Day trip from Lucca to Florence by direct train

Outbound 1 h 44 minAbout 9.5 h for your visit in Florence
Costs for the dayabout €154.30 to €164.30 per person2 adults, recommended sights, with AI Tour Guide and foodWork out your costs ↓
Start the Florence tourSee the day plan
Florence

Florence from Lucca works well as a day trip, but it is a long day: you leave early, the direct regional train takes around an hour and a half each way, and the full walking tour fills almost every hour you have. Plan on about nine and a half hours in Florence, back in Lucca late in the evening.

Is a day trip from Lucca to Florence worth it?

Yes, if you have not seen Florence yet. The direct train runs from Lucca station into Santa Maria Novella, right on the edge of the historic centre, so there is no car, no parking garage and no restricted traffic zone to deal with. Florence gives you what Lucca cannot: Michelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia, the Uffizi, the Duomo and the Renaissance palaces on both sides of the Arno.

The price is the travel time and the pace. About three hours of the day go to the train alone, plus the walks to and from the station, and the city is busier and louder than Lucca. Leave early, book the Uffizi and the Accademia ahead, and keep the day to Florence alone; adding Pisa on the way back makes both places shallow.

If you already spent several days in Florence on this trip, a slow day inside Lucca's walls will give you more than a third pass through crowded squares.

Who this day trip suits

  • First-time visitors to Tuscany based in Lucca, who want Renaissance Florence without moving hotels
  • Art lovers, because the David and the Uffizi collections exist only here
  • Early risers, since the morning train is what makes the whole tour fit
  • Travellers who like contrast: a full day of Florence's grandeur, then back to Lucca's quiet evening
  • Walkers in good shape, as the tour alone covers close to ten kilometres

Go if Florence is new to you and you are happy to start early and walk all day; if you know Florence already or want an easy day, choose Pisa or stay in Lucca.

Other day trips from Lucca

How to get from Lucca to Florence by train

Take the direct Trenitalia regional train from Lucca to Firenze Santa Maria Novella: it runs all day, needs no change and drops you inside the historic centre. FlixBus also has a few early departures, but it stops at Villa Costanza on the outskirts, so the train is the simpler choice for a day trip.

Train: Trenitalia Regionale

Direct regional trains leave Lucca station roughly every half hour to hour on weekdays and Saturdays, with fewer services on Sundays. The ride takes about an hour and a quarter on the faster trains and up to an hour and three quarters on the slower ones, so check the running time when you pick a departure; the early train of the day plan is one of the slower ones and still gets you in by mid-morning. Buy at the station machines or online from Trenitalia; a paper ticket has to be validated at the platform machine before you board, a digital one is activated before departure. Choose direct trains only and skip routings that change in Pisa. The carriages fill with commuters in the morning and have little room for bags, so travel light.

Operator
Trenitalia Regionale
Route
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria Novella
Journey time
1 h 44 min
Morning departures
Monday to Saturday: 13 departures; Sunday: 9 departures
Travel fare
Outward €8.90; return €8.90 (€17.80 return total)

Tickets at Trenitalia ↗

Santa Maria Novella sits on the edge of the historic centre, so you walk from the station through the old town and over to the Arno to reach Ponte Vecchio, where the tour begins. Plan about 20 minutes for the walk.

Timetable

departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia07:4009:241 h 44 min
Show all departures (18)
departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Lucca → Florence (Villa Costanza)Tuesday · FlixBus05:0006:151 h 15 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia05:0506:381 h 33 min
Lucca → Florence (Villa Costanza)Monday to Tuesday · FlixBus05:2006:251 h 5 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia05:5707:361 h 39 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia06:3007:401 h 10 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia06:4808:071 h 19 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia06:5408:331 h 39 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia07:2708:521 h 25 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia07:4009:241 h 44 min
Lucca → Florence (Villa Costanza)Monday to Thursday · FlixBus07:4508:501 h 5 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia08:3109:521 h 21 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia09:3110:521 h 21 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia09:3911:241 h 45 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaSunday · Trenitalia10:3111:521 h 21 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia10:3211:521 h 20 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaSunday · Trenitalia10:3912:241 h 45 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia12:3113:521 h 21 min
Lucca → Firenze Santa Maria NovellaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia12:3914:241 h 45 min

