dibel

I am planning a trip to Tuscany in Sept/October and have a few questions:

1. Any tips with best airlines/routes for Florence or Rome Airports? I really would like business class but am having trouble finding it for under 200,000K for a non stop round trip flight. I can fly from Atlanta, Washington or New York airports.

2. Suggestions for weather in Tuscany for September versus October? I'd love October but wondered if it would be on the cool side then.

3. Any other suggestions as to which airlines offer best services/aircraft?

Guess I need all the help I can get---thanks in advance!

Miles Ahead

You don't say what frequent flyer program you have the miles in.

Pisa is an alternative to Florence that is a whole lot closer than Rome.

dibel

I have miles on Delta and US Airways as well as American. Yes, I hadn't thought of Pisa--that would be good but probably no non stop flights there?

obscure2k

Please continue to follow this thread in the FT Italy Forum.
Thanks...
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

dibel

Can you post a link so I can find that forum?

bdemaria

The desire for a nonstop flight pretty much requires that you fly in FCO/Rome. It is very easy to get from Rome to Florence, only about 90 minutes. I believe there is a Delta flight from JFK to Pisa.

Can't help much w/the issue of the miles/points necessary for the ticket - since that is established by the airlines. I do question whether or not you'll be able to get an award ticket w/such short notice - but you'll be able to find that out from the airline.

The weather can be a bit rainy in October.

dibel

I'm able to secure that Delta JFK/Pisa flight for September. So, that should work. Does anyone know how easy/difficult it is to drive from Pisa to Tuscany area? Are their trains that run in that direction?

Alice11

You can easily get all the main destinations in Tuscany from PSA, for instance it's about 100 KMs far from Florence and I think some 150 from Siena and 200-250 kms from Capalbio (southern Tuscany).
September is a good summer month especially if you want to go south and enjoy the seaside and the islands when they're not really crowded.

In this case, if you fly to Rome FCO, you can easily get the southern Tuscany by car as well.
Straight from the airport you can take the north-bound paytoll motorway up to the harbour of Civitavecchia, and then the route becomes the 'Aurelia', a free highway, which enters into Tuscia/ Tuscany. For instance, FCO-Capalbio is a little bit more than 120kms.

In case you may want to start the trip in Tuscany from, say, Montepulciano area and you have to fly into FCO, Montepulciano it's 200 kms far from FCO (same from PSA), mostly on free/paytoll motorway, so easy journey.

Likely, if you want to make a wider trip in Tuscany area, FCO or PSA doesn't really matter. If you wan to stay mainly in Pisa, Firenze and Siena provinces, PSA is closer.
All that said, trips from both airports are anyway not very long, so I'd not be concerned by the availability of reward tickets.

About planes and airlines, DL is the only airline flying US-PSA, on a 767. To FCO you have a broader range of airlines and planes, but DL operates the routes with 767 (with some exception during summer). Average service on TATL flights is not impressive anyway...

bdemaria

Pisa is part of Tuscany. There are numerous trains that run from Pisa Airport to Florence

Romelle

If you can see a mileage flight, don't hesitate to actually book it. It varies, but sometimes they are rare and get taken very quickly.

Regarding difficult driving, have you driven in Europe before? Used a lot of rental cars in different areas? I'd roughly equate Florence driving to that of New York City, with Florence having the added challenge unfamiliar signage. And out of town, speeds are high, roads can be narrow, and you will still be coping with different signage and a different vehicle.

I hope you seriously consider using trains.

Romelle

FrAAmer

AA to Brussels then to Florence on Brussels Air (partner). Cannot book online, only through an agent.

My daughter is attending school in Florence, we booked her economy flight there one way for 20,000 miles.

We are flying to visit her. We are going first class there and business return. First class was 62,500 miles and business return was 50,000.

Gargoyle

Pisa is an excellent airport, and a much easier entry portal to Italy than is either MXP or FCO. From there you can take a one hour train ride to Florence (you sometimes have to change trains at Pisa Centrale- check http://www.trenitalia.it ), or a bus or rent a car.

I don't recommend flying into Florence, it's a dinky little airport that gets fogged in often in the mornings (when many of the departures take place).

MJLogan

Pisa is a nice easy airport, and the city is worth at least a day or two of your time. Last spring I stayed in Pisa for a few days and rented a car (easy to do at the airport, obviously, but there's also a Europcar office right in town, by the river) to take day trips to Lucca and San Gimignano. There's a good bus system in that area, too, if you don't feel like driving.

ChgoBob

And then.............some people just love arriving and departing from that "dinky little airport" that has no lines, and excellent bus and cab service for that 12 minute drive into the city. ^

Besides, who cares about fog when you're taking off!

ChgoBob

With US air, using the Star Alliance, there is a non-stop from Washington to Rome (United), and on US, from Philadelphia into Venice. There may be some on Air Canada, but then you are connecting in Canada anyway.

For short connects into Florence (with Star Alliance), I have found directs into Munich and Zurich to be ideal, with Frankfort coming in close behind.