We know traveling abroad can be confusing and overwhelming, so we've listed a bunch of helpful details below. If you still need any help, please let us know we are happy to help!

Please also let us know your travel details once you've booked. We will do our best to help everyone consolidate their travel arrangements so that multiple people will be arriving on the same flights and can share transportation to and from the venue.



Florence Airport, Peretola (FLR)

~40 minute drive to the venue

We can send a van to pick you and others up from the airport and return you to the airport after the wedding. The total cost of a roundtrip 8 person van from the Florence airport to the Castello is 130€ (which is only 17€/person when divided by 8). The van will need to be booked at least 2-weeks in advance paid upon arrival to the Castello in cash.

Pisa International Airport (PIS)

~90 minute drive to the venue

We can send a van to pick you and others up from the airport and return you to the airport after the wedding. The total cost of a roundtrip 8 person van from the Pisa airport to the Castello is $250, ($32 /person when divided by 8 people). The van will need to be booked at least 2-weeks in advance paid upon arrival to the Castello in cash.

Leonardo da Vinci Rome International Airport (FCO)

◦ You will need to book a 30min train from the Rome airport to the Roma Termini station and then transfer onto a bullet traqin to to Florence SM Novella station , total travel time of 2hr

◦ Then there is an additional 30-40 minute drive to the venue from the Florence train station. We can send a van to pick you and others up from the Florence train station and return you to the train station after the wedding. The total cost of a roundtrip 8 person van from the Florence train station to the Castello is $90, (which divided by 8 comes out to $12 per person). The van will need to be booked at least 2-weeks in advance paid upon arrival to the Castello in cash.

◦ 3hr 30 minute drive to the venue if you rent a car and drive up from Rome

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

https://www.google.com/travel/flights

◦ Using this website, you can search flights from your home to your chosen airport. Google flights will show you all the options you have from various airlines.

◦ If you have a flexible schedule, look at the price graft to see which days would be cheapest.

◦ While looking for flights, scroll down past for first chunk of slights and you'll see a red/yellow/green bar that says "Price are currently ______". Click on that and you can see the price trends for the flight.

◦ If all of that sounds like too much work, you can set-up a flight alert using your g-mail account. You will receive email notifications when good flight deals appear for the dates and locations you've selected to "watch."

HOPPER

https://hopper.com/.

An app on your phone, Hopper will look at when you should book a flight. Look up your desired travel dates, setup a flight alert and Hopper will send a push notification to your phone letting you know when the best time to book is.

Access the website to download the app or search it up on the App Store.

SCOTTS CHEAP FLIGHTS

Similar to Google Flights you will receive email notifications when good flight deals appear. Sign up with your email for either account account here: https://scottscheapflights.com/ There is both a free version and a premium version.

You will lose a day to travel on your way in. Most flights out of the USA leave in the evening and arrive the morning of the next day. For example, if you take a 6pm flight out of Chicago on Thursday 9/20 you will arrive the following morning / afternoon on Friday 9/21 (depending on your layovers). Please keep that in mind when booking your trip if you plan on joining us for the welcome dinner.

From the US, a flight to Europe range from $500–$1,000+ in low season, with a good deal on a flight to Europe is in the $500s–$900s in low season. Given that high season in Europe is June through August, September would be considered entering the low season and prices should reflect this.

In some cases, it’s cheaper to buy two sets of roundtrip tickets. Here's some options on what you can do:

1. Book a round trip one your home airport to the continent (be it Rome, Florence, Paris, London, Munich, Frankfort, etc) and then another round trip from your entry airport to your final destination. If you fly into Rome, you can also take a train to Florence.

Fun fact: It's actually pretty cheap to flight intercontinentally in Europe. When Angel and I got engaged, we flew into Paris and booked a second round-trip ticket between Rome and Paris for only 89€. Later when we flew back to Italy to see the wedding venue, we flew into Rome, spent a few days there, and then took a train to Florence for 40€ and then took the train back to Rome to flight home. Of note, it'll likely be cheaper to fly into Rome and take the train down to Florence than it will be to fly directly into Florence.

2. Book a round trip from your home airport to another USA airport, and another round trip from your USA departure airport to your final destination in Europe.

