My husband and I and our three children (12, 15, 23) are attending a family wedding in Lerici then heading to Lucca for a week (side trips to Pisa and Florence, maybe Sienna). I cannot decide if we should rent a car or get rail passes. We are flying in (arrive about noon) and out (depart about 1pm) of Milan. Any advice is appreciated.
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
For the side trips you list, a car is not needed and would be a hassle. Only rent a car if you want to go to the smaller towns in Tuscany.
You don't need rail passes. There are plenty of trains and its cheap and easy to buy your tickets at the train stations. Remember to validate them at the yellow boxes.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
Rosemary, your train runs between Lucca, Pisa, Florence and Siena are all on local R trains. No Eurostars here. These are very cheap fares. Lucca/Pisa is 2.40Euro. Lucca/Florence is 5Euro. Florence/Siena is 6.10Euro. All fares are one-way. You most likely will be on a Eurostar between Milan and ??.
A car is not a bad idea as long as you do not drive in Florence. Florence is one big restricted zone and they get you with cameras. Take the train into Florence. Pisa also has some restricted zones. But, 5 in a car could work. Just make sure it's large enough to hold 5 plus your luggage. Oh, and make sure you know how to drive a stick shift. Most rental cars in Italy are.