flights from indianapolis

Flying into Pisa (PSA) is your best bet. Chicago (ORD) & Detroit (DTW) are just an hour farther from Ft Wayne than Indy and have a lot more flight options - both have flights to PSA with just 1 stop... look at Delta & Air France (or use KAYAK.com).

If flying out of ORD is an option for you, you can fly right into Florence’s small airport with just one connection in Zurich on Swiss. A small number of European carriers also serve Florence directly...I’m just aware of Swiss, because I recently checked their fares from ORD to FLR. Swiss fares for this particular route were cheaper than the others back in early March…they’re up now along with everyone else.

Thanks for the feedback. I heard good things about Swiss Air but not so much positive about Delta. I like the idea of flying into Pisa, but we prefer Indy due to family there that can drop us at the airport. I'm curious though....how long should I wait before I start to panic about getting reservations? Can I safely shop around for awhile or should I start looking to get something locked in if we're flying in early October?

The debate about when to buy is always raging on this board, but I might recommend waiting a bit if you’re not travelling until October and don’t see any fares that look good right now. Do some research and set an airfare price in your mind that is acceptable to you. Then, sign-up for fare alerts, and start tracking fares every day for awhile. You can use the airline websites and others, such as kayak, skyscanner, etc. As soon as you see a fare that meets all of your requirements with respect to price, departure & destination points, connections, airline, equipment, etc., book it without hesitation. The fare can change in the time it takes to call your partner to ask if they’re okay with the offer. Before you book, quickly check the airline website…you’ll occasionally find a slightly lower fare there. Nothing is predictable with this stuff…there are just way too many factors influencing airfares for anyone to reliably predict what will happen.

sheryl,

You may wish to check with a travel agent or do some web research on flight availability from Indianapolis. Florence and Pisa are both smaller airports and are typically used more for regional flights. Flights to either of those airports usually involve a change in Frankfurt or another major hub.

You'll probably find a greater availability of flight to Rome and perhaps better pricing. Travel from Rome to Florence is EASY! When you arrive at FCO, take the Leonardo Express to Roma Termini (about 30 minutes), buy your tickets to Florence on the EuroStar Italia / Alta Velocita and go have a coffee or snack until your train leaves.

The trip from Rome to Florence is only 1H:35M, and travels through some beautiful Tuscan scenery.

Happy travels!

Thank you again for all the advice. One last thing.. : ) what about flying into Milan and getting a train to Florence. Easier than from Rome, or is Rome to Florence still the best of the two options?

sheryl,

Milan is also a good choice. MXP does have international flights, and it's a fairly easy trip from there to Florence.

When arriving at MXP, take the Malpensa Shuttle to Milano Centrale, buy your ticket and board the next train to Florence. Check the Trenitalia website for information on the train schedules on that route.

Cheers!