语言不通的住客自己去办理，并且还需要缴纳十几欧元的费用，而他们办理是免费的或者仅需缴纳1欧元。当然他们没有错，上传车牌不是他们必须为住客做的事，如果规定是酒店未能帮住客将车牌上传放入白名单而造成罚款，且被罚款的是酒店的话，我想他们一定会帮你上传的。遗憾的是，佛罗伦萨ZTL限行区的规定并不是这样，他们罚的是车主或驾驶员。
• 酒店为其住客上传车牌是他们提供的服务，是为了吸引更多的住客。但像我所入住的这家酒店，佛罗伦萨蒂沃利加迪宫酒店，分明不介意这一点。这里将此事件曝光出来也是为了避免更多的住客，尤其是开车入住的住客，遇到ZTL罚款的不快。因为作为外国人，车又是租来的，等到警察查到你的住址并将罚单寄到你家时已经是4个月之后的事了，此时的罚金外加滞纳金和手续费大约在100欧元左右，如果再晚就变成了小200欧元的罚金。希望外国游客们注意。

 

[M.Zhang]

In order for more people to avoid unexpected fines due to ZTL, the above texts are translated into Chinese and German.

谢谢Lourdes您的答复！

经过大量的讨论和探讨，得出以下结论，请外国游客注意避免ZTL罚款。

• 佛罗伦萨ZTL限行区的规定实际很简单：进入限行区的车必须在白名单中，否则驾驶员将面临罚款。如果你是住在ZTL区域内酒店的住客，酒店作为他们提供的服务可以为住客将车牌放到白名单中，但切记这并不是他们的责任，而是他们的服务或友善或是恩赐，一旦他们未能或不愿意帮住客上传车牌到这个白名单中，被罚的不是酒店，而是驾驶员或车主本人。
• 作为初到意大利且不懂意大利的游客来说，一定要避免驾车进入ZTL这类临时限行区内，既便你是住在限行区内酒店的住客，需要办理入住或退房或搬运行李，也一定要在每次进入限行区达到酒店时告知前台你刚才是开车进入限行区来到酒店的，要与酒店前台确认他们会帮你将车牌放入白名单，再次强调：帮你放不是他们必须要做的事，而是他们的服务，既便他们答应会帮你放，最后由于某种原因你的车牌并没有在白名单中，被罚款的是你，而不是酒店。为此你要知道在哪里查看你的车牌是否在白名单中？（注：我尚不知道在哪里看？或在哪里游客自己去申报车牌？总之，在意大利，尤其是佛罗伦萨，开车去玩时一定要小心ZTL限行区。）
• 本人2025年3月入住3晚于佛罗伦萨蒂沃利加迪宫酒店(Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Firenze Hotel)，它位于ZTL限行区内，在办理入住时将租来的车车牌填报在入住登记单上，并将车钥匙交给了前台，他们帮我将车停到酒店有合作关系的车库内，后两天我将车停在限行区外的停车场，但在退房当天早上开着车从限行区外进入限行区到酒店办理退房拿行李时，该酒店工作人员告知，我要自己去到前天停车的那个车库缴纳十几欧元免得被ZTL限行区罚款。可见这家酒店的服务不是很到位，他们帮你上传车牌只是举手之劳，却让一个语言不通的住客自己去办理，并且还需要缴纳十几欧元的费用，而他们办理是免费的或者仅需缴纳1欧元。当然他们没有错，上传车牌不是他们必须为住客做的事，如果规定是酒店未能帮住客将车牌上传放入白名单而造成罚款，且被罚款的是酒店的话，我想他们一定会帮你上传的。遗憾的是，佛罗伦萨ZTL限行区的规定并不是这样，他们罚的是车主或驾驶员。
• 酒店为其住客上传车牌是他们提供的服务，是为了吸引更多的住客。但像我所入住的这家酒店，佛罗伦萨蒂沃利加迪宫酒店，分明不介意这一点。这里将此事件曝光出来也是为了避免更多的住客，尤其是开车入住的住客，遇到ZTL罚款的不快。因为作为外国人，车又是租来的，等到警察查到你的住址并将罚单寄到你家时已经是4个月之后的事了，此时的罚金外加滞纳金和手续费大约在100欧元左右，如果再晚就变成了小200欧元的罚金。希望外国游客们注意。

Danke Lourdes für Ihre Antwort!

Nach vielen Diskussionen und Online-Forschungen bin ich zu folgenden Schlussfolgerungen gekommen:

1. Die Regeln für die Verkehrsbeschränkung Zone (ZTL) in Florenz sind eigentlich ganz einfach: Fahrzeuge, die in die ZTL-Zone eingefahren sind, müssen auf einer Weisse Liste stehen, sonst droht der Fahrer oder die Fahrerin ein Bußgeld. Wenn Sie in einem Hotel innerhalb der ZTL-Zone übernachten, bietet das Hotel möglicherweise als Service an, Ihr Kennzeichen auf die Whitelist zu setzen. Bitte beachten Sie jedoch, dass dies keinerlei in der Verantwortung des Hotels liegt; es handelt sich lediglich um einen Service, vielleicht eine Freundlichkeit oder sogar einen Gefallen. Wenn das Hotel Ihnen nicht hilft oder nicht bereit ist, Ihnen beim Hochladen Ihres Kennzeichens auf die Whitelist zu helfen, wird der Fahrer oder Besitzer des Fahrzeugs bestraft, nicht das Hotel.

