If you are holding your wedding ceremony or reception inside the historic center of Lucca, you have probably already asked yourself about the parking situation. As most know, this part of Lucca is mostly only open to resident traffic, with just a few areas around the periphery that allow non-residents to enter and park. Here are a few hints to help you and your guests navigate the sometimes confusing world of parking in Lucca:

• There is no free non-resident parking inside the walls. Always assume that once in the walls, you must pay at the parking meter usually located within 100 meters of where you've parked. Get a ticket from the meter and place it inside your car, on the dashboard.
• Paid parking is indicated by blue lines. Do not park your car in the yellow lines, these spaces are reserved for residents.
• Lucca is divided up into zone A and B for traffic. Unless you are driving to your hotel to drop-off/ pick-up bags, do not enter either zone with your car. There will be a sign with a red circle and the words “zona pedonale”, when you see this sign, do not enter the street that is beyond it.
• There are video cameras perched in areas called "ZTL" (limited traffic zone). When you see the letters ZTL painted in white on the road, do not continue past this banner or a camera will snap a photo of your license plate and you will be issued a fine in the mail for each time you pass the ZTL zone. The only cars that can circulate in a ZTL zone are those in possession of a resident parking permit. If you are not a resident of Lucca or do not have your license registered with a hotel inside the walls, then do not enter this area with your car for any reason.
• Parking lots with a large capacity inside the walls are: Mazzini, Lorenzini, Cittadella and Piazza Santa Maria.
• To those who have made previous trips to Lucca, the lot in Piazza San Francesco has recently been reduced to just side street parking, so your chances of finding a spot are much lower now.
• If you park outside of the historical center by the walls, make sure you park in a marked space and not on the grass, or you run a good chance of getting a ticket.
• If you are unlucky enough to get a parking ticket, you can go to the post office on the intersection of via Valisisneri and via delle Trombe with the ticket and pay it there. See the letter icon on the map indicating where to find the largest post office inside the city.
• If you are really unlucky and they tow your car away, pretty rare but it can happen, then you'll need to call the municipal police (polizia municipale) at tel. 0583 44 2727. They'll tell you where to find your car or come and unblock it, if that is all that is necessary. You must pay the fine in full and have proof of payment before they will release your car back to you.

posted by gina, 2009-11-23