Hello! My husband and I are traveling to Italy in February. We can stay a few nights in either Lucca or Barga. Any input on which place is a better home base? We currently do not have a rental car. Thank you!
Posted by
5333 posts
Coming/going from where?
Lucca will be much much easier. It is flat and inclement weather unlikely to be a problem, plus easy day trips--more of a "home base" than Barga without a car.
If you have a clear few days and like mountains, Barga is indeed beautiful and in a straight comparison is what I would choose, but February could be complicated by weather. You can get to town by bus or train + bus. Day trips would be more limited.
I visited both on my first trip to Italy and did not fall in love with Lucca, but it is extremely popular and seems to consistently get raves.
Posted by
Saint Paul, Minnesota
1626 posts
I don't know what day trips you want to do, but take a look at Arezzo --- it's a larger town like Lucca with train and bus connections to Siena, Florence, and many other less famous but interesting places. I was just there in December and thought it looked like a charming and not heavily touristed town, with a castle and museums and some nice churches with art in situ. We had lunch in a restaurant that did not take reservations and was so popular that everybody (all Italians) waited patiently in line outside for it to open.
I was also in Lucca in November and it was full of tourists but not in an annoying way. Its Romanesque church facades are among my favorites in Italy. I've also been to Barga on a previous trip and enjoyed its church and eating lunch a very good restaurant, but it was raining hard and so I couldn't get much of an impression of the small town itself.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for the replies! After discussing, we've decided to spend a few days in Florence and be "busy" and then a few days in Barga to be "still" and just enjoy the view and the town as able.