Lucca taxis or car service

We were in Lucca last month and used taxis twice. We dropped our rental car off late afternoon outside the wall (Europecar) the person inside called us a taxi and it arrived within 5 minutes to take us to our hotel inside the wall (~2-3 miles, but we had luggage so didn't want to walk). We also had our hotel call us a taxi mid morning to take us to the train station. Again, less than 5 minute wait.

I don't know the names of the taxi service(s) called but both times, taxis were called and responded immediately so I don't think you need to reserve a day ahead.

This is the taxi cooperative company of Lucca:
https://www.luccataxi.it/en/
You can use the app too (AppTaxi)

There's a taxi stand just outside the train station - relocated across the street in front of the bar while construction was ongoing - but there are realistically only a couple of cabs so you may need to wait if there are many people in line. The good news is the trips are short so you don't have to wait too long.

From inside the city we used the AppTaxi app to preschedule a pick-up headed out of town the next day. They will confirm with the appointment with the local company and get back to you. Worked exactly as advertised. You can also pay through the AppTaxi app if that's easier.

Outside of luggage unless you have mobility issues there's no reason to use a cab unless you're heading outside the walls for some distance. Everything inside and within a perimeter outside the walls - including the train station - is more easily and probably more quickly walked. Or biked - everyone in the area uses bikes for everything usually while on the phone and juggling bags of groceries.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Thanks! I’ve downloaded the app. We’re staying outside the walls about 10 minutes (drive), so seems to be making things a bit trickier in some ways. We’ll have a car, but I’d like to have it dropped off the day before we depart for Rome so we don’t have to deal with that in addition to check-out and trains. I think I’ve decided on fast train vs driving to outside of Rome, and it appears Pisa has the best options rather than Florence, as I was expecting. I’d like to buy those tickets in advance, but then worry about the timing for the Lucca-Pisa train and the time that will add… wondering about a taxi or car service to the Pisa station.

Lucca-Pisa by train takes about 30 min and 3.90€ per person. There is a train every 30 min. more or less.
A taxi will cost you at the very least 90€, but more likely in excess of 100€. Time of travel is similar to the train, depending on traffic.

and it appears Pisa has the best options rather than Florence

Are you sure? Lucca - Florence - Rome appears to have the shortest durations, and much greater frequency. I don't see any advantage trying to get to Pisa separately.

Which site or app should I be using? I’ve been looking at Italo and Trenitalia. I’ll check again.

Those are the two sites, but .Italo will only handle the Florence to Rome part and will depend on Trenitalia for the local Lucca to Florence or Pisa part of the trip.

Pisa has a train that runs directly to Rome more along the coastal route which is not a fast train and takes anywhere from 2:45 to 4 hours depending on how many stops it makes.

The fast trains from Florence to Rome take 1.5-1.75 hours and run many times an hour. The rest of the time would be the local time to get from Lucca (about 1:20 or so) or Pisa (about an hour) to Florence. You would change in Florence from the local to fast train.

Florence station is small for all the traffic it handles is always bustling. The bookstore there has good coffee, fresh juices, and good sandwiches and other snacks.

Hope that helps,
=Tod