Hello all;
I'll be driving from Malpensa to Montecatini in a small Fiat and was planning to stop briefly in Lucca for sightseeing and dinner before heading to our hotel in Montecatini.
Any thoughts/suggestions as to the best way to (hopefully) ensure that our luggage (all of which may not be able to fit in the trunk of the car) will be safe during the several hours we're in Lucca? Secure (or at least attended) parking lot/garage or other temporary storage place?
Thanks very much.
Alex Vollmer
You could hope to find an area with an elderly pensioner in a ragged reflective vest (what Rick calls a "Bogus Traffic Warden") who might take 2 Euros to pretend to watch your car, along with the others under his "care". But it's not a slam-dunk. I would take the luggage to the hotel and return to Lucca, despite the backtracking. Does the Lucca rail station have baggage storage?
You could check to see if the train station has luggage storage for your larger bags. If not, the tourist office near the station has some availability for storage. Everything else should go in the trunk.
What did you rent? A Fiat 500?
If it's a Fiat 500L (the long version) or any othe model, like a Punto, you will be amazed at the spaciousness inside, especially the trunk area. Only the classic 500 and the Panda have limited trunk capacity.
Lucca is not Naples, nevertheless you should take with you at least the bag with the most valuable items (passports, money, electronic gadgets, etc.). Basically anything that you wouldn't feel comfortable checking in on the airplane. Everything else (apparel and stuff like that) is not only replaceable, but better and cheaper in Italy. Depending on where you plan to eat, you might also be able to park close enough to be able to see your car from the restaurant.
