Day trip from Lucca

25 minute train ride to Montecatini Centro. Walk through the baths and park; then riding the 19th century funicular up to Alta for views and lunch. This is a regional train so buy paper tickets. E-tickets require internet connectivity to confirm, which is required,

Keep that in mind for all regional train tickets. Paper tickets need to be date-stamped using one of the little green machines before boarding.

We didn’t make it there in our last trip, but Carrara is still on the wish list of destinations. It’s 25 minutes beyond Pisa by train, then bus from its train station into the old town. Besides the city itself, there’s the Museo del Marmo.

Then, five miles outside of town by bus, there’s Colonnata and the quarries where all that marble came from.

We visited the Cinque Terre. Changed train in LaSpezia, then enjoyed a few hikes and each village. We brought picnic fixings for lunch but, also bought snacks & drinks in the villages. Returned via train in time for a 8pm dinner, a good all around day.

If you're looking for a more upscale experience or, want to do some shopping, Forte dei Marmi, is a wealthy beachside getaway for Milanese and some suspicious looking Eastern Europeans. Located in the Piazza Marconi, the Wednesday market is where Italian luxury and boutique brands sell their overages and out-of-season wares. Bring cash, minimal haggling and not a place for kids.

I'd second the (autocorrected) Carrara, but I'd absolutely do it as a tour as it'll be a lot simpler and more efficient than transferring a bunch of times. If it was me, I'd pick a tour that goes on to Calonnata for some Lardo, but admittedly that's not everyone's jam.

If you're into wine, there are a bunch of wineries. I have a particular winery outside of Lucca that I'd recommend for a tasting/lunch. We never went there but their wines were IMO head and shoulders above some of the other local wineries. LMK if you're interested. I'll try to find their contact info.

random Lucca notes:
Caffes
Caffè Ninci - Most famous café in the city, great patio for people watching in the biggest piazza.
Caffè Casali - Best outdoor patio view
Aperitivi & Vino
Undici Undici - try an Americano or share a bottle of local wine from their long list
Enoteca Vanni (link)
Super sweet owner, patio for by-the-glass pours and aperitivi
Pult - Good for people watching if there’s a table open, located on Via Fillungo so very busy
Quick Bites
Ristorante La Crancería Perfect grab-and-go pizza by the slice. addictingly good
Soup in Town Piazza San Giusto (link)
In Pasta, Cibo e Convivio - Home-made pasta shop with take-away and limited indoor & patio seating. Also sell the fresh pasta if you want to take it and cook at home.
Restaurants
Ristorante Mecenate ANY local will say this is the place to go for THE most traditional Lucchese food. - Ragu al Cinghiale is a Tuscan specialty if you have meat-eaters with you! A must-try (so I’ve heard)
Trattoria da Giulio (link) - Gorgeous covered patio (definitely see if you can sit outside) and more local cuisine. Also nice for an Aperitivo
Antica Osteria - Cute patio, interesting modern dishes and traditional favorites
L'Anciüa - Pesce Povero - Hands down the best seafood in town, more expensive and you need to make a reservation very far in advance because it is highly sought after.
Osteria Baralla - One of the busiest and more popular restaurants, just north outside of the Anfiteatro, but the inside is beautiful and the food and service is excellent.
Gelato
Gelateria Paniko (Link)
My personal fave gelateria, lots of lactose-free options!
Gelateria Veneta (link)
Outside of the Anfiteatro

Thank you for suggestions. Montecatini was one we were thinking about. Carrera was not, but we will look into it. Thank you again.

I would suggest a visit to Pietrasanta -- a hidden gem of a town that can be reached fairly easily from Lucca. We drove (about 40 minutes) but the train is also an option. You would catch the train (actually 2 regional trains -- very easy transfer) first from the Lucca station to Viareggio and change there for another regional train to Pietrasanta.

Upon arrival it is a 10 minute walk to the heart of the village. Such a perfect little jewel box of an open-air museum with amazing modern artwork and sculptures scattered about. In addition to all the free outdoor art there are galleries and shops and of course places to eat and drink and it is just such a pretty setting with the mountains in the background. We were there on a weekend in May and stumbled upon a wedding in the main piazza among the sculptures. It was such a magical and memorable day and I am really not any kind of a sculpture aficionado! Many of the art pieces were quite whimsical and entertaining -- I think anyone would enjoy it. Here is a link that will give you a bit of flavor: https://www.pietrasantaincanta.it/en/arte-e-cultura/

OO Chris! Osteria Baralla! That's where I ended up last trip for lunch, I had two "Lucchese" dishes, a pasta and a dessert,it was a great time! So just to throw that in there, it is a great restaurant! :)

When I was in Lucca in 2009 it was blazing hot, so I took a day trip to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, thinking it might be cooler. The train ride was very scenic, and it was nice to get away from other tourists for the day, though it was just about as hot.

Here are some photos you can check out to see if it's somewhere you might enjoy.

https://goo.gl/photos/EeSXAfqGtosKGRPn6

Thank you all again. We will look into all the suggestions. Much appreciated. And thank you for Lucca recommendations.