3. Book a one way ticket into somewhere in Europe, and then another one way ticket home from wherever you plan on ending your trip (ex: Flying into Florence, flying out of Paris)

Ultimately there's no right or wrong way to do it! It is up to you on what your travel plans, preference is for flight times, flight prices, and ease of traveling. If you have any more questions see our Q&A. If your question isn't answered there, feel free to reach out to us! We'll try out best to help you come up with a travel plan that works best for you!

◦ If you're transferring in Europe, we'd recommend at least 2 hours in between the arrival time of your first flight and the departure time of your second flight to allow for enough time to make it through customs without stressing. Sometimes flights get delayed, and anything less than 2 hours will have you cutting it really close to making your connecting flight (ex: Angel and I only had a 1.5 hour layover in Frankfurt and we were RUNNING through the airport just to make it to our connecting flight, only to arrive in the middle of boarding due to a delay)

◦ For layovers in the US, a 1-1.5 hour layover should be enough.

◦ The most common cites for non-stop flights to Europe are: Paris London, Munich, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam

◦ There is some non-stop flights available to Rome and Milan, but there are none to Florence or Pisa that we've seen

◦ There is a shuttle train that operates between the Rome and Milan airports and their respective city centers. These shuttles do not need to be booked ahead, and keep in mind you need to allow for time to get through customs.
◦ All other train tickets between the cities (e.g. Rome -> Florence, Milan -> Florence, Pisa -> Florence) should be booked at least one week in advance because they can sell out.
◦ To book your trains, go to the Trenitalia website or download the app. We found that downloading the app was easiest because your tickets will be on there and you don't have to worry about printing them / carrying them around. The earlier you book your ticket, the cheaper it will be.


**IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT TRAIN TICKETS**
You MUST validate your train tickets if you get one printed out at the train station. There will be small green boxes located near the platform or where you buy your tickets. In order to validate your electronic ticket (the one on your app) go into the app before your trip and “check in” to the train ride. Validate your ticket BEFORE you get on the train, or else you risk a hefty fine.

For information on the different types of tickets for the train, go to https://www.trenitalia.com/en/html/trenitalia/Info_Tariffe_en_LeFrecce.html

You do NOT need to rent a car! We can organize a van to pick you up from a variety of airport and train locations or you can take a taxi directly to the venue.

If you do want to rent a car, you will need to need to apply for and International Driver's Permit in addition to carrying your valid driver's license.

For more information on how to obtain your international driving permit go to: https://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html

The easiest (and often cheapest) Florence car rental location is the Florence airport. Even if you’re already in the Florence city centre, you can hop on the tram for €2 and you’ll be at the Florence Peretola (FLR) airport in 15 minutes.

Recommended Companies

1. Europcar

2. Sixt

While most areas you'll visit will be very walkable (we mostly walked in Rome, Florence, and Venice) you may find that you want to make your adventuring a little easier or quicker by using public transit. The public transit system is very easy to figure out. You can buy individual tickets or passes lasting 1-5 days, depending on your needs. Again, just make sure you validate your tickets (train or bus, for bus the machine is located on the back of the bus) or you'll be at risk for a hefty fine.

Google Maps and Apple Maps both work in Italy. However, sometimes the apps get a little drunk (especially in Venice)... Additionally, it only helps you navigate via strictly walking or driving. We found the easiest way to navigate our way around was with the app Citymapper. This app will help you navigate also using the public transit system. It will show you multiple options of how to get around, what bus/train to take, and what times those buses/trains will come. It was honestly a lifesaver while we were in Europe - we can not recommend this app enough!

If you find yourself having a half day in a city and aren't sure what to do with your luggage, there are lockers available to stow your luggage for a few hours!

Go to Stow Your Bags to pre-book a locker (or two) to put your luggage away after you've taken the train into a new city and are waiting for your check-in time. Most of these location are conveniently located near the train stations or popular tourist attractions. So whether it be that you're waiting to check into your hotel, or waiting for a late train/plane out, this is a great option! Angel and I have used it multiple times and we city hop and we love it. For your convenience, we've listed / link the ones in Rome and Florence below. For other cities (Milan, Venice, Naples, Pisa, etc) please go to their main site

Stow Your Luggage Options in Rome

1. Termini Train Station - Marsala Exit

2. Termini Train Station - Giolliti Exit

3. Trastevere

4. Colosseum / Roman Forum

5. Spanish Steps / Trevi Fountain

6. Vatican

7. Navona

Stow Your Bag Options in Florence

1. Florence Train Station - Left Exit

2. Florence Train Station - Right Exit

3. Uffizi Gallery