Timetable: Trenitalia, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: FlixBus, as of 22 October 2026

departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia20:0921:291 h 20 min
Show all departures (19)
departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia12:0913:291 h 20 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia12:3714:231 h 46 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia13:0914:291 h 20 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia13:3715:231 h 46 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia14:0915:291 h 20 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia15:0916:291 h 20 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia15:3717:231 h 46 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia16:0917:291 h 20 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Friday · Trenitalia16:3718:231 h 46 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia17:0918:291 h 20 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia17:3719:231 h 46 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia18:0919:291 h 20 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia18:3720:231 h 46 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia19:0920:291 h 20 min
Florence (Villa Costanza) → LuccaMonday to Thursday · FlixBus19:1020:151 h 5 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia19:3721:231 h 46 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia20:0921:291 h 20 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia20:3821:491 h 11 min
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → LuccaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia21:0922:481 h 39 min

Timetable: Trenitalia, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: FlixBus, as of 22 October 2026

Lucca to Florence day trip itinerary: one full day

Day plan for: Tue–Wed, Fri–Sat

The day hinges on the early direct train: it lets you start the tour at Ponte Vecchio mid-morning and still reach Piazzale Michelangelo before an evening train home.

  1. Morning07:40 – 09:24

    Take the train around a quarter to eight from Lucca, arrive at Firenze Santa Maria Novella shortly before half past nine and walk through the centre to Ponte Vecchio.

    An earlier start is the single biggest gain of the day; the next direct trains arrive later and cut into the museum hours.

  2. Tour09:45 – 12:45

    Open the tour in the browser at Ponte Vecchio, around a quarter to ten. The AI Tour Guide greets you, tells you the story of the bridge, asks what you care about and leads you into Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens on the Oltrarno side, back over the river into Palazzo Strozzi and on into the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.

    Pitti and the Boboli Gardens take the freshest hours of the morning, and the tour order still leaves time to step inside Strozzi and Santa Maria Novella before lunch.

    1. Ponte Vecchio in Florence, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour1Ponte Vecchio
    2. Palazzo Pitti in Florence, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour2Palazzo Pitti
    3. Boboli Gardens in Florence, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour3Boboli Gardens
    4. Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour4Palazzo Strozzi
    5. Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour5Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

    Start the Florence tour

  3. Lunch12:45 – 13:45

    Lunch after the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and before the Mercato Centrale, in the streets between them rather than on a famous square.

    It falls at the midpoint of the walk, between the church and the market hall, and places a few streets away from the landmarks are better value.

  4. Afternoon13:45 – 19:00

    The guide picks up again at the Mercato Centrale, then the Galleria dell'Accademia, the Cathedral, where you step inside, Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, where you visit the museum, the Loggia dei Lanzi and the Uffizi from around a quarter to five. Santa Croce is seen from outside, and you reach Piazzale Michelangelo around a quarter past six. If you want to stay for evening vespers at San Miniato al Monte just above the Piazzale, switch to the later train home, which gives you about one extra hour.

    The ground-floor market stalls close in the afternoon, the Accademia and the Cathedral need their slots before the Uffizi, and the Santa Croce interior closes before you would reach it.

    1. Mercato Centrale in Florence, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour6Mercato Centrale
    2. Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour7Galleria dell'Accademia
    3. Florence Cathedral, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour8Florence Cathedral
    4. Piazza del Duomo in Florence, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour9Piazza del Duomo
    5. Piazza della Signoria in Florence, stop 10 on the self-guided walking tour10Piazza della Signoria
    6. Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, stop 11 on the self-guided walking tour11Palazzo Vecchio
    7. Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, stop 12 on the self-guided walking tour12Loggia dei Lanzi
    8. Uffizi Gallery in Florence, stop 13 on the self-guided walking tour13Uffizi Gallery
    9. Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, stop 14 on the self-guided walking tour14Basilica of Santa Croce
    10. Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, stop 15 on the self-guided walking tour15Piazzale Michelangelo
  5. Return19:00 – 21:29

    Leave Piazzale Michelangelo by seven and walk back down the hill and across the Arno to Santa Maria Novella. The direct train just after eight gets you to Lucca around half past nine.

    The walk back from the hill takes around 40 minutes, and the margin keeps a slow walk from costing you the train.

Arrival to return departure: 10 h 45 min. Time for your visit: about 9.5 h.

Arrival 09:24, tour start 09:45: 20 min to walk to the start, 1 min spare.

You get about nine and a half hours in Florence; if you arrive later than planned, keep the order and drop the end of the tour, Santa Croce and Piazzale Michelangelo, first.

Best day to visit Florence from Lucca

  1. Monday: better not
  2. Tuesday: recommended
  3. Wednesday: recommended
  4. Thursday: better not
  5. Friday: recommended
  6. Saturday: recommended
  7. Sunday: better not
  • Monday: The planned interior visits (Palazzo Pitti, Galleria dell'Accademia and Uffizi Gallery) do not fit the opening hours on this day.
  • Thursday: The planned interior visits (Palazzo Vecchio) do not fit the opening hours on this day.
  • Sunday: The planned interior visits (Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Mercato Centrale and Florence Cathedral) do not fit the opening hours on this day.

