Hello
We finalized our itinerary for the most part but are on the fence on whether to base ourselves in Florence or Lucca OR spend 17-18 in Florence and then 19-21 in Lucca
We already have accommodation booked for our Vernazza stay 21-24 and our stay in Rome 24-28
16 flight to Rome
17 arrive Rome and train to either Lucca or Florence
21 train to Vernazza
24 train to Rome
28 return flight
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks much.
Lucca would put you much closer to Vernazza, but what is your goal, and what day trips did you want to do?
If we stay in Lucca we would do a day trip to Florence and vice versa. I know Florence will be full of tourists and since we are going to Rome we thought Lucca might be a nice place to get away from the massive crowds. I understand Lucca has tourists too but heard it had a more authentic feel. I was hoping to get more insight on both to make a better informed decision.
Lucca is tiny. I usually find it easier to escape crowds in large places, but it has many fans. You would want to identify other day trips, Pistoia is one I had on my list but did not make.
We stayed in Lucca (September, several years ago) as a base to visit Pisa, Vinci, CT, Carrara and a (planned) day trip to Florence. We had stayed in Florence before, so it wasn't a primary destination for this trip. Lucca was wonderful for being slower-paced and less crowded. We were there for 10 nights (rented a car for several days to make day trips) so it felt more like a home base than a tourist city base. We loved the ease and manageability of the smaller town feel. It felt very relaxed during the days we spent in Lucca (walking the wall, meandering the town) and when we returned in the evenings from day trips.
As can happen, there was a 1-day rail strike on the day we had planned to revisit Florence. Having been there before, we didn't feel the loss too greatly and did not reschedule.
If Florence is of primary importance, I'd lean towards encouraging you to stay there to experience it more fully. If you stay in Lucca, you might plan your day trip to Florence on the 1st or 2nd day of your stay so that you have backup days if such a thing should happen.
Lucca is nice but I cannot imagine Florence as a day trip. Perhaps train to Florence on the 17th, stay in Florence. Day trip to Siena while there, then train to Lucca on the 20th. Stay overnight then train to Vernazza. Just a suggestion.
Have a great trip!
We aren’t looking to do too many day trips. We will definitely look at Pistoia. We’d more so like to really explore Lucca and Florence respectively. Both are a must for us. It sounds like we would be better off spending a night or two in Florence and then spending a night or two in Lucca. Lucca sounds incredible. We really love the slower pace and relaxation. My great grandparents are from Lucca and Florence which is the reason we chose them. We do plan to come back and explore Tuscany in the future. We really appreciate everyone’s feedback and assistance.
