Visiting Florence In November, Many Questions.

Hello,
I am planning a trip for my boyfriend and I at the end of November, if anyone could help with the multiple queries I have, that would be great.

1- The flight will be landing around 11:00pm, so we will be needing to take a taxi to our hotel. So far I have only been able to find one taxi company, is there a site listing the taxi companies in Florence? I want to make sure we catch a legitimate taxi, and hopefully the most cost effective one.

2- What is the best way to get tickets for the Uffuzi and Galleria Accadamia? I'm having trouble locating legitimate looking sites to purchase online with. Would the lines be very long in late November? Is there some sort of a museum card for Florence? If so can it be purchased online, or in some sort of central location?

3- I would like to visit Castello Del Trebbio, is it easy to access via public transit? What is the cost to visit? Is it possible to buy tickets at the site, or is it better/possible to get them online? Will one be able to visit the vineyard, olive groves, and saffron gardens in one visit for one admission?

4- Is it permissible to drink beer and wine in the streets? Can one smoke in Piazzas and parks?

5-What can we expect weather wise? Should we expect more rain and chill in the winter way, or more cool in the autumn way? Will there be many fresh truffles available in the city?

Thank you very much!
 
Ciao Canuk,

You have lots of questions, I'll go down point by point to try to get them all ;-)

1. You can find taxis right outside the airport terminal, only licensed taxis allowed so you don't risk getting into the wrong one. In any case so you can identify them while in Florence, the two taxi companies are 055-4242 and 055-4390 - those are the numbers to call a taxi in Florence when you need them, they can't be flagged down. They are "cooperatives" and all taxis have either one or the other number on them. Check the cab before getting on, you'll see them on the sides of the car. There is a set fee from airport to hotels in downtown, but expect to pay extra because of the hour.
Here's some more info on using cabs in Florence: https://www.visitflorence.com/moving-around-florence/by-taxi.html

2. Best way to get tickets is by phone: +39-055-294-883.
There is a prebooking fee to pay for each ticket.
All sites that sell museum tickets are legitimate, they just add on commission fees which vary by site in addition to the prebooking fee and end up being different rates. If you're looking for cheapest, book by phone.
There is a Firenze Card to see lots of museums in Florence, valid for 72 hrs, for 85 euros - check out whether it makes sense for you to buy it or not here:
https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-museums/is-firenze-card-worth-it.html
Since you're coming at the end of November, I would be more for saying you should ONLY book tickets for Uffizi and Accademia and everywhere else just buy tickets on the spot. There are still crowds then but much less than in high season. Tickets for the Uffizi by then will be in the "low season" and cheaper.

3. Castello del Trebbio is in Santa Brigida and you can reach it with bus #330A from Florence.
Here's the timetable: http://www.amvbus.it/index.php?SEZ=16
There aren't that many in the day but if you time your visit correctly, you should be able to get there and back with no problems.
For cost and details on what you can see in the tour, contact them directly: http://www.castellodeltrebbio.com/en/24/tours-and-tasting.html
Once you know when and how long, you can plan which buses you need to take there and back.

4. You can smoke outdoors everywhere, not indoors anywhere. You can drink on the streets but culturally it is "not done" for Italians, unless you are right outside of a pub/wine bar and enjoying your drink in the night air with your friends at the locale. Drinking as you walk along the streets is one sure way to identify yourself as a non-Italian foreigner, and to be honest, specifically as either an American or English citizen who often also drinks "too much". You won't be fined but know it would be better not to.

5. Weather wise it is when the weather is cooling down and my best recommendation is to plan to dress in layers. Evenings will be cool but it yet isn't really rainy season although of course you might get rain on some days -- the one thing you can never predict is the weather, and it might turn out to be a wetter fall than usual.

In any case, here are some useful articles to read:
- check averages: https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-weather/average-weather-florence.html
- November is low season, check out the many advantages of visiting in the low season:
https://www.visitflorence.com/tourist-info/visit-florence-in-the-low-season.html
- yes, truffles are in season and you should find it on the menus of restaurants across the city - here's some more info on truffles in general and the seasons in Tuscany: https://www.discovertuscany.com/typical-products-of-tuscany/white-and-black-tuscan-truffles.html
- other food items to try out in fall: https://www.discovertuscany.com/typical-products-of-tuscany/fall-in-tuscany.html
- which include chestnuts: https://www.discovertuscany.com/eating-and-drinking-in-tuscany/chestnuts-in-tuscany.html

Hope I've provided enough answers and tips for for extra exploration! Let me know if you have more questions :)
 
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