Florence walking tour in one day

The tour is how you see Florence on this day: from Ponte Vecchio across Oltrarno, back through the centre past the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria, and out to Piazzale Michelangelo, close to ten kilometres and a little over two hours of pure walking. The AI Tour Guide leads the way as a conversation, telling the stories of each place, answering when you interrupt and taking up what you said earlier.

The Florence tour: your guide leads you from stop to stop.
  1. Ponte Vecchio
  2. Palazzo Pitti
  3. Boboli Gardens
  4. Palazzo Strozzi
  5. Basilica of Santa Maria Novella
  6. Mercato Centrale
  7. Galleria dell'Accademia
  8. Florence Cathedral
  9. Piazza del Duomo
  10. Piazza della Signoria
  11. Palazzo Vecchio
  12. Loggia dei Lanzi
  13. Uffizi Gallery
  14. Basilica of Santa Croce
  15. Piazzale Michelangelo

Start the Florence tour

Opening hours as of 1 October 2026.

  1. Ponte Vecchio in Florence, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Stop 1

    Ponte Vecchio

    The medieval stone bridge over the Arno, lined with shops, is where Florence's story starts.

    Price
    Free
  2. Palazzo Pitti in Florence, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2Stop 2

    Palazzo Pitti

    A massive Renaissance palace in Oltrarno, a short walk from Ponte Vecchio, whose collections belong to the Uffizi museum group.

    Hours
    Mon: closed
    Tue–Sun: 08:15–18:30 (last admission 17:30)
    Price
    €16
  3. Boboli Gardens in Florence, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Stop 3

    Boboli Gardens

    The grand-ducal garden behind Palazzo Pitti climbs the hill and connects to the Forte di Belvedere, built to protect the ruling family.

    Hours
    Daily: 08:15–16:30 (last admission 15:30)
    Price
    €10
  4. Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Stop 4

    Palazzo Strozzi

    A Renaissance palace between Via Strozzi and Via Tornabuoni, now the city's stage for changing exhibitions.

    Hours
    Daily: 10:00–20:00
    Price
    €15
  5. Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Stop 5

    Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

    This Dominican church, begun in 1290 and finished almost two hundred years later, is counted as the most important Romanesque-Gothic church in Tuscany.

    Hours
    Mon–Thu: 09:00–17:30
    Fri: 11:00–17:30
    Sat: 09:00–17:00
    Sun: 13:00–17:00
    Website
    smn.it ↗
    Price
    €7.50
  6. Mercato Centrale in Florence, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6Stop 6

    Mercato Centrale

    The market hall has traditional stalls on the ground floor and a food hall upstairs, a good place to taste Florence between museums.

    Hours
    Mon–Fri: 09:00–15:00
    Sat: 09:00–17:00
    Sun: closed
    Price
    Free
  7. Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour
    7Stop 7

    Galleria dell'Accademia

    The Accademia is the art museum where you stand in front of Michelangelo's David.

    Hours
    Mon: closed
    Tue–Sun: 08:15–18:50
    Price
    €20
  8. Florence Cathedral, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour
    8Stop 8

    Florence Cathedral

    Santa Maria del Fiore is the symbol of the city, and today you step inside as well as taking in its marble facade and dome.

    Hours
    Mon–Sat: 10:15–15:45
    Sun: closed
    Price
    Free to enter the cathedral basilica itself (no ticket or reservation required)
  9. Piazza del Duomo in Florence, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour
    9Stop 9

    Piazza del Duomo

    The square around the Cathedral, Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery of San Giovanni is the heart of the old town.

    Price
    Free
  10. Piazza della Signoria in Florence, stop 10 on the self-guided walking tour
    10Stop 10

    Piazza della Signoria

    The L-shaped square in front of Palazzo Vecchio has been Florence's political stage for centuries.

    Price
    Free
  11. Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, stop 11 on the self-guided walking tour
    11Stop 11

    Palazzo Vecchio

    Florence's town hall still governs the city, with a copy of Michelangelo's David at its door.

    Hours
    Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun: 09:00–19:00
    Thu: 09:00–14:00
    Price
    €18
  12. Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, stop 12 on the self-guided walking tour
    12Stop 12

    Loggia dei Lanzi

    The open arcade on the corner of Piazza della Signoria works as a free sculpture gallery next to the Uffizi.

    Price
    Free
  13. Uffizi Gallery in Florence, stop 13 on the self-guided walking tour
    13Stop 13

    Uffizi Gallery

    The state museum along the river holds the core of the Florentine painting collections and links to the Vasari Corridor.

