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I'm not gifted for Transportation Tips but I had a good experience with driving to and around Lucca, and with parking by the hostel, so I'll try to be helpful here.
If possible, have a map of Lucca before you drive there. Perhaps a Tourist Bureau at your departure point can provide this. Identify the area of Lucca where your accommodation is located and find the Public Parkings closest to it. Be aware that such Parkings are mostly just outside the walled city and that you can reach your accommodation on foot rather easily. (Or perhaps be able to drop off your luggage at the hotel and then park the car outside the Remparts... but be warned that this can be a hassle if you're not familiar with driving inside historic centres.
Lucca historic centre is surrounded by remparts called Viale delle Mura. No cars there, the Viale is for walking or biking. But just beyond it, another peripheric boulevard surrounds the Old City and this is what you drive along as you search for the area of your accommodation. The peripheric boulevard changes name as you drive, traffic is very swift and often heavy, just focus on seeing a sign with the name of the area where you wish to stop. I knew my stop was Porta Santa Maria... yet I drove all around the peripheric twice since cars were flying by when I reached *my* Porta. :)
Here's my personal experience: I arrived in Lucca from Regional Road 435 from Pistoia and Pescia. I was on the Peripheric Boulevard without knowing it. Stopped the car and asked for Porta Santa Maria, where my hostel is and was given easy directions by passers-by. (My Hostel has a parking.)
I drove along the Peripheric just a bit, slowing down when it became Viale Agostino Monti, then Viale Pompeo Batoni. There I saw a huge circle called Piazzale Martiri della Libertà. I turned LEFT to enter the historic centre through Porta S. Maria, and immediately RIGHT to Via della Cavallerizza, where my hostel is located (by the Basilica San Frediano.) Drove about 50 meters and made a sharp LEFT to the hostel.
I drove to the front door of the Hostel San Frediano, parked summarily and went in to ask where the Parking was AND to do a "staccato bagagli" -- luggage drop off. Reception helped me straight away, showing me how to back up a bit to reach their Parking in the back of the building. My car was safe in that Parking for 5 days, and it was very easy to drive it out to visit Luccan Villas in the surroundings of Lucca proper, and to drive to the Garfagnana, a beautiful mountain area north of Lucca.
If you prepare your arrival to Lucca in advance, you should do very well and get as close as you can to your chosen accommodation.
NOTE: The Viale delle Mura is a great way to go all around the Old Town, on foot or by bike. Good views. Bike rentals at Porta Santa Maria, among other places. Lucca is very much a bike city. Be alert at all times, locals ride their bikes as their usual mode of transport and it's important not to obstruct passage.
Written Oct 14, 2010
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What makes Lucca such a great daytrip destination from Florence is that there's a train leaving for Lucca from the Santa Maria Novella station in Florence every hour, and the ride only lasts 80 minutes (the same schedule applies for the return trip to Florence). To get to Lucca, look for trains heading to Viareggio. There's no need to book in advance, and in both Florence and Lucca you can buy your ticket (5.10 Euros for a one-way ticket) at the ticket office or from the ticket machines (look for the regional ones, cash only). Don't forget to validate your ticket before getting on board as controllers seem to be fairly frequent on regional trains, and make sure to pay sufficient attention as you get closer to Lucca since it's not the last stop on the line and it's easy to miss it since they don't always make announcements on board the trains. The train station in Lucca is located close to the old city: a 5-minute walk along Viale Regina Margherita will take you to the Porta San Pietro, through which you can access the old city and begin your day in the wonderful city of Lucca!
Updated Jul 26, 2010
Website: http://www.trenitalia.com
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We took a daytrip to Lucca which is on the Florence-Viareggio train line, with frequent service to Florence. It takes around an hour to get from Lucca to Florence. We went in the morning, and walked from the train station observing the walls and walking in and out of churchs inside the walls. Then we had lunch and took the train back to Florence
Updated Sep 10, 2009
Website: http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/
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We were traveling by train to Lucca and we found the best option to get there easily from Florence and it costs us only 5 euro!
