Shopping & Parking

Unlike Forte dei Marmi, Viareggio offers a broader range of everyday shopping, even if there’s plenty of designer shopping, too. For fun, browse Forte dei Marmi’s Wednesday market on Piazza Marconi for everything from mink coats to stylish bed-linen and swimwear, or top designer fashion to fakes. In summer there’s an additional Sunday market, held on the same square. If peckish while shopping, grab crunchy snacks of foccaccia or `pizza a taglio’ (pizza by the slice) from Da Valé, a popular bakery.


Address: Piazza Garibaldi 4, Forte dei Marmi
Tel: 0584 89361

For one-off bags and hand-crafted shoes, head to Volponi in Forte dei Marmi.
Address: Via Carducci 4, Forte dei Marmi 55042


Tel: 0584 8271
Web: www.maurovolponi.it

This Art Nouveau, retro-style perfumery doesn’t seek to dazzle with designer scents but with niche fragrances. The knowledgeable proprietor willingly weaves spells around the perfumes, recounting the history of their creation and matching the right perfume to the right client.
Address: Piazza Massimo d’Azeglio 62, 55049 Viareggio


Tel: 0584 45069
Web: www.walkirialaprofumeria.com

Viareggio provides easier parking options than do many Tuscan towns, except at peak periods. You might well find parking close to the main promenade but it tends to be paid parking (mostly running from 8am to 8pm). Alternatively, there are park-and-ride car parks (with free bus links) close to the sea and the main promenade.

Viareggio operates a popular park-and-ride scheme (known as parcheggi scambiatori/park-and-ride areas). These out-of-centre car parks allow anyone headed to the city centre to park and then take a free bus (or bike) onwards to the city centre. The buses run from early morning until around 9pm.

If you’re coming from the Via Aurelia, the nearest park-and-ride area is Largo Risorgimento. Terrazza della Repubblica is another park-and-ride scheme, and is handy if you’re coming from Lido di Camaiore or elsewhere on the Versilia coastline. Other car parks convenient for the centre include those on via Buonarroti and Stazione Vecchia. Both are linked by a free park-and-ride scheme to the centre.

For more on transport in Viareggio (and also Lucca Province in general), contact Mover: T: 0584 427021 and www.moverspa.it

Also see a parking map of Viareggio, which shows free car parks, cycle paths and bike-sharing spots: 

Getting there: If you’re coming from A12 motorway, leave at the Viareggio-Camaiore exit. Make your way onto the Aurelia SS1 road, following signs to
a convenient car park, such as Largo Risorgimento.

By car: From Viareggio it’s only a 14km drive (or cycle ride) to Forte dei Marmi. Pisa is around 23km south while Lucca is around 28km west and Florence is 110 km distant but a manageable drive for a day trip.

By train: Viareggio station is set on the western edge of the city. It’s on the Florence-Lucca line and reasonably well-connected.

By bike: At the main car parks, such as Largo Risorgimento, you can find free bikes, linked to a handy local bike-sharing scheme you can sign up to (via MO.VER, via Regia 4 - 55049 Viareggio, T: 0584-427021 & www.moverviareggio.it)

You can cycle to Forte dei Marmi, Marina di Pietrasanta and Lido di Camaiore. For details of cycling routes, check the Forte dei Marmi resort website and tourist office: (via Spinetti 14, 55042 Forte dei Marmi. T: 0584 28029 & www.comune.fortedeimarmi.lu.it)