    Hours
    Mon: closed
    Tue–Sun: 08:15–18:30 (last admission 17:30)
    Price
    €25
  14. Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, stop 14 on the self-guided walking tour
    14Stop 14

    Basilica of Santa Croce

    The main Franciscan church of Florence, seen today from its wide square.

    Hours (optional interior visit)
    Mon–Sat: 09:30–17:30
    Sun: 14:00–17:30
    Price
    Optional entry · Basilica of Santa Croce: €10
  15. Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, stop 15 on the self-guided walking tour
    15Stop 15

    Piazzale Michelangelo

    The hilltop terrace in Oltrarno is perhaps the city's best-known viewpoint, the right place to end the day over the rooftops.

    Price
    Free
AI Tour Guide in Florence

Your guide for the Florence tour

The AI Tour Guide walks this route with you from Ponte Vecchio to Piazzale Michelangelo, telling you about the Medici at Palazzo Pitti or the politics of Piazza della Signoria and asking what you want to hear more of. It remembers whether you lean towards painting, architecture or food and shapes the next stops around it. You start it in the browser when you reach the bridge.

stops
15
route
9.8 km
walking only
2 h 17 min
with visits
7 h 32 min
  • 100 free credits to start
  • €19.99 once for the whole group
  • Travel and admission tickets are not included
Start the Florence tourSee the whole tour →

Lucca to Florence day trip cost

The train is a small part of this day; the museum tickets decide the total, because the plan includes seven paid entrances, from Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens through Palazzo Strozzi, Santa Maria Novella and the Accademia to the Palazzo Vecchio museum and the Uffizi. To save, keep the day to the Uffizi and the Accademia and see the palaces from outside; under 18s go free at the state museums.

Adults
Children

One device is enough for the whole group: two people listen on two connected headphones, larger groups use the phone speaker.

Cost breakdown

Costs for 2 adults · planned visits

Travel there and backTrenitalia Regionale2 adults × €17.80€35.60
SightsGalleria dell'Accademia, Palazzo Pitti, Boboli Gardens, Palazzo Strozzi, Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Palazzo Vecchio: Museum and Uffizi Gallery2 adults × €111.50€223
AI Tour Guide touronce for the whole group€19.99
Food (estimate)€15 to €25 per person€30 to €50
Total€308.59 to €328.59
Split between peopleabout €154.30 to €164.30 per person
Sights
  • €16
  • €10
  • €15
  • €7.50
  • €20
  • €18
  • €25
  • €10
Buffer and private guide

Lunch at the Mercato Centrale or in a side street costs noticeably less than on Ponte Vecchio or Piazza della Signoria.

Prices as of October 2026.

Getting back from Florence to Lucca

Direct trains back to Lucca leave Santa Maria Novella regularly into the evening, so you choose your departure rather than chase one. From Piazzale Michelangelo plan around 40 minutes on foot down the hill and across the Arno to the station, plus a quarter of an hour on the platform to find the train and validate a paper ticket.

If you fall behind, drop Santa Croce and the walk out to Piazzale Michelangelo and go straight to the station from the Uffizi. Should you miss the last sensible train, check the departure boards at Santa Maria Novella for the next connection to Lucca; there is no confirmed later direct train.

Recommended returnTrenitalia: departs 20:09, arrives 21:29Leave the last stop of the tour by 19:00

Latest return that fits the day: 21:09

  • Trenitalia from Firenze Santa Maria Novella, Sunday: departs 20:09, arrives 21:29
  • Trenitalia from Firenze Santa Maria Novella, Monday to Saturday: departs 21:09, arrives 22:48

Questions about the day trip from Lucca to Florence

Do I need to book the Uffizi and the Accademia in advance?

Yes. Without a timed ticket you can lose hours in the queue or not get in at all, and on a day trip that time is gone for good.

Is driving from Lucca to Florence a good idea?

Not for a day trip. The historic centre is a restricted traffic zone with heavy fines, the station garage charges by the hour with no day rate, and the motorway adds tolls without saving time over the train.

Can I combine Florence and Pisa in one day?

You can, but each place gets only a few rushed hours. Florence alone fills the day; Pisa works better as its own short trip from Lucca.

What should I wear and carry?

Comfortable shoes, since the tour covers close to ten kilometres and you will walk more around it, and a small bag, because regional trains have little space for luggage. Some cash helps at market stalls.

More day trips from Lucca

Pisa in a day 31 min

Sources

Timetables, fares and opening hours come from these operators:

Image credits
AI Tour Guide
Researched and curated by the AI Tour Guide team
Start the Florence tour Free, in your browser · 100 free credits