Things To Do
City of Lucca
Lucca oozes with charm and is just a 10-minute drive from the venue and recommended hotels. It is completely surrounded by a city wall and is mostly pedestrianized, with entry through “Portas” along the wall.
Getting into Lucca center city and around the area
If you have a car, it’s about a 10-minute drive. See the parking section for where to park. Until about 7pm there is a public bus that runs to Lucca, stopping on the main road, just across from “La Perla” Pasticceria. Ask at your hotel for details of schedule and payment. Taxi—you can ask your hotel to call you a taxi. €20-30 each way. Taxis can be quite difficult to find in the evenings, but are usually available at the Lucca train station (just outside the city walls on the south side) and in some of the main piazzas inside the walls. This is the taxi cooperative company of Lucca: https://www.luccataxi.it/en/ You can use the app too (AppTaxi)
Lucca Parking (Parcheggio)
Most cars are prohibited from driving in the city center and violators are fined heavily. If you drive into Lucca, your best bet is to park in one of the public (pay) lots just outside the city walls. This is the closest and easiest lot to get to from the recommended hotels and venue. Take a ticket upon entry and pay when you return to your car. Credit cards accepted. Approx €1 per hour. Parcheggio Carducci Viale Giosuè Carducci, 187 55100 Lucca
Lucca City Wall—walk, run, or cycle
If you do nothing else in Lucca, let this be your “must do.” Lucca’s 16th century wall is completely in tact, with a tree-lined, paved pathway on top of the walls. The whole route is 4.2km with access in multiple places, so if you don’t want to walk the entire wall, one idea is to walk halfway and then wander through the city center on your way back. Bicycles are available to rent around the city also and you can take these on the wall.
Lucca City Center Things to Do
Saturday morning before the wedding you can lounge by the pool or take a jaunt into Lucca’s city center to walk on the wall, have lunch, or take in a few sites. *Climb Torre Guinigi (tower with trees growing on top!) https://cultura.comune.lucca.it/detail/5fa097aeb8b35668c39b5b1a *Eat or Drink on piazza in Dell’Anfiteatro (elliptical plaza built over Roman amphitheater) *Shopping, usually 9am-7pm (but most shops closed for lunch between 1-3 or 2-4!) *Loads of Churches. Notable: Duomo di Lucca *Wander around the city center and soak up the charm. Stop for a cappuccino or a glass of vino. *If you are going to miss the pool party, be sure to try the local food specialty “tordelli,” which can be found on almost all menus. *Market: (outside city walls) Saturday mornings from 8:00 am to 13:00 pm in Piazzale Don Baroni, near the river park, which can be reached by exiting Porta Santa Maria and walking along sidewalk.
Extend your Italian adventure
Lucca is within easy striking distance of several other top Tuscan destinations: *Pisa (30min by car, or direct train) Really not much here besides the Leaning Tower. Suggest doing this in conjunction with arrival or departure from Pisa Airport. Allow 2 hrs. *Florence 1h15min by car, or direct train *Siena 1h45m by car *Cinqueterre 1h15m by car *Mediterranean Sea—nearby beaches (40 min) include Marina di Pisa and Terrenia, both of which are part of San Rossore Natural Park