Yes! The majority of people understand and speak English fluently. We have had no issues communicating when traveling throughout the country.
The weather can be unpredictable during April in Tuscany and can generally range between 80° to 60° during the day and be somewhere in the 40's at night. We suggest bringing a warm shawl, jacket, or light coat for the evening just in case.
The Florence Airport is very small with only one gate, which means there is not a lot of walking to do but it can get a bit busy on occasion. However, there should always be taxis waiting outside the airport upon arrival.
Taxis are very readily available when in Florence and are the cheapest way to travel by car within the city. Restaurants and hotels should be able to call taxis for you if needed.
For those who need a car service to either the Pensione or the Borgo, we can schedule transportation from Florence. We will have drivers meet everyone at a pre-determined location in the city and have them transport guests over to either the Pensione, wedding venue (where the family is staying), or villa (where the wedding party is staying). Departure will be on April 24th, around 2:00pm, to allow for enough time for travel before 3:00pm check-in. *Please reach out to Roy or Courtney if you would like to be included in this service.*
For those who would like more freedom during their time in Tuscany, renting a car in Florence is a great option. Sixt, Hertz, or Turo are all available in the city. We suggest picking up your rental car right as you plan to leave Florence as it can be very difficult to find parking in the city.
In Italy, you will drive on the same side of the road as we do in the US. Tuscany is the Italian countryside and should be a very slow, quiet, and easy place to drive in. Both Roy and Courtney have driven in Tuscany with no concerns.
While it is generally not observed or always asked for in Italy, the law does state that anyone with a US Diver's License wanting to drive in Italy will need to apply for an IDP (which is basically an Italian translation of your current driver's license). This can be done by filling out an application and sending a $20 fee to AAA. https://www.aaa.com/vacation/docs/IDP_Application2a.pdf
Uber has recently become available in Florence, however only Uber Black is offered. For transportation within the city, using regular taxis are much cheaper. That being said, scheduling an Uber Black to and from Florence to Vignamaggio may come out to the same price as hiring a regular taxi service and could be a good option to look into in that type of situation.
During our last trip to Florence, we took Italy's "bullet train" from Florence to Rome for a day trip. The train ride was only about 1.5 hours one way, quick, efficient, and cost 40€. This is by far the easiest and cheapest way to travel between major cities in Italy if you don't have a car. https://www.italotreno.com/en
Before leaving the US, we suggest calling your phone provider and making sure you can use your phone in Italy. AT&T offers an International Day Pass for subscribers that provides unlimited text and call for $10-12/day. Roy and I both used this service and found it very helpful to be able to access the internet, applications, and either text or call when not at our hotel.
Hello / Goodbye - Ciao Good morning / Good afternoon - Buon giorno Good evening - Buona sera Excuse me - Mi scusi (formal) / Scusa (informal) Please - Per favore Thank you - Grazie You're welcome - Prego Goodbye - Arrivederci Yes - Sì No - No