Getting to Bagni di Lucca…reposted without pictures from an amazing Blog writer Debra…www.bellabagnidilucca.com. I have added my comments in ( ) ! I know this will be helpful or our guests this summer!
Posted on April 27, 2013
The most likely way for you to arrive in Bagni di Lucca is to drive. No doubt you will be armed with maps and a sat-nav.
Be sure to know the name of the village you are looking for. Bagni di Lucca usually refers to La Villa, the administrative centre. Along with Fornoli and Ponte a Serraglio, La Villa is situated beside the Lima River. All other villages are scattered on the mountains on either side of the river.
The most likely way for you is to drive. It will take about 30 minutes to drive from Lucca to Bagni di Lucca.
After leaving the A11 or the A12 Autostrada you will go through the Alt Stazione and find yourself in Viale Europa. As you come over a small rise you will see the wall surrounding Lucca…and a roundabout.
You can go either way at the roundabout and follow the wall around the town.
If you go left you will drive through a beautiful tunnel formed by the huge trees lining the street.
Follow the signs towards Abetone and Bagni di Lucca.
You will come to a distinctive roundabout with 4 poles.
Turn here for the Strada Statale 12 (SS12) dell’Abetone e del Brennero, which will take you to Bagni di Lucca.
After a couple of kilometres you will leave the town behind and the scenery will change and you will see our mountains.
You will come to a roundabout, follow the signs for Abetone. (your map quest will tell you to take the third “exit”, there are really no exits, but it means third turn off the roundabout)
You will go though a series of tunnels.
Soon you will come to a fork in the road. Take the road to the left towards Bagni/Abetone.
Don’t panic if you are in the wrong lane and take to road to the right. It will take you to Borgo a Mozzano and you will find signs there to take back to the SS12.
You will soon come to the stunning Ponte della Madelena. It should be on your left. ( Also known as the Devil’s Bridge)
A few kilometres from here you will arrive in Bagni di Lucca. You can turn left at this sign to go to Fornoli and on to Ponte a Serraglio and La Villa.
Or go straight ahead until you come to these signs, where if you turn left, you will have arrived at Ponte a Serraglio. (where my favorite Bar Italia is located)
Cross the bridge and you will be in the piazza of Ponte a Serraglio. Turn right at the end of the bridge and La Villa is approximately 1 kilometre further on. (La Villa houses Conad grocery, several good places to eat, a gas station, etc. More information about Bagni in the apartment).
(Not ready to stop in Bagni yet…just continue on a few more miles up SS12 till you see the right turn off taking you up the mountain to Crasciana.)
It is also possible to arrive in Bagni di Lucca by Lazzi bus from Lucca. Here is Piazzale Verdi where the bus station is. The bus trip will be about 40 – 50 minutes.
There is a ticket office on the corner where you can buy a ticket and ask where is the bus stop. Don’t forget to validate your ticket when you enter the bus. There are often inspectors on the bus and you may be fined if your ticket has not been validated. Ask the driver to let you off in Bagni di Lucca.
There is also a train from Lucca to Bagni di Lucca. Here is the train station in Lucca.
Bagni di Lucca is not the final destination of the train. Look for a train going to Piazza al Serchio or Aulla. It will take about 25 minutes to get from Lucca to Bagni di Lucca. Bagni di Lucca is the stop after Borgo a Mozzano. Once again, your ticket must be validated before you enter the train.
At the front of the station, near the covered bus seat, you can catch a bus to Fornoli, Ponte a Serraglio and La Villa.
The buses do not coordinate very well with the trains…don’t ask me why.
For this reason I think it is better to arrive in Bagni di Lucca by bus, rather than train. There is no footpath most of the way from Fornoli station to Ponte a Serraglio and the approximately 1 kilometre walk can be a bit dangerous.
(Thank you Debra for the directions…I hope everyone will go to her blog and see the great pictures she has provided!!)