The fact is that it takes about 45min (without delays) and the landscapes are very nice.
Written Jun 12, 2009
Website: http://trenitalia.com/homepage_en.html
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The railway station is just outside the city walls, close enough to walk.
We traveled from Pisa, where the nearest airport is, journey time around 30 minutes, tickets are not expensive.
See the Italian railways website for timetables.
Written Feb 13, 2009
Website: http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/
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Lucca has it's own train station and does run to many major cities including Pisa and Florence. I get the impression that the locals prefer buses to trains as they are quicker but if you're anything like me and don't do well with long journeys by bus, I'd recommend the trains. They're really comfortable, nice air conditioning and are very spacious (unless you're travelling from a major city in rush hour!)
During my stay I travelled to Florence direct from Lucca, it cost very little... something like 5 or 6 euro which to me seems incredibly cheap for a relatively long journey. You see a lot of little italian villages along the ways and nice views of the mountains too. Some parts are a bit more unsightly but interesting to look at all the same. As well as Florence (a longer journey of around an hour and a half), there are trains to Viareggio and Pisa. Apparently it takes around half an hour to get to Pisa (though the train was cancelled on my way to Pisa- almost missed my flight as a result so always have a backup plan... I ended up having to pay about 60 euro for a taxi to the airport! Viareggio takes 20 minutes.
The train ticket to Pisa from Lucca costs 2.40 euro single (as of 13/09/2008)
I had never been on italian trains before my journey to Florence from Lucca.. they don't serve food (just incase you're backpacking and are hoping to get a snack along the way). Random point I know, but I wasn't sure when I was boarding the train.
I personally found the train station hard to navigate, this was probably down to my lack of italian speaking capabilities (oops!) but also an unusual layout... bear in mind that there are subways to other platforms, not just the two obvious platforms which you see as you exit the station. I ended up missing a train to florence and had to wait about 2 hours until the next one... try your best to find a helpful person to point you in the right direction if you're stuck. I think it's platform 3 and 4 that are linked via subways.
Updated Oct 26, 2008
Website: www.trenitalia.com
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There is a rail link from the airport to Pisa Centrale with a frequent service - times are here.
http://www.pisa-airport.com/sat/cda/aree/index.php?idArea=4
Trains from Pisa Centrale to Lucca take around 25 minutes. You can find the timetable by visiting
http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html and filling in the form.
Written Aug 17, 2008
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We took the Lazzi bus from Pisa to Lucca, and then again from Lucca to Florence. The bus runs at regular intervals and is fairly inexpensive. It's not a long ride to either location and you get to see plenty of countryside as well as small towns along the way.
The fare to Lucca was 2,80 Euro and the fare to Florence was 5,00 Euro.
Your baggage is stowed in the luggage compartment and slides around a bit. Be careful when getting it out, a sore back can be a pain. Trust me, I know!
Updated Jun 2, 2008
Website: http://www.lazzi.it/eng/activenews.asp
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Lucca is a nightmare town with a car.
YOU MUST PARK OUTSIDE THE WALLS in the public parking areas.
The police are very strict.
The one-way streets are confusing.
There is literally no place to park unless you live there.
The tourist buses create havoc, AND walking is so much more fun.
We enjoyed the walk to and from our car (which was infrequent). It gave us an opportunity to see the walls of the ancient city from the outside again and again. It was also fun to use a different entrance each time we entered.
Note: The photograph is not mine. It was taken from a pamphlet that I had
Updated May 14, 2008
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Lucca is an excellent destination for a day trip, either from Firenze/Florence or Pisa. The best way to get to the city is by train.
The railway station is in the south of the city. You just cross Piazza Ricasoli and the Walls, and you are in the Old Lucca.
The Railway Station in Florence is called Santa Maria Novella, and it's at Piazza della Stazione, very close to the most important sights of the city.
Updated May 7, 2008
Website: www.trenitalia.it
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