2. Wenn Sie zum ersten Mal nach Italien reisen und kein Italienisch sprechen, sollten Sie unbedingt vermeiden, in die ZTL-Zonen einzufahren. Auch wenn Sie in einem Hotel innerhalb der ZTL-Zone übernachten und ein- oder auschecken oder Ihr Gepäck umladen müssen, müssen Sie die Rezeption jedes Mal informieren, wenn Sie die ZTL-Zone betreten und im Hotel ankommen, dass Sie mit dem Auto in diese Zone gefahren sind. Lassen Sie sich von der Hotelrezeption bestätigen, dass Ihr Nummernschild auf die Whitelist gesetzt wird. Auch hier gilt: Die Rezeption ist nicht dazu verpflichtet, aber es handelt sich nur um ein Service. Selbst wenn die Rezeption zustimmt, aber leider Ihr Nummernschild aus irgendeinem Grund NICHT auf der Whitelist steht, wird Ihnen und nicht dem Hotel eine Geldstrafe auferlegt. Sie müssen also wissen, wo Sie überprüfen können, ob Ihr Nummernschild doch auf der Whitelist steht. (Hinweis: Ich weiß nicht, wo das geht oder wo und wie Touristen ihre Nummernschilder selbst registrieren können. Kurz gesagt: Seien Sie in Italien, insbesondere in Florenz, beim Autofahren in ZTL-Zonen vorsichtig.)

3. Ich habe im März 2025 drei Nächte im Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Hotel in Florenz verbracht. Es liegt in einer ZTL-Zone. Beim Check-in habe ich das Autokennzeichen in das Check-in-Formular eingetragen und den Autoschlüssel an der Rezeption abgegeben. Man half mir, mein Auto in einer Partnergarage des Hotels zu parken. Die nächsten zwei Tage parkte ich mein Auto auf einem Parkplatz außerhalb der ZTL-Zone. Als ich jedoch am Morgen des Check-outs von außerhalb der ZTL-Zone zum Hotel fuhr, um auszuchecken und mein Gepäck abzuholen, teilte mir das Hotelpersonal mit, ich müsse in dieselbe Garage fahren, in der ich am Vortag geparkt hatte, und eine Gebühr von 11 Euro zahlen, um eine ZTL-Strafe zu vermeiden. Das zeigt deutlich, wie schlecht der Service des Hotels ist. Sie könnten Gästen beim Hochladen ihres Autokennzeichens helfen, was eine einfache Aufgabe ist, aber sie haben ihren Gästen ein unangenehmes Gefühl gegeben. Natürlich haben sie nicht Unrecht. Das Hochladen von Nummernschildern ist nichts, was sie für Gäste tun müssen. Wenn das Versäumnis des Hotels, das Nummernschild eines Gastes auf die Whitelist zu setzen, zu einer Geldstrafe führt und das Hotel dann bestraft wird, würden sie Ihnen meiner Meinung nach auf jeden Fall beim Hochladen helfen. Leider wird diese Regel in der ZTL-Zone von Florenz nicht befolgt; das Bußgeld wird vom Fahrzeughalter oder -fahrer erhoben.

4. Hotels, die Nummernschilder für ihre Gäste hochladen, bieten diesen Service an, um mehr Gäste anzulocken. Aber Hotels wie das Tivoli Palazzo Gaddi Firenze, in dem ich übernachtet habe, kümmern sich offensichtlich nicht darum. Diese Offenlegung soll mehr Gästen, insbesondere Autofahrern, die Frustration über ZTL-Bußgelder ersparen. Als Ausländer mit einem Mietwagen dauert es ca. vier Monate, bis die Polizei Ihre Adresse auskriegt und Ihnen den Strafzettel zuschickt. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt beträgt die Strafe zuzüglich Mahn- und Bearbeitungsgebühren etwa 100 €. Bei nicht fristgerechter Zahlung kann die Strafe bis zu 200 € betragen. Ausländische Touristen, bitte beachten Sie dies.

 

[Lourdes]

I thank you for all the info you have summarized, it is a very good recap and shows that the system is definitely imperfect - and not in favor of tourists who don't speak Italian! I hope others find this information before they come to Florence, especially if they are planning on driving. I am sure it will be useful in also deciding whether they want the hassle of driving in Italy, with its many ZTL zones.
I will continue to offer info and warn visitors to be vigilant, if they decide to drive in Florence, to ensure they receive confirmation every single time that their license plate has been sent to be added to the white list.

In my search, I found that people CAN request access to the ZTL ahead of time and pay for it - but is has to be for exceptional needs, and not encouraged if it is just for accessing a hotel. So I am not sure anyone can drive in and then send their own info to be added to the white list at all, it doesn't seem to be an option.

Once again, thank you!