Murky1980

Trying to weigh in the options for train ride from Rome to Lucca. After some search here are the options i can find, please let me know which route is better or if there is any other alternative please let me know that as well.

Roma Termini - Florence SMN - Lucca ==> 3 hours travel time
Roma Termini - Pisa Centrale - Lucca ==> 3 hours 30 mins travel time

1. Between the two routes, which one is more scenic?
2. Is there anything we need to be aware of while carrying luggage's? Does each compartment in the train have luggage racks or only some compartments are marked for luggage?
3. How much time will it take to do transfer at Florence or Pisa Centrale for trains to Lucca?
4. Any other things we need to be aware of?

Thanks!

zeppole

Other people have more recent experience than I do of using those lines and switching trains carrying luggage, but I wanted to ask: Will you have a stroller as well as luggage?

Also, I wanted to point out that you have the option in both cities of storing your luggage at the train station and seeing the sights before moving on to Lucca. (Plus lunch.) Both require about a 20-25 minute walk from the station, and you'll want to skip it if it is raining.

I would also skip it if you take a later train out of Rome, because you will find it easier to arrive in Lucca during daylight. The antique streetscape of Lucca makes it a bit hard to locate an address in the dark.

You won't need to buy tickets until you are in Italy, so you can make up your mind then, when you will have a better idea what the weather is on your travel day.

bilboburgler

compartments? They are nearly all corridor trains. There is not a lot of room on most unless you take a very slow version of that described

Murky1980

zeppole, we will have 1 big baggage and 1 small one. We are not planning to take the stroller for our little one since in all our previous trips we managed without using one, either he walks or one of us will carry him. I see low mini fare's for Rome-Pisa and Rome-Florence, would you advise going for them or it's better to avoid them and keep our schedule flexible?

bilboburgler, you mean to say there won't be enough space in trains for storing our luggage/baggage?

Thanks

kybourbon

Luggage storage depends on the type of train you are booking. The fast AV and ES trains (only serve/stop at major cities) have storage at the end of each car (sometimes at both ends), overhead storage (some sections of the train have taller overhead than others), usually a couple of mid-train storage racks (perhaps on AV only, not ES) and space behind the seat that can handle a large case.

You will be taking an old R train from either Pisa to Lucca or Florence to Lucca (buses are also available and take the same amount of time). These trains do not have any amenities. There is no point buying this portion of your ticket in advance as there are no discounts and no reserved seats.

For discounts on Rome/Pisa or Rome Florence, use this Trenitalia link, but you can't book more than four months in advance and winter schedules past mid-Dec. won't be posted until Dec.
http://www.fsitaliane.it/cms/v/index...003f16f90aRCRD

GAC

Travel via Pisa will be cheaper with the regular "base" train fares (because the trains are ES-City and not Frecciarossa/Frecciargento), but you could also find some very advantageous "MINI" fares on both routes (excluding the regionale trains and excluding the segment between Florence/Lucca or Pisa/Lucca).

IF your travel plans are fixed and you are comfortable with a specific departure time from Rome to Pisa (or Florence), why not go for the cheaper "MINI" fares on the fast trains (except perhaps if the discount is only 10% or 20%, in which case the small risks associated with the "MINI" fares might outweigh any cost savings)?

Want to save the most money?: take the ES-City train from Rome to Pisa Centrale with the "MINI" fare, then a connecting regionale train from Pisa Centrale to Lucca. The absolutely cheapest fare on the ES-City train: 17 Euros in second class.

The absolutely cheapest fare on the Frecciarossa/Frecciargento train from Rome to Florence: 19 Euros.

Read the rules and restrictions for the "MINI" fares before you purchase them:

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD

The unreserved regionale trains do not have "MINI" fares, and the ticket costs the same no matter when purchased (unless tariffs go up).

Don't forget that children under 12 travel for 50%, and toddlers under 4 travel FREE without a ticket and without a guaranteed seat.

Sometimes, when cheap "MINI" fares are not available, the "Familia" fare is a good choice where there is at least one adult and at least one child between 4 and 12.

Murky1980

kybourbon, i read your reply in a previous post regarding the fares and website for selecting seating arrangement. very useful, appreciate the help. The link you provided helped a lot to view the mini fares directly rather than using normal trenitalia website where we have to select each leg to view the mini fares.

Roma Termini - Florence SMN - Lucca
Roma Termini - Pisa Centrale - Lucca

Between the two routes, which one is more scenic?

GAC

The route via Pisa will be slightly more scenic, because it skirts the coastline at parts.

annhig

there are definitely frecciabianca trains between Rome and Pisa Centrale - I've been on one.

it cost about 25% more than the regionale but was well worth it, as it was much more comfortable.

the route is quite scenic as you do go up the coast and across some quite nice countryside - I saw deer in a field at one point.

There are lifts at Pisa Centrale - you need to walk to the end of the platform and they are not well-signposted, but they are worth finding!

zeppole

Hi Murky1980,

Regarding whether to stay flexible or book, hard to advise. If the idea of stopping enroute to Lucca to sightsee a bit doesn't sound very appealing, you know your travel rhythms better than I do.

But if I'm following all this correctly, looks like booking a comfy Frecciabianca *ES* train to Pisa with a "MINI" fare and then purchasing a separate Regionale ticket to Lucca gives you flexibility with respect to Pisa. You can decide when you reach Pisa if you'd like to pause and sightsee, or head straight to Lucca. It does rule out the possibility of stopping enroute in Florence, but maybe you'd prefer the more scenic coastal route to Pisa.

Generally speaking, I like flexibility when I travel, because my travel party can get moody and so can the weather. But I stick by my advice that you aim to arrive in Lucca before sundown, unless you are fairly certain from checking google maps ahead of time that your Lucca lodgings are easy to find from the Lucca train station (or have set aside a bit of taxi money for just such occasions).

kybourbon

>>>there are definitely frecciabianca trains between Rome and Pisa Centrale - I've been on one.<<<

Those are the ESCity trains.

>>>4. Any other things we need to be aware of?<<<

Are you arriving Rome by train?

Murky1980

annhig and GAC, thanks for the suggestion.

zeppole, thanks again. Seems like train ride to Pisa is preferred for sight seeing.

kybourbon,

Are you arriving Rome by train?

<Murky> Flying to Rome and staying there for 3 days before heading to Lucca.