With my room booked for three nights in Torre del Lago, I decided to take a day trip to nearby Viareggio. Viareggio is another coastal town about a 15 minute bus ride from Torre del Lago. I purchased both my departure and return bus tickets at the Tabac (storefronts that usually only sell cigarettes and mints/candy and such…oh and bus tickets). Cost be 1.50 Euro each way. Bus drivers don’t handle money here and you can’t pay for it near the bus stop. The nearest Tabac to the bus stop was nearly 5 blocks away, glad I thought ahead. Once I entered the bus, I validated the ticket. If you are caught on a bus with an unvalidated ticket, you could be fined and asked to pay the fine on the spot.
The bus dropped me off at the main piazza in Viareggio, which was near the marina, so I decided to explore the marina area first. With a beautiful boardwalk and old school Art Deco hotels and storefronts, there was lots to see. The boardwalk brings you up close to a sculpture… a nearby plaque explains that it represents a family waiting for their fisherman father to return.
Marina in Viareggio
The pier
Relaxing on the rocks
‘Waiting for return of Father’ Statue
Market Square
Beach in Viareggio

Art Deco hotel
Art Deco storefronts on the boardwalk.
Artisanal gelato popsicles
Popsicle Poster