Hi All can you confirm it should not be necessary to buy a train ticket in advance to go from Florence to Lucca for the day. We will be taking the fast train in the morning from Rome to Florence and plan to drop bags at our hotel in Florence then head out to spend a day in Lucca. I’m not sure of our exact timing so hoping there are many trains running back and forth. We did this a few years back but I can’t remember if we purchased tickets ahead of time. Also do you think Pisa is also doable within the same day? My priority is to show my kids Lucca but open to suggestions. We should arrive in Florence by 10:30am or so and hotel is 5 minute walk from train station.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16168 posts
No need whatsoever to buy train tickets in advance. Regional trains are commuter trains just like NYC subways and seats are on a first come first served basis (meaning they cannot be reserved) so they don’t run out of seats. Don’t forget to validate (date stamp) the ticket before boarding.
Yes you can visit both cities in the same trip. Do Pisa last. Devote more time to Lucca. Pisa is a one trick pony. Once you’ve seen Piazza dei Miracoli with the Cathedral, Baptistery, Leaning bell tower, and maybe the Campo Santo (cemetery), you are done.
Posted by
Italy
3812 posts
You can purchase train tickets up to 15 minutes before the departure time, both online and at the station. The benefit of getting regional tickets online is that they don't need to be validated. The burden is... well, there is no burden if you click the buy button at the last minute. As long as your mobile phone works if conductors start checking tickets.
Posted by
62 posts
I thought it was a long walk from the train station in Pisa to the tower, we took a cab back to the station.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
3031 posts
The Trenitalia app for the smart phone is pretty handy. With it you can research and book tickets which are then sent to you electronically as an email attachment. Will need to show it to enter the platforms at the larger stations where access is controlled (SMN for example) as well as on the train if requested.
It's pretty intuitive and straightforward. We used it several times on our last trip a couple of years ago - finalized our bookings as we were walking out the door of our accommodation.
Posted by
Paris
7322 posts
Regarding the long walk from the station in Pisa to the tower and surrounding area: there are two stations in Pisa, San Rossore and Centrale. San Rossore is much closer to the tower, but Centrale gives you a chance to cross the rest of town as well.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16168 posts
If you go to Lucca and then to Lucca, the train Lucca-Pisa calls at Pisa San Rossore before proceeding to Pisa Centrale. Therefore buy a ticket from Lucca to Pisa San Rossore, get off at San Rossore and walk to the Leaning Tower. Faron Pisa San Rossore it’s only 5 min walk (vs 30 min walk from Pisa Centrale). After your visit you might consider going to Centrale to catch the train back to Florence. It’s a half hour walk so if you are not up to it, you can take a taxi or the city bus (LAM Rossa)