Business Travel to Florence
The city of Florence which is called Firenze in Italian is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This capital city of Italy’s Tuscany region is a favorite with tourists so much so Florence is sometimes referred to as a ‘tourist trap’ as Florentines have over the years tried to extract the most out of their rich renaissance legacy. Florence lies on the River Arno and this city which is considered to be the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance was once the playground of some of the greatest creative minds like Michelangelo, Boticelli and Leonardo da Vinci. Such is the physical beauty of Florence that the entire city which is littered with scenic piazzas, palaces academies, parks, gardens, churches, monasteries, museums, art galleries and ateliers was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1982.
If you have always had the desire to see this jewel of the renaissance, then perhaps you should consider making a trip to Florence and the rest of Tuscany, however your journey to Florence from a US city is likely to be an indirect one for Florence is served by a small airport (the Amerigo Vespucci Airport) which is equipped only with a single runway. This airport is one of the two main airports that serve the Tuscany region, the other being the Galileo Galilei Airport in Pisa. So it is likely that your flight from the US will have stopover in a city in Europe before offering you a connection on to Florence. This journey is likely to then be considered ‘long haul’ for which business air travel is definitely recommended.
Now before you balk at the cost of business class tickets to Florence which may perhaps make you rethink your vacation plans, you should be aware that there are ways and means to procure business class cheap to Florence if you are savvy enough to spot business class deals that are periodically promoted by airlines who offer connections to this destination which has often been described as the ‘most desirable destination on earth’. At other times, last minute bookings with airlines can also sometimes afford you deep business class discounts to Florence. However if all this seems too confusing for you because you want a certain amount of flexibility in order to plan your journey, you may want to consider using the services of your friendly travel agent who despite all the doomsday predictions has not yet been made extinct by online booking sites.
Travel agents often have access to a wealth of business class deals to various global destinations and these business class discounts often add up to rebates of up to 70% when compared to regular business class airfares. Travel agents have this access to cheap business class tickets by way of their personal connections and relationships with airlines which have usually been cultivated over the years.
These relationships are usually mutually beneficial as they often ensure airlines regular, repeat business through these travel agents who are often high volume sales agents It must be mentioned that these cheap business class airfares are by no means inferior to regular business class airfares for they afford you all the amenities that are usually associated with full price business class fares like priority check-in, fast track immigration , enhanced luggage allowance, fully flat beds and limitless good food and wine along with great personalized service.
These discount business flights sometimes have certain terms and conditions associated with them but these are minor inconveniences when compared to the tremendous savings that they afford. Moreover they also often come loaded with additional perks like mileage accrual and pre-flight seat selection which is considered absolutely essential for a long haul trek.
Once you have located your cheap business class seat to Florence you now have to decide the timing of your trip. Most tourists head to Florence and Tuscany in during the warm Tuscan summers however during this time, the city seems to be overrun with tourists and it can hamper your viewings especially if you are an art enthusiast. Moreover it is likely that your business class deal to Florence may also not be valid for the high season. Then perhaps the best time to plan your Florentine vacation is during the seasons of spring and autumn when the daytime temperatures in Florence are pleasant with highs of around 18-20oC( 70o-74oF) and the huge touristy crowds have abated somewhat.