Florence to Pisa to Lucca to Florence by public transportation?

Timetables below:
www.trenitalia.com
Station names:
FIRENZE SANTA MARIA NOVELLA
PISA CENTRALE
PISA SAN ROSSORE
LUCCA

Take train from Firenze to Pisa Centrale
At Pisa Centrale take a taxi or bus to Piazza Duomo (you can walk but it's a 25-30 min walk).
You could also take a train from Pisa Centrale to Pisa San Rossore and walk from there but the bus from Pisa Centrale is faster.
After seeing the sights on Piazza Duomo walk to PISA SAN ROSSORE Station.
Take train from Pisa S.Rossore to Lucca (20 min). Visit Lucca.
Take train from LUCCA to FIRENZE S.M.NOVELLA.
You can also do the exact opposite itinerary.
There are buses from Lucca to Florence but I don't see the advantage. The route is on the A11 freeway and I don't see any beauty on that, it runs through the same valleys exactly like the railway.

Hello,

From Florence Sm Novella take a regional train to Pisa centrale (2/3 trains per hour). Then in pisa take the bus called LAM Rossa (red) from the station to TORRE stop ( Piazza Manin), then 400 meters. Do the same on your way back.
From Pisa take a regional train to Lucca (27mins). Enjoy Lucca on foot 😊
Take a late train from Lucca to Firenze (80 mins).

Suggestion: do not climb the tower... it's an expensive trap ;-) Invest instead in a "Rosticciata" in Lucca if you love pork meat.

Ciao
Dario

Perfect! Grazie to both of you for your prompt, helpful responses. My day will be set!

My bus info was outdated, since I have only driven there more recently. The bus is now indeed called LAM ROSSA (RED)
However unless things have changed recently it doesn't take 45 min to walk from Pisa S.Rossore to Piazza Duomo (or vice versa). There is (or at least there used to be) an underpass under the tracks that puts you right near via Pisano and from there it's a 5 min walk. No need to go around on the overpass, unless the underpass was closed.

I climbed the tower twice (with two different family members) and I enjoyed the climb and the views.

Thanks, Linda, for sharing. The reviews I read on TripAdvisor also state it is worth the climb up, even though it is costly. I want to do it at least once in my lifetime. No point in going just to snap a picture and leave.

I also walked from San Rossore to the Campo. About ten minutes, not 45.

I was staying in Lucca and took a bus to Pisa on another trip. Plan to spend the bulk of your time, especially meal time, in Lucca. You might go there first and then go to Pisa, to see it in the late afternoon sunlight, which sometimes gives the marble a pinkish cast. The Cemetery (Camposanto) is worth a visit; frescoes include some that were destroyed during the war, and some that have been restored.

Since I just did this day-trip in October, I have some agreements and disagreements with information from other posters. I took an early morning train from Firenze SMN to Lucca (takes about an hour, costs less than 8 euro) arrived there around 8:30am to spend the day, then around 5pm did the quick train trip to Pisa San Rossore. As for the order of your trip, I definitely agree that spending most of your day in Lucca is the best idea. Go there first! It is a beautiful place for walking around with many things to see and do. So unless there's something that really draws you to the "city" part of Pisa, I'd skip it and concentrate on the Camp dei Miracoli. I disagree that it takes a lot of walking to get from San Rossore to the Campo. It's VERY close. The underground passageway is short, clean and safe and you'll emerge in a nice residential neighborhood about 5-6 minutes from the Campo. You'll know when you've arrived since the Campo entrance is filled with numerous vendor booths selling tacky knick-knacks. But once you go inside the Campo grounds you won't see them. The Torre is at the far end of the Campo, so maybe another 3 minutes to walk there. The Battistero is first, then the Duomo, then the Torre. I did not want to climb the Torre because I knew the lines would be terrible (they were) and because there are plenty of great 360 video views from the top on YouTube - definitely not worth my time and money to do it. If you just see it from the outside (nothing spectacular) it will only take a couple minutes to walk around it and take a few photos. My primary purpose for stopping in Pisa to visit the Campo was to see the magnificent, art-filled cathedral/Duomo. I hope you won't miss this! Be aware that it closes at 7 with last entry at 6:30. You will need a reservation for a timed entry (free ticket) but you must go to the ticket office to get this and you may have to wait until your assigned time (I had to way 30 minutes). There is a video about it at the ticket office. All the details of this is clearly described in Rick's Italy book. Especially check what he says about the open/close hours because this varies by season. When you're done, just do a quick backtrack to San Rossore station and you'll be back in Firenze in no time. Enjoy your trip!

Grazie mille, Susan, for taking the time to share the details. Your information will be so helpful.

Hello
I have stayed in Lucca several times and it is well worth your time, especially walking or biking the walls. When you do go to Pisa, as recommended, get off at San Rossore station, not Centrale. It is a quick walk to the campo di miracoli. But when you are there, definitely take time to visit the Campo Santi (the cemetery) next to the Duomo. It is really magnificent, especially when you read the story of how it was destroyed in WWII (the wooden roof caught fire) and the resilience of the Tuscan people to rebuild.

Very easy walk from San R stop to the tower. Have climbed the tower 2x. Our kids loved climbing this iconic landmark and we are glad we did it! Buon viaggio!

If anyone new is reading this and needs the same travel info, I have just returned from my trip. The easiest way to do this trip is: Train to Lucca from Florence, BUS from Lucca bus station stops right in front of the Field of Miracles at the Leaning Tower in Pisa. Then to return, take the bus (across the street from where it dropped you off) to the train station in Pisa to return by train to Florence. Leave plenty of time for Pisa to see the amazing Duomo, Baptistry, and Tower. We loved all of these amazing architectural wonders, and are glad we climbed the tower and took the cheesy pictures holding it up.