train from Livorno to Lucca July 26

Hi. Can anyone tell me if I'm doing something wrong. In looking at the train schedule it seems as if there is a train leaving at 8:12AM which can't be booked online for some reason. then there is a 9:30AM and nothing until 11:24AM. Is this correct? I was hoping to take a train at about 10AM.

For the return, there are also a number of trains where tix can't be purchased online. I really don't want to get tickets in advance but want to confirm that they are not sold out and approximately what the cost will be.

Thanks!

Regional train schedules are only fully shown on line for seven days, so just look at the same day of the week for this week and you'll see the schedule.

There is a big gap in the schedule, driven by a gap in the Pisa to Lucca segment. There are departures from Pisa at 9:50 and 10:20, then not again until 11:42.

To meet these trains you'd need to leave Livorno at 9:30 (for either of the two first connections) or 11:12.

There is a train from Livorno to Pisa at 10:01 (arriving at 10:18) but it's too tight of a connection for the 10:20 to Lucca.

Beware of time gaps! You want to get to the train station as early as possible. See the various Threads on this Forum for your options. (Should things not go as planned and there is a gap between your train times, you could visit Pisa for a while as you await the next train to Lucca, rather than wait at the Livorno or Pisa station). Being that the 26th is a Sunday, various public transportation options may be less than during the week.

Last summer I went to Pisa by train, intending to take the bus to Lucca. Tourist Info couldn't provide me the location of the bus stop or schedule and I never found it. I'll never trust a guide book again that haphazardly says "departures every X-amount of minutes" with only general locations! Because there are often gaps and exceptions & more than one place that could be considered "outside the field". Anyone have specifics on this bus?

Enjoy Italy!

There's also a bus from Pisa to Lucca but the timing doesn't really help you much (the E3): http://www.lucca.cttnord.it/Linee_e_Orari/Linee_Extraurbane/L/461

Ah, I didn't notice the date. Sunday will change things, be sure to check this Sunday's schedule. The bus does not run on Sundays.

thanks so much for the quick responses. I looked at the schedule for this coming sunday and it looks the same so we will plan accordingly and get out a bit earlier than I thought we would've. Prefer to skip Pisa since we were just there last year.

anyone know approximately how much this would be? would give more flexibility than train...

Just based on the distance (about 125 km each way) I suspect you're looking at between €150 - €200 each way. Keep in mind that the driver cannot pick up a fare for the return so you'd pay for that as well, so you might as well negotiate an entire day rate.

One other train option I didn't think of before would be to to to Viareggio and from there to Lucca. It's a little bit out of the way but you can use a Frecce train, so it's actually faster.

There's a Frecciabianca train from Livorno on Sunday morning at 9:30 that gets to Viareggio at 10:01. Then you'd connect to the 10:10 regional train to Lucca arriving at 10:27.

The connection is tight but the Frecce trains run on time so I'd be less concerned about missing the connection than I would be with other trains. Viareggio isn't a huge station, you'd be going from track 3 (arrival) to track 6 (departure) if everything runs to schedule.

Am planning to catch the train from Livorno to Lucca in August. Am I supposed to book before hand. I was just planning to turn up to the station and buy tickets on the day. Any help appreciated.

There's no need to book beforehand.

If you are taking the Frecce route through Viareggio you can save money by purchasing in advance. The Frecce trains have discounted fares if purchased in advance but the regionals do not.

The only benefit to purchasing a regional ticket on line ahead of time is avoiding the lines at the Livorno train station. Sometimes this is an issue, usually not. It's impossible to predict what you'll find, unfortunately.

freanesi,

If you are in another Italian train station prior to Livorno, you could also purchase your tickets there, as well. (The regionales aren't dated and you validate them prior to departure). I can think of a couple times having a ticket in hand would've saved me from waiting in line at Livorno and consequently waiting nearly an hour for the next train! As euro cruiser said, the lines are hard to predict with so many variables.

Happy Travels!

Thank you euro cruiser and syesmar for your answers. Not going near other train stations so will hope there is not much of a line up for tickets.