Plane
If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.
Arrival day is on November 3, 2025
Meet the group at Hotel Ilaria in Lucca
Start of Trip: 2:00 p.m. Day 2 hotel check-in; 5:30 p.m. Orientation Walk & Welcome Reception in hotel meeting room followed by Welcome Dinner.
Getting to the site: Bus:
At the information desk in the airport arrivals terminal, you can get the most updated bus timetables and purchase your ticket. Buses to Lucca depart every hour from the airport terminal. The ride takes 50 minutes; the fare is about €6.
Train:
To take the train, a people mover (called the "Pisamover") shuttles back and forth from the airport to Pisa Centrale, the main train station in Pisa. Tickets for the Pisamover are €5 and for the train from Pisa to Lucca €4. Be sure to validate your train ticket in the time stamp machines on the train track.
When you arrive in Lucca by train or bus, you should take a taxi to the hotel (fare about €12), especially if you have luggage. Taxi fare direct from Pisa Airport to Lucca (20 miles) will be approximately €90.
Getting to the site by train or bus: Regular public bus service to Lucca from Florence, Pisa, and Pisa Airport. Train service from Lucca to Pisa and Florence. Tram service from Florence to Florence Airport. Check trenitalia.com and www.gestramvia.com for timetables.
Your trip ends on: Friday, November 14, 2025 in Florence at Hotel Berchielli
End of Trip: 11:00 a.m. after breakfast and hotel check-out.
Getting to the airport: Taxi:
To reach Florence Vespucci Airport, take a taxi. The city sets taxi fares at €28–32 per cab, depending on the time of day. Supplements may be added for luggage.
Tram:
If you opt for public transportation, you can walk from the hotel (15 minutes—0.6 mi) or take a taxi to the Piazza dell'Unità Italiana tram stop. Taxi fare runs between €7-10 with luggage.
In the Piazza dell'Unità Italiana, board the T2 tram (at the head of the line) and take to the terminal at Florence Airport (end of the line). The journey time is approximately 20 minutes. Trams depart starting at 5:00 a.m. with service until 12:30 a.m. (Sunday–Thursday and bank holidays) or 2:00 a.m. (Friday–Saturday).
Single tickets are €1.70 and available from any tram stop ticket vending machine. The ticket vending machines accept most debit and credit cards (Visa and MasterCard) and cash (bills and coins). Tickets must be validated upon boarding the bus. Single tickets are valid 90 minutes after validation and can be used on multiple vehicles.
Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Participants who have not purchased airfare through Road Scholar are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements to the first site at the beginning of the program, as well as from the last site at the end of the program. The Information Packet Road Scholar sends in advance of the program includes details needed to make your transfer arrangements. If you wish to purchase airfare through Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404.
Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.
