Lucca is the honest slow day from Firenze. One hour 20 minutes by regional train, €7.80 each way, no changes. Renaissance walls to cycle around (4.2 km loop), small piazzas built inside a Roman amphitheatre outline, and a lunch culture that starts at 12:30 sharp. Better than Pisa if you have seen the tower on a previous trip, and better than Siena if you want a calmer day.
The day, roughly
Morning: walls by bike
Rent a bike at Cicli Bizzarri outside Porta San Pietro, 45 minutes for the full 4.2 km wall circuit at an easy pace. Verdict: the honest reason to make the day. Price band €4 to €6 an hour.
Lunch: Piazza dell’Anfiteatro
Skip the piazza-facing menus. Walk one street west to Trattoria da Leo for tordelli lucchesi and coniglio. Verdict: honest Lucchese cooking, no queue at 12:30. Price band €25 to €40 a head.
Afternoon: Torre Guinigi climb
The tower with holm oaks growing on the roof, 227 steps, best view in Lucca. Verdict: worth the climb for the Apuan Alps sightline. Price band €5.
Practical tips
- Regional trains run half-hourly from SMN. The 8:20 arrives Lucca before 10am, the 17:37 back to Firenze is the honest evening train.
- The Puccini birthplace museum (Casa Natale) is 15 minutes on foot from the station, €9. Worth the detour for opera fans.
- Combine with Pisa on a two-stop day: Pisa first (three hours), Lucca after lunch. Both are under 40 minutes apart by regional train.