Last updated: October 2026
When I lived in Tuscany, I kept a scruffy list of phone numbers stuck to the fridge. Doctor, hospital, taxi, the man with the tractor. I hardly ever needed it, but the one night I did (a nasty fall on a stone step, nothing broken, lots of swearing), I was very glad it was there.
So here’s a tidier version for you. Screenshot it, print it, or bookmark it before you go. Hopefully you’ll never need any of it.
Checked October 2026. Numbers can change, so if something matters, double-check it on the official website linked below.
The quick version
- Any emergency: call 112. Police, ambulance, fire, the lot.
- Need a doctor at night or at the weekend, but it isn’t an emergency: call 116117.
- Broken down: ACI on 800 116 800 from a UK mobile.
- Lost a card: ring your bank, then the Visa or Mastercard number below.
- Lost your passport: the British Embassy in Rome, below.
Emergency numbers
| Number | What it’s for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 112 | All emergencies | Free from any mobile or landline, even with no credit, no SIM or a locked phone |
| 118 | Ambulance | Still works, and is now answered via 112 |
| 113 | Police | Still works, answered via 112 |
| 115 | Fire brigade | Still works, answered via 112 |
| 1530 | Coastguard (emergencies at sea) | Free, 24 hours |
| 116117 | Out-of-hours doctor (the old guardia medica) | Non-urgent medical help, nights and weekends |
A few tips from someone who’s had to use them:
- 112 is the one to remember. It’s been the single emergency number all over Tuscany since 2021. Ring 112 even if you’re not sure which service you need. They’ll put you through.
- Start with “Parla inglese?” (do you speak English?). Then give your address slowly. If you’re in the countryside, say the village, the road and something nearby (the church, a bar, a bridge). Rural addresses can be vague, and the ambulance has to find you.
- 116117 is for things that can’t wait until morning but aren’t an emergency. A high temperature, an ear infection, a child who won’t stop being sick. It runs from 8pm to 8am on weekdays, and from 8am Saturday to 8am Monday at weekends, plus public holidays. It’s answered in Italian and English. Visitors may be asked to pay a small fee for the visit.
- In summer, some seaside and mountain resorts run a doctor’s surgery for tourists (guardia medica turistica). 116117 will tell you where the nearest one is.
Hospitals with an A&E (pronto soccorso)
These are the main hospitals in each provincial capital, plus a few others you might be near. The A&E is open 24 hours. Look for the signs saying Pronto Soccorso. In a real emergency, don’t drive yourself. Call 112.
| Area | Hospital | Address | Switchboard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence | Careggi (A&E in Pavilion 12, entrance from Viale Pieraccini) | Largo Brambilla 3, Firenze | 055 794111 |
| Florence (children) | Meyer children’s hospital, 24-hour children’s A&E | Viale Pieraccini 24, Firenze | 055 56621 |
| Pisa | Cisanello (Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana) | Via Paradisa 2, Pisa | 050 992111 |
| Siena | Santa Maria alle Scotte | Viale Mario Bracci 16, Siena | 0577 585111 |
| Lucca | Ospedale San Luca | Via Guglielmo Lippi Francesconi, San Filippo, Lucca | 0583 9701 |
| Pistoia | Ospedale San Jacopo | Via Ciliegiole 97, Pistoia | 0573 3521 |
| Pescia | Ospedale SS. Cosma e Damiano | Via Cesare Battisti 2, Pescia | 0572 4601 |
| Prato | Nuovo Ospedale Santo Stefano | Via Suor Niccolina Infermiera 20/22, Prato | 0574 801111 |
| Arezzo | Ospedale San Donato (A&E entrance on Viale Alcide de Gasperi) | Via Pietro Nenni 20, Arezzo | 0575 2551 |
| Livorno | Ospedali Riuniti | Viale Alfieri 36, Livorno | 0586 223111 |
| Grosseto | Ospedale Misericordia | Via Senese 161, Grosseto | 0564 485111 |
| Massa-Carrara | Ospedale delle Apuane | Via Enrico Mattei 21, Massa | 0585 4931 |
| Versilia | Ospedale Versilia | Via Aurelia 335, Lido di Camaiore | 0584 6051 |
| Elba | Ospedale di Portoferraio | Località San Rocco, Portoferraio | 0565 926111 |
Your GHIC (or EHIC)
Bring it. With a UK GHIC, or an EHIC that’s still in date, you get necessary state healthcare in Italy on the same basis as a local. That might mean paying the same small charge a resident would. It covers A&E and treatment that can’t wait until you get home.
It isn’t travel insurance, though. It won’t fly you home, and it doesn’t cover private clinics or mountain rescue, so take out insurance as well. The GHIC is free: apply on the NHS website and avoid the copycat sites that charge a fee. Forgotten it? You can ask NHS Overseas Healthcare Services for a Provisional Replacement Certificate, which gives you the same cover.
Pharmacies on duty (farmacie di turno)
Look for the green cross. For small things, an Italian pharmacist is a brilliant first stop, and they’ll often tell you if you need to see a doctor.
- At night, on Sundays and on holidays, the pharmacies take turns to stay open. Pharmacies put up a notice on the door or in the window saying which one is on duty (di turno), so walk to the nearest one and read the sign.
