Best Day Trip by Train from Lucca

Where have you been before, where else will you be in this trip, what kind of stuff do you like to do?

I enjoyed Barga, better reached by bus though.
When I am back, I am interested in seeing Pistoia.

Here is a previous discussion:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/day-trips-from-lucca-c63a6be0-6b0a-4ea1-9dce-e0731a5ad4a3

Hello Anne, I'm compiling a list so I'll add:

The obvious Pisa and Florence but beyond those locals recommend:
Pietrasanta - very arty town near the beach - by train just north of Viareggio.
Pistoia - larger but lovely Italian town by train
Barga - train or bus

And I'll add Prato is close by train and the old town has a charm and it has a couple of very specific museums - the textile museum in an old wool mill is very good and there is also a museum of tolerance Museo della Deportazione that is supposed to be good.

More difficult:
Montecarlo - super tiny, cute town with castle but probably too complex by bus for easy daytrip
Bagni di Lucca - reachable by train in the countryside but it is actually a scattered community of many little towns so at least a bike but car is better

Have a great trip - I'm hoping to be there in September so maybe I'll see you there!
=Tod

Also Pontremello and the spa town of Montecatini Terme.

Pontremoli and its stele museum (https://statuestele.org/?lang=en) and its cuisine (quite different from Lucca's) and its bridges and the town itself was one of the surprise high points of our 2022 driving trip through the hinterlands of western Tuscany and Liguria. Small enough to see on a day trip, but we wished we'd had more like a week there.

Pontremoli is a bit far for a day trip, I guess --- 2 hours and a bit if you depart Lucca very early in the morning. Otherwise more like 3 hours.

Barga is also interesting for the Scottish connection.