Lucca or San Gimignano

[sunandsnow]

Port of Livorno. We have already been to Florence, Pisa and Sienna. We are cruising in Jan. Thinking of going to Lucca by train or renting a car and going to San Gimignano and Volterra. DH has driven in Italy before (never wants to drive in Rome again though). Any thoughts on which would be better in Jan.? Any other suggestions?

[euro cruiser]

I think I would lean more toward Lucca because if it's cold, rainy, windy and/or snowy you'll still be comfortable there, while San Gimignano can be a slippery mess.

 

That said, I've been to San Gimignano on a day in mid-February when it was sunny and lovely, although a tad chilly.

[richfromhaw]

I'd vote for Lucca.

We did it recently by train ( after ship's shuttle then local bus) to train station.

Lucca was a gem.

Great sites, wonderful town to stroll, shop & take in the experience.

We had a wonderful lunch in a local tratorria & fond memories of our brief visit.

[paul929207]

We did a private tour to Lucca last month and loved it.

[nparmelee]

I prefer San Gimigiano of the two but would visit either again. They are very different. I love photography and just found more shots in San G.

[eclue]

Definitely Lucca..

It is so easy to take the train from Livorno. We rented bikes and rode around the walled city and through the city...great photo ops, wonerful atmosphere, good food.

Good memories from Lucca.

 

eclue:rolleyes:

[Cruise Junky]

I think you'd be fine with either. Lucca is far bigger though

[sunandsnow]

Thanks for all the feedback. CC is great for first-hand info.

[World Gallery]

We went back and forth on what to do. In the end, we choose Lucca because it was a 30 minute drive as opposed to a one hour and 30 minute drive. I am so glad we did this option. After touring in Rome and Naples the two days before (We did a lot of driving in these 2 ports), that much driving would have been too much. We had a very nice day and hired a local guide, Antonella - antonella@guidelucca.it

We did her 2 hour classic tour for 80 euro. We had 7 in our party.

[Hlitner]

Ok, gonna be a contrarian here regarding the OPs post. Having spent many weeks in this region of Tuscany we are quite familar with Lucca, San Gimignano, Volterra, etc. Lucca is a fine option, easy to access via the train (and you can even couple it with a visit to Pisa if you wish) and a fine destination. But if you are willing to rent a car (our favorite way of travel in Europe) then we think the drive to San Gimignano is well worth it and fun. We suggest using the back roads as much as possible since this will give you a great chance to see this part of Tuscany. Volterra is a fabulous place to visit and does pair well with the visit to San Gimignano. By the way, if you saw the movie Tea With Mussolini......many of the scenes were shot in San Gimignano. If you have some extra time you might also want to pay a quick visit to Colle di val d'Elsa...which is close to your route. When doing this driving route we would tend to drive directly to San Gimignano in the morning (using the autostrade) even thought you can hit a lot of traffic near Florence. After San G. we would then stick to all the smaller roads and gradually pick our way back to Livorno (stopping at Volterra and Colle di val d'Elsa). If you find yourself with lots of extra time you could even make a quick stop in Pisa (not our favorite place).....

 

Hank

[agabbymama]

Ok, gonna be a contrarian here regarding the OPs post. Having spent many weeks in this region of Tuscany we are quite familar with Lucca, San Gimignano, Volterra, etc. Lucca is a fine option, easy to access via the train (and you can even couple it with a visit to Pisa if you wish) and a fine destination. But if you are willing to rent a car (our favorite way of travel in Europe) then we think the drive to San Gimignano is well worth it and fun. We suggest using the back roads as much as possible since this will give you a great chance to see this part of Tuscany. Volterra is a fabulous place to visit and does pair well with the visit to San Gimignano. By the way, if you saw the movie Tea With Mussolini......many of the scenes were shot in San Gimignano. If you have some extra time you might also want to pay a quick visit to Colle di val d'Elsa...which is close to your route. When doing this driving route we would tend to drive directly to San Gimignano in the morning (using the autostrade) even thought you can hit a lot of traffic near Florence. After San G. we would then stick to all the smaller roads and gradually pick our way back to Livorno (stopping at Volterra and Colle di val d'Elsa). If you find yourself with lots of extra time you could even make a quick stop in Pisa (not our favorite place).....

 

Hank

 

DITTO, what he said!

[24butterfly]

We've been to Lucca.....Not really much to see or do there---quaint little town.

I'd go to San G......