Dana & Tom
Dana & Tom
Accommodations
The Mesters clan and relatives will be staying at Monte Nisa and Borgo Montefolchi.
Dana's immediate and extended family will be staying in Fonte De' Medici, and friends will be joining Dana and Tom in Villa Sant'Andrea's Podere Montedoli property, which will also be the site of the Welcome Dinner.
All of the accommodations are about 30-40 minutes from the Florence Airport, 3-7 minutes to the wedding venue, and a relatively short drive to an endless number of nearby Tuscan wineries, communes, and towns, like Impruneta, San Casciano, and Greve. Further out (but still under an hour) are cities like Siena, Volterra, and San Gimignano (whose historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site).
Please note: everyone is more than welcome to book their own private accommodations at a nearby hotel, AirBnb, villa, agriturismo, etc. There are numerous options available in the region within a short drive to the wedding and rehearsal dinner venues. However, just beware you will not be able to take advantage of the shuttle service the night of the wedding (and remember, you will NOT be able to hail a cab or call an Uber/Lyft from the venue). If you are booking a separate accommodation, please plan your transportation ahead and drink responsibly, as well as let us know at least a month in advance, so we can relinquish any unused room reservations.
Another note: for those who wish to be a little closer to us and our friends on October 3rd and 4th, Sant’Andrea also offers a small number of bed-and-breakfast rooms in the nearby village of Fabbrica, a 3 minute drive and 15 minute walk to Podere Montelodoli where we’ll be staying and hosting the welcome dinner. Due to their proximity to our villa, you WILL be able to use the shuttle service the night of wedding. We have not pre-booked them, so if you prefer this option, please book those rooms yourself ASAP at www.villasandrea.com/?act=rooms_bb
**All of the properties listed above have pools. However, most Italian pools are unheated, so they may not be usable in early October unless the temperature stays unusually warm, as it has in recent years. We still recommend bringing a swimsuit just in case!
Agriturismo Fonte De' Medici
For Dana’s side of the family, we have booked 9 suites at Fonte De' Medici, which includes free breakfast, air conditioning, a pool*, WIFI, a traditional on-site trattoria, as well as local Antinori wine tours and cooking classes for an additional fee.
Check-in is 2:30 PM - 6:30 PM. Check-out is 10:00 AM.
A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available 24 hours, fee is around 90 Euros per vehicle roundtrip), and free self-parking is available onsite.
NOTE: If anyone wishes to extend their stay at this specific location before or after the wedding, you will have to book directly through the website or their email at full price.
Villa S.Andrea
For our closest friends, we have hired out a small villa divided into 6 apartments at Villa SantAndrea’s Podere Montelodoli property for three nights total. On-site will be a pool**, AC, a laundry area, free parking, fully-equipped kitchens or kitchenettes in each apartment, breakfast boxes, plus a restaurant (Osteria la Capanna del Gallo) about a 3 minute drive and 10-15 minute walk down the road (closed Thursdays).
Room assignments and payments will be done in a separate group chat.
Check-in is from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Check-out is 10:30 AM. As the rehearsal dinner will take place the same night we check-in, we highly recommend checking-in before 4:00 PM.
Note: if anyone wishes to extend their stay at this specific location before or after the wedding, you will have to book directly through their website at full price.
Flying
There are a few ways to fly to Florence. For NJ folk, we recommend an overnight flight from Newark to Milan (Malpensa Airport, exactly what we're doing), Rome (Fiumicino Airport aka "Leonardo Di Vinci Airport"), or Florence Airport either nonstop or with a transfer in Zurich, Frankfurt, or Munich through United, Swiss Air, or Lufthansa depending what's cheapest and available.
If flying into Milan or Rome (rather than Florence directly), you can subsequently take a public train down to Florence. There will be a train right at the airport, whichever one you take. This is a great option if you plan on a longer stay in Italy traveling to a few different destinations. These are easy-to-use, affordable, high-speed trains and the best way to travel between Italy's biggest cities.
You can check train schedules and book tickets here
The wedding venue and accommodations are all a 30-40 minute drive from Florence Airport.
Driving & Traveling in Italy
There is no UBER or LYFT in Florence. Taxis are always waiting outside of the train station (Santa Maria Novella in Florence) and the Airport (Peretola in Florence). There is also a TRAM that will take you directly from the airport into the center of Florence and arrive at the train station. For taxi rides, it is always recommended to pay in cash (euros). As mentioned above, a taxi may be ordered ahead of time between Florence and the villas, and Medici can coordinate a roundtrip airport shuttle for a surcharge if you contact them ahead of time.
Overall, it is fairly easy to use the public transport in Italy when you're going between major cities, even in Tuscany. In some cities (including Florence) you're not even allowed to drive your own car in certain historical districts unless you have a special permit (these are called Zona Traffico Limitato, or ZLT zones). However, for the days surrounding the wedding, we HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend renting a car (or carpooling with someone who is) while you're in the Tuscan countryside.
There will be a shuttle service back to the villas the night of the wedding for those staying in the above accommodations, but if you want the freedom to explore nearby towns and wineries and book your own private accommodations, plus the ease of traveling from Florence to Tuscany (and vice versa), a car rental is probably the best option.
To rent a car, you will need an International Driver's Permit, which costs $20 and can be applied for by mail or your local AAA office (review the link below for more information). The IDP is required by law. The rental car company may or may not ask, but you can be stopped by the police and asked for it, so it's better safe than sorry. Please do this at least a month before traveling to Italy, in case of delays, but cannot be issued more than six months in advance. The countryside should be fairly relaxed but, just remember, Italians are crazy drivers.
https://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html
Despite the rural roads, gas stations are not hard to find in Tuscan cities or towns. Something can usually be found within 20 minutes or less of your location (try typing Q8 or Eni Station into your GPS – these are popular local chains) . If you need to fill up your gas, we recommend going in the mornings (some gas stations close for lunch or on Sundays). Please note, Italian gas stations may include both gas attendants and self-service (this option is generally cheaper), so just check the sign of the pump you are driving into first. Another important note, gasolia is diesel, benzina is gas/petrol - double-check what type of fuel your rental takes. Also make sure to always have your card and cash with you, just in case.
SOME ITALIAN CUSTOMS TO RESPECT WHILE IN ITALY!
Take these into mind when visiting Italy.
1. No cappuccino after 12:00 p.m. This one is strictly enforced. Cappuccinos are a breakfast drink. Do not order one in the afternoon and especially not after a big lunch or dinner when the waiter asks if you would like an espresso. Some restaurants and bars will flat out tell you "no"!
2. At restaurants it is customary to need to flag down the waiter. They aren't being rude, they just don't want to bother you or rush you along.
3. If you are near a big tourist attraction and a waiter hands you a menu without prices, do not sit and do not order anything. These are tourist traps and they have been known to gouge tourists. Similarily, do not accept "free" items (like jewelry or flowers) from random guys on the street. It's a tourist scam.
4. It is neither customary nor mandatory to tip in Italy. However, the pandemic hit the city of Florence really hard, so it is a nicely appreciated gesture to tip a small amount in restaurants if you are able. 10%-15% is a good range for truly exceptional service.