Lucca
 

Does anyone know how much time we would need to take the train from Florence to Lucca and enjoy this city? Once there, can we enjoy the city on foot? Is it wise to do it on our own or should we arrange for a tour? I can not seem to find a reasonably priced tour that goes there on a Monday, the only day we have available. The quotes I received on private drivers is astronomically expensive.. We are staying at the Hotel Baglioni? Is that close to a train station?

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Thank you!
Mrs. G

The Hotel Baglioni is very close to the train station in Florence. The train ride to Lucca is 1 hr30min to 1hr45min depending on which train you choose. The train station is walkable to the walled center of Lucca. Wewent to Lucca on our own and spent most of a pleasant day visiting a few churches, exploring the streets, stopping for a nice lunch, and walking the full circuit of the walls. I suspect some people would be satisfied with half a day.

The Grand Hotel Baglioni in Florence is very close to the train station. An easy walk.

You can use trenitalia.com to see that there are fairly frequent trains to Lucca, taking either 1:23 or 1:43 minutes.

If you are decently mobile you can see Lucca on foot. It's flat and the train station is close to the walls. The only time you'll walk uphill is to go up the ramp so that you can walk along the top of the walls.

I think with a little reading and planning, Lucca would be easy to see on your own. Since your Florence hotel is so close to the train station, it will make it even easier.

I think the express bus is faster, about 70 minutes. Bus station in Firenze is in front of the train station. I think you ahve to buy the tickets at the train station. The bus station in Luccca is within the walls, at Piazzale Verdi . I took the bus to Florence while staying in Lucca, it was very convenient. The bus company is called Lazzi.

Forgot to say, you don't need a tour in Lucca. Just look at a guide/ travel book before you get there and map out what you would like to see. I love Lucca, stayed there for two weeks in 2006 and went back for a few days in 2009.

Lucca is lovely on foot; much of it is car free and a welcome respite from the traffic of Florence.

From the train station follow a local to the pedestrian ramp and stairs over the walls instead of heading left to the traffic gate.

Renting bikes to bike the walls is a great way to get oriented. You only need an hour for that to mke the whole circuit and then some. We saw bike rentalmplaces at 2 gates. I would describe them as situated at 9:00 and 1:00 if the train station is below 6:00.

climbing the tower whose name I forget is fun for a view. And Inwish we had made time for a visit to the botanical garden which looked like an oasis of green as we biked past on the wall.

The bus is a slightly faster option than the train. It also had AC which you might not find on trains on this route since it's slow R trains. It's been a few years, but the Lazzi stop was to the right of the train station if you had your back to the historic center of Florence.

If you get bored in Lucca (we did), you can catch a train onto Pisa (about 25 minutes). From Pisa there are lots of trains back to Florence.

Some good dining in Lucca. Bucca di San Antonio is worth trying.

I'll second the Buca di San Antonio suggestion--great food and service.

Check with the TI--they rent an audio guide which is a very nice walking tour. Can be completed in 1 1/2 to 2 hrs and informative. The city is very easy to walk in as its level-lots of bikes. The walk around the walls is rewarding as well.

Lucca is easy to visit on your own. Be sure to walk through the piazza that is built where the old Roman amphitheater once stood. Very nice. There is also a pretty carousel in one of the piazzas. The absolute best gelato I've had anyplace in Italy was in Lucca. Sorry, I can't remember the name of the place, but it was part of a little restaurant on the main shopping street and they made the gelato on site.

The audio tour available at the TI was fun and inexpensive. We broke it up with a siesta back at our hotel!
Hiring a bike and riding atop the city walls was also terrific and gave a good overview of the city. Read up as much as you can before you go - enjoy,we loved Lucca and were not bored at all.

Fantastic! Thank you so much for all this useful information!
We will definitely take the trip ourselves. Perhaps we will take the air conditioned bus there and return by train via Pisa, as suggested. Do the buses and trains run frequently throughout the day? Can we stay in Pisa for dinner and still find a train to return us to Florence? ( I am assuming that it won't be that much additional cost NOT to purchase round trip tickets, but one way.)Are seniors and children eligible for better transportation rates on bus/train? Does anyone know the approximate cost of a ticket (Round Trip) to Lucca from Florence?
YOUR HELP IS INVALUABLE TO US! THANK YOU!
Mrs. G

For train schedules and prices go to www.trenitalia.it

If you want to do Pisa the same day as Lucca, I would suggest you go to Pisa first and then go to Lucca and have dinner there. IMO it's much more pleasant.

The thing is, there are a lot more trains coming back in the evening from Pisa than there are from Lucca.

Use trenitalia.com to check the schedules. I'm not sure ifsenior and child fares available for walk up or same day. Someone else probably knows.

A round trip ought to be fairly inexpensive. Right now a one way Pisa > Florence is showing at under 6 euro.

I would think dinner in Lucca might be nicer, but the last train I see is around 10:30. With dinner being late in Italy, you would have to be careful to get that train, or wait until 12:30, I think.

If you do have dinner in Pisa, you can more easily get a taxi to the train station, or plan you dinner near the train station. Not as atmospheric as Lucca, though.

Just thought about, and realized that you could plan ahead to have Bucca di San Antonio in Lucca arrange for a taxi to the train station.