Just DIY Lucca from La Spezia ?

[dani negreanu]

We've been very lucky and visited Pisa, CT and Florence on many land trips.

 

This time we'd like to see just Lucca. I'm only finding a "combo" of either Pisa/Lucca or with Firenze.

 

How can we do it ourselves -- travel to Lucca, spend some 3-4 hours there and be back on time to port ?

 

I've researched private transfers. Sadly, they run to 450-500 Euro.

 

Thanks, Dani

[marazul]

31 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

We've been very lucky and visited Pisa, CT and Florence on many land trips.

 

This time we'd like to see just Lucca. I'm only finding a "combo" of either Pisa/Lucca or with Firenze.

 

How can we do it ourselves -- travel to Lucca, spend some 3-4 hours there and be back on time to port ?

 

I've researched private transfers. Sadly, they run to 450-500 Euro.

 

Thanks, Dani

You can go by train with a change in Viareggio. It takes a little over one hour. 

treitalia.com

[dani negreanu]

13 minutes ago, marazul said:

You can go by train with a change in Viareggio. It takes a little over one hour. 

treitalia.com

 

Thank you. So you suggest taking a taxi to the train station in La Spezia and travel from there? Are taxi drivers willing to do such a short trip??

 

My research shows that the old city of Lucca is walkable from the Lucca's train station.

 

[euro cruiser]

It's a little over a mile on foot from the cruise terminal in La Spezia to La Spezia Centrale.  I suspect you'd have a hard time finding a taxi willing to make that short run, but it's an easy walk.  There are also public buses if you'd prefer.

 

When you look at train times on Trenitalia be sure to look at total travel time.  Most take an hour and a quarter but there are one or two that take two hours, you want to avoid them.

 

It is quite easy to do this on your own.  As you've found, the train station in Lucca is just across the street from an entrance through the walls.

 

Lots of information here:  Home Page | Turismo Lucca

[marazul]

I imagine you can get a taxi or maybe there is a ship's shuttle.

It isn't a long walk.

BTW - I misspelled the website. It is

trenitalia.com

Edited June 26, 2023 by marazul

[dani negreanu]

38 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

It's a little over a mile on foot from the cruise terminal in La Spezia to La Spezia Centrale.  I suspect you'd have a hard time finding a taxi willing to make that short run, but it's an easy walk.  There are also public buses if you'd prefer.

 

Lots of information here:  Home Page | Turismo Lucca

 

Thanks, that's what I fear.....

I've looked at buses, but couldn't orientate myself where are the stations in report to the port, and then, at Lucca. The train seems a good option -- the one at 09.23, with a return at 14.30 😁

 

35 minutes ago, marazul said:

I imagine you can get a taxi or maybe there is a ship's shuttle. It isn't a long walk.

BTW - I misspelled the website. It is trenitalia.com

 

Thanks, I've googled it and it gave me the right site 😉

[marazul]

Search this board for others in your cruise line that have stopped at La Spezia.  See if they mention a shuttle to the station. Or post in your cruise line forum and ask the question.

Edited June 26, 2023 by marazul

[euro cruiser]

I meant a bus from the cruise terminal to La Spezia Centrale.  I haven't heard of cruise lines offering one, but who knows?  If there's a way for them to make money, they'll try it.

 

There are public buses from near the cruise terminal at Largo Michele Fiorillo (this is where the port bus will drop you off, as it's an industrial port you can't simply walk from the ship) to take you the 1.2 miles to La Spezia Centrale train station.

 

From the cruise terminal you'd walk to the Comune bus stop on Via Vittorio Veneto, and take either the #3, the S or the L bus, whichever comes first, to the train station.  You'd need to buy a bus ticket before getting on the bus, at a tobacco shop or newsstand is the typical place.  But honestly, you can probably walk faster than you can buy the ticket, wait for the bus and take the bus there.

[dani negreanu]

11 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

I meant a bus from the cruise terminal to La Spezia Centrale. 

 

From the cruise terminal you'd walk to the Comune bus stop on Via Vittorio Veneto, and take either the #3, the S or the L bus, whichever comes first, to the train station.  You'd need to buy a bus ticket before getting on the bus, at a tobacco shop or newsstand is the typical place.  But honestly, you can probably walk faster than you can buy the ticket, wait for the bus and take the bus there.

 

Thank you and @marazul for the useful advices.

 

I've tried searching the combo of LaSpezia+shuttle+train+station on Celebrity boards, and got "shuttle to the cruise terminal", public bus to the "train station" (be sure to buy tickets before boarding 😉) and walking time estimates between 20 and 25 mins....

 

I prefer to conserve "foot power" for meandering in Lucca, ideally will be a "willing" taxi to the train station....

 

It's a pity too that between 09.23 and 11.23 there are no "quick" trains to Lucca. The one at 10.23 would have been the best, allowing for the "unexpected" time of the shuttle, then walking or boarding a bus, and finally, buying a ticket. Sadly, the 10.23 and 11.23 arrive at the same time in Lucca.

 

2 additional questions, please --

 

1) Shall I buy a ticket train before hand?

 

2) Is the ticket "dated and timed", or I can decide to return, for example, earlier or later?

 

Thank you again, Dani

 

[marazul]

Here is the bus info:

https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Port-of-La-Spezia/La-Spezia-Centrale-Station#r/Bus

[euro cruiser]

There's no need to purchase train tickets in advance.  The only reason would be to get a discounted fare, but that's only available on Frecce (fast) trains, and usually these discounted tickets cannot be changed or refunded.  Tickets purchased at the station, whether from a machine or a ticket window, are the most flexible.

 

Regional tickets purchased at a station can be used up to four months after purchase, they only become "live" when they are validated in the machines on the train platform.

 

Regional tickets purchased on line automatically become valid at the time of the train, but they are good for four hours so you could take a later train, as long as it gets to the destination within the four hour window.