Traveling to Lucca with your dog: Pet-Friendly tips

Sep 16

4 min read

Lucca is one of Tuscany's most dog-friendly cities.

Its historic centre is car-free, flat, and built for walking, with the famous Walls offering miles of shaded, traffic-free space for dogs to roam on leash. To bring your dog to Italy, you will need a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, and either an EU Pet Passport (for EU residents) or a veterinary health certificate (for non-EU travelers).

Once in Lucca, small pets are welcome in most accommodations, including Casa Capolino, and dogs can travel on regional trains and walk freely through most of the historic centre.

If you're planning a Tuscany trip with your dog, Lucca is worth putting near the top of the list. Unlike hillier, harder-to-navigate towns, Lucca is flat, compact, and entirely walkable, which makes a real difference when you're managing a leash, a water bowl, and a map all at once.

Before you travel: entry requirements for Italy

Whether your dog needs an EU Pet Passport or a health certificate depends on where you're coming from.

Traveling from within the EU:

Your dog needs a microchip (implanted before any rabies vaccination)
A valid rabies vaccination, given at least 21 days before travel (for a first-time vaccination)
An EU Pet Passport, issued by an authorised vet, showing both

Traveling from outside the EU (UK, US, and others):

The same microchip and rabies vaccination rules apply
Instead of an EU Pet Passport, you'll need an official veterinary health certificate, typically issued no more than 10 days before entry
Some countries outside the EU's "listed" group may also require a rabies antibody titer test — check well in advance, since this can add weeks to your preparation timeline

Good to know: pet passports and health certificates are rarely checked when entering Italy by road, train, or ferry, but airlines and border officials can ask for them, so keep the originals with you at all times rather than packed away.

Getting to Lucca with your dog

By train: Small dogs that fit in a carrier (up to 70 x 30 x 50 cm) travel free on Trenitalia trains. Larger dogs can travel on a leash and muzzle for a small ticket fee (around €5, or €1 on Saturdays), though on regional trains — the type you'd use between Pisa and Lucca — large dogs typically ride in the aisle or the last carriage, and aren't permitted between 7–9 a.m. on weekdays.

By car: The most flexible option if you have a larger dog or a lot of luggage. Remember that Lucca's historic centre is a ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone), so you'll park just outside the walls and walk in — easy enough, since most parking areas are only a few minutes from the centre on foot.

By plane: Pisa Airport, about 30 minutes from Lucca, accepts pets in-cabin (small dogs) or as checked cargo (larger dogs), depending on the airline — check your carrier's specific pet policy and any advance booking requirements before flying.

Where to walk your dog in Lucca

The Walls (Le Mura): Lucca's biggest draw for dog owners. A flat, tree-lined, traffic-free path runs the full 4.2 km loop around the historic centre, making it one of the best places in Tuscany for a long, leashed walk right in the heart of a city.

Historic centre streets: Largely pedestrianised and calm, especially away from the busiest tourist routes like Via Fillungo.

Parco Fluviale and riverside paths: For longer walks outside the walls, with more open green space.

Piazza Napoleone and Piazza San Michele: Good for a rest stop, though keep dogs leashed in busier piazzas.

Practical Tips for Travelling with Dogs in Italy

Leash rules apply almost everywhere: Italian law requires dogs to be leashed in public spaces, with a muzzle on hand (though not necessarily worn) in some areas.
Water is easy to find: Many Italian towns, Lucca included, have public drinking fountains where dogs can drink comfortably.
Restaurants are often dog-friendly, especially at outdoor tables it's common practice, though always worth asking first.
Summer heat matters: Tuscan summers get hot, and the flat stone streets of the historic centre can heat up quickly; early morning or evening walks are more comfortable for dogs in July and August.

Staying at Casa Capolino with Your Dog

Casa Capolino welcomes small pets upon request, just let us know before booking so we can make the right arrangements for your stay. The apartment's location, two minutes from the city walls, means your dog is a short walk from Lucca's best walking loop every morning, and the quiet street it sits on keeps things calm for pets adjusting to a new place. The terrace is also a nice spot for your dog to settle while you enjoy a coffee with a view over the rooftops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my dog to Italy without a pet passport? If you're traveling from outside the EU, you don't need an EU Pet Passport, but you do need a veterinary health certificate along with proof of microchip and rabies vaccination. EU residents need an EU Pet Passport.

Is Lucca dog-friendly? Yes. Lucca's flat, largely car-free historic centre and the Renaissance Walls — a 4.2 km traffic-free path around the city — make it one of the more practical Tuscan towns for walking a dog.

Can dogs travel on Italian trains? Yes. Small dogs in an approved carrier travel free on Trenitalia trains. Larger dogs can travel on a leash and muzzle for a small fee, with some restrictions on regional trains during weekday morning rush hour.

Does Casa Capolino allow pets? Small pets are welcome at Casa Capolino upon request. Let us know before booking so we can prepare for your stay.