Thinking about going to Florence in October - can you give me some tips?

I'm in desperate need of a short holiday and am thinking about heading to Florence, Italy next month. Can anyone else that has been there give me some tips on what to expect?
How far is the city centre from the airport, would you say that it's better to take a taxi, or go on the train to my accommodation (car isn't an option for me)? I'm a little worried about the language barrier, so if I decide to take the train, would there be english speakers able to direct me if I get lost or bewildered? What is there to do in Florence in October? I'll be on a budget, so is there much cheap shopping/eating in the city? Also, is there much begging?
Any advice would be appreciated!
There's a shuttle bus to and from the airport that takes you in to Florence for 4.50 euro. The bus runs every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour from 6 am to 11:30 pm. (see the airport website: The bus station is right next to the Santa Maria Novella train station which is a ten minute walk to the heart of the old town. Taxis in Italy are expensive.

Florence is a good choice for a quick trip because the old town is compact and easily walkable and not hard to find your way around. It's also a major tourist destination, so English is widely spoken and understood.

All the tourist attractions will be open. There are lots of things you can see for free - the Orsanmichele, San Miniato al Monte, the Duomo, ... Fees for the Palazzo Vecchio, Accademia, Uffizi are generally reasonable. You should get an advance reservation for the Uffizi or Accademia, but the lines in October won't be as long as in the tourist season. There's a lot of shopping and eating that cover a whole range of budgets. Shopping depends on what you want to buy. You can control your food prices by filling up on pizza, or buying sandwiches, and there are markets where you can pick up fruit at reasonable prices. Most of the restaurants have menus posted before you go in, so you can judge choices and prices for yourself. You may run into some people asking for money, but I really haven't seen much of that in Florence.

Getting around by train is pretty easy - the announcements in the station will be in both Italian and English although in smaller cities you go to that may not be the case. Siena, Arezzo, Pisa and Lucca are easy trips from Florence. The ticket machines have an English language option, or you can go to a ticket window to buy your ticket. You need to know that the ticket has to be validated before you get on the train - you time stamp it. Look for the yellow machines adjacent to the tracks.

Don't worry, you'll have a great time!