- In villages and small towns, the night pharmacy may be “on call”. You ring the bell and wait for the pharmacist to come down.
- Bring the box of anything you take regularly. It makes it much easier to find the Italian equivalent.
Breakdowns and driving
| Who | Number | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| ACI roadside assistance, from a foreign mobile | 800 116 800 | Free, 24 hours |
| ACI roadside assistance, from an Italian phone | 803 116 | 24 hours |
| ACI traffic information | 1518 | In Italian |
If you’ve hired a car, ring the hire company’s breakdown number first. It’s usually on the key fob or the rental agreement, and some contracts only cover you if you use it. More on hire cars and ZTL fines in my driving in Tuscany guide.
Trains and buses
| Who | Number | Hours and tips |
|---|---|---|
| Trenitalia | +39 06 5210550 | Daily 7am to midnight. Press 1 for English |
| Trenitalia Sala Blu (help for passengers with reduced mobility) | 800 90 60 60 from a landline, 02 32 32 32 from a mobile | Book at least 12 hours ahead |
| Italo | 06 0708, or +39 06 89371892 from a UK phone | 060708 daily 7am to 11pm. The +39 number 6am to 11pm |
| Autolinee Toscane (buses all over Tuscany) | 800 14 24 24 (free) or 055 51351 | Daily 6am to midnight |
| Autolinee Toscane, help for passengers with reduced mobility | 800 14 24 25 | 8am to 8pm. Book 48 hours ahead |
Country bus timetables often change between school term and the holidays, so check the times before you rely on one.
Airports
| Airport | Number | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Pisa (Galileo Galilei), switchboard | 050 849111 | pisa-airport.com |
| Pisa, customer service and flight information | 050 849300 | |
| Florence (Peretola), switchboard | 055 30615 | aeroporto.firenze.it |
| Florence, customer service | 055 3061830 |
For lost luggage, go to your airline’s handling desk in the arrivals hall before you leave the airport. Getting from either airport into the hills is in my airport transfers post.
Ferries to Elba
| Ferry company | Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Toremar | 800 304035 | Daily 8am to 8pm |
| Moby | 02 76028132 | Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm |
Both sail between Piombino and Portoferraio. Book ahead in July and August, especially with a car.
Taxis
Taxis in Tuscany don’t cruise around looking for fares. You either find one at a taxi rank (the station is a safe bet) or ring for one. Ringing for one can add a small call charge (in Lucca it’s €1.80).
| Town | Number |
|---|---|
| Florence | 055 4242, 055 4798 or 055 4390 |
| Pisa | Radio Taxi Pisa 050 541600 |
| Lucca | Radiotaxi Lucca 0583 1745, Taxi Indipendenti 0583 1646464 |
| Pistoia | Taxi Amico 0573 1797, Taxi a Pistoia 0573 534555 |
| Siena | Co.Ta.S. 0577 49222 |
| Arezzo | Radio Taxi Arezzo 0575 382626, 24 hours |
Out in the villages there may be no taxi at all, or one man with a car who’s also doing the school run. Book the night before, and get his number while you’re at it. If you’re planning a car-free trip, read my Pescia valley without a car post first.
Tourist information offices
| Place | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Florence: Firenze Welcome Center | Piazza Stazione 5 | 055 000 (tourist contact centre) or 055 0881225 |
| Pisa | Piazza Duomo 7, opposite the Leaning Tower | 050 550100 |
| Siena | Il Campo 7 (Palazzo Berlinghieri) | 0577 292222 |
| Lucca | Piazzale Verdi, in the old Porta San Donato | 0583 583150 |
| Arezzo | Via Giorgio Vasari 13 (Logge Vasari), closed Wednesdays | 0575 377468 |
| Livorno | Piazza del Municipio 9 | 0586 894236 |
| Viareggio: La Zattera | Viale Regina Margherita 1, on the seafront | 0584 1769641 |
| Elba: Info Park | Viale Elba 2, Portoferraio, opposite the ferries | 0565 908231 |
Lost or stolen cards
First ring your own bank on the number on its website or app (it’s worth saving it in your phone before you go). Then:
| Card | Free number from Italy |
|---|---|
| Visa | 800 819014 |
| Mastercard | 800 870866 |
If a card, or anything else, is stolen, report it at a Carabinieri station or police office (fare una denuncia). You’ll get a copy of the report, which your bank and your travel insurer will want to see.
UK help: embassy, consulate and lost passports
There’s no longer a British consulate in Florence. The nearest help is in Rome or Milan.
| Who | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| British Embassy Rome | Via XX Settembre 80/a, Rome | +39 06 4220 0001 |
| British Consulate-General Milan | Via San Paolo 7, Milan | +39 02 723001 |
| FCDO, 24 hours | From anywhere | +44 20 7008 5000 |
If you lose your passport, report it to the police first, then apply online for an emergency travel document. Before you travel, it’s worth reading the FCDO travel advice for Italy.
Before you go
Save 112 and 116117 in your phone.
Pack your GHIC, and buy travel insurance.
Save your bank’s card-blocking number.
Take a photo of your passport.
Learn “Parla inglese?” and how to say your address.
You might also enjoy:
- Getting around Tuscany: trains, buses or driving?
- Transport in Italy: trains, buses and how not to get fined
Susan
