travel between paris and tuscany

You could fly on one of the cheaper airlines from Paris to Pisa or Florence and be right there. Or, you can take the train but you won't like the travel time. About 11 hours to get to Florence with 2 train changes. There is a nice night train run from Paris to Florence that might work.

Can you book the flight to Florence while in Paris or do you have do it sooner?

julie, If you're planning to use one of the budget airlines, it's a good idea to book early as they often use a "sliding scale" - as the flight fills, the prices increase. Be sure to note which airport the budget carrier uses. Some use very much out-of-the-way airports such as Paris Beauvais, which is a considerable distance outside Paris. If that's the case, you'll have to allow both time and cost to get to and from the airports. One important point to note is that the luggage limits on European airlines are often somewhat "restrictive" so if you're packing lots of gear, be prepared to PAY! Also, the rules for carry-on luggage are different. In most cases, only ONE item is allowed. This doesn't mean one plus a "personal item" like a Purse, it means ONE ONLY of the approved size and weight. The shortest travel time I could find by train was a train departing Gare du Lyon at 07:42, arriving Firenze SMN at 17:00 (time 9H:18M, one change at Milano Centrale). Even though that's a bit of a long trip, I'd probably consider that over the budget airline in order to avoid the airport "hassles". I'm sure the trip would be much more relaxing! According to the information on the Bahn website, the trains have an on-board restaurant. However, if you'd prefer the "budget approach", buy a couple of sandwiches and some juice (or whatever) prior to boarding the train in Paris. Happy travels!

As Ken has noted, book now if you want a budget airline such as Easyjet as the earlier you book and purchase, the cheaper the airfare. The fares go up as the flight date moves closer and the seats fill up. I suggest that you do not consider Ryan Air as they do not fly out of Paris. They fly out of Beauvais which is at least an hour outside of the city. Besides, I don't think they fly to Florence.