Lucca Comics and Games: The guide of Dovevado

One of the most important events in the world dedicated to comics, role playing, fantasy and videogames is the Lucca Comics and Games held every year in the City of Lucca.

Imagine thousands and thousands of people swarming outside, above and inside a vast Renaissance wall that encloses a small urban jewel, the city of Lucca, visited every year by tourists from all over the world.

But beware: this crowd is not at all “ordinary”, but rather made up of comic book and manga characters, superheroes, fantasy characters, wizards, witches, goblins, astronauts, monsters…

They are called cosplayers, they love to dress up in elaborate costumes and every year, between the end of October and the first days of November, they crowd the most eagerly awaited event for fans of comics and games: Lucca Comics and Games.

Of course, there are not only them, since the large exhibition-market, which practically involves the whole city of Lucca, is open to visitors of all types and ages, who flock to visit the pavilions, stands and exhibitions and to attend shows, debates and presentations. Follow us and we will take you with us to get to know the whole event!

How to survive Lucca Comics and Games

As regular Comics fans for over 20 years and local residents, we wanted to write our insider guide to give tips, tricks and places to visit during the event.

With Guida Galattica for Lucca Comics and Games, we wanted to answer all the most common questions so that the five days of Lucca C&G would not turn into a nightmare:

Lucca Comics how to get there

Lucca is located in the northern part of Tuscany, it is far from Florence (70 km) A11, from Genoa (170 km) A12/A11, from Bologna (160 km) A1/A11, from Milan (280 km) A1/A11 and from Rome (350 km) A1/A11.

You can reach Luccacomics by car, paying attention to the arrival times near the city both on the provincial roads and at the motorway exits. Even if the organization is very good 250 thousand people a bit of discomfort for the traffic creates it.

There are several companies that organize tours from over 150 Italian cities to Lucca with billiards that also include entrance to the event. Download the guide for more information.

Lucca is also well served by taxi service, both as a transfer from Pisa airport and from nearby villages. For info and costs please contact the useful numbers below: Radio Taxi Lucca – 02 5353

The train is another of the means that we suggest to reach Lucca Comics as the city is well connected, with the stations of Florence, Pisa and Viareggio and Trenitalia has upgraded the routes with over 160 extraordinary trains.

Lucca Comics and Games, where to park

On LC&G days the city’s road system is profoundly changed, some of the avenues are closed and we recommend arriving early in the morning so as not to get stuck in traffic and at the motorway exits.

Parking Lucca Comics

There are many parking spaces provided by the organization, but there are really a lot of cars. We advise you to book them in advance at a cost of 7 euros per day.

If you are staying in the villages near Lucca, a good idea is to ask the “natives” for alternative ways to reach the city.

Tickets for Lucca Comics and Games

Luccacomics ticket management is less simple than you might think.

There are different types of lucca comics and subscription tickets and the addition of specific tickets for each day has further complicated the situation. The Lucca Comics and Games Galactic Guide will try to unravel this skein, what tickets include, where to buy them, credit points and all those tricks to survive the ranks.

A fundamental thing to know is that tickets are NOT nominative so if you buy a multi-day pass, you can give it to a friend if you have any impediment.

There are reduced tickets, but they are reserved for holders of specific cards; from year to year these can change, so always keep an eye on the site! Children, contrary to what one might think, either enter for free if they are under 10 years old or pay full price, there are no half measures, but I recommend you to check the ticket section on the site every year, because change is always just around the corner.

The “Skip the Line” ticket is one of the most recommended tickets, as it allows you to receive directly at home both ticket (which will be unique) and bracelet corresponding to the chosen date or dates, making you avoid the Welcome Desk queue.

There are generally three main categories into which tickets are divided: day tickets, season tickets and groups in the guide you can see the differences. In the meantime, see the Comics tickets section sezione biglietti dei Comics 

Disabled or disabled people are entitled to a FREE ticket, regardless of the type and/or severity of the disability.

They will be able to enter all the areas reserved for the event free of charge, but they will still have to wear a ticket and bracelet every day of the fair. To collect the gift, they can go to all the ticket offices and to the various accreditation points, presenting their disability certificate. The accompanying person has the right to a reduced ticket. My advice is to go to the accreditation points, where the lines for tickets are much shorter than at the ticket offices. In any case, disabled and disabled people have the highest priority in all areas of Lucca Comics and Games: they have the right to skip any queue. In any case, they can contact a staff member who will guide them, accompany them or indicate the route.

LC&G, what to do in case of rain

One of the most frequently asked questions is: what if it rains?

Simple, what you do when it’s not raining, but with an umbrella!

That is, we do not panic, we do not go into hysteria but simply follow what others do. We’ll notice that many experienced visitors won’t even notice that it’s raining but they’ll use some tricks and in no time they’ll turn into the perfect LC&G visitor in case of rain! If you follow the guide’s advice, put the right things in your backpack, feel part of this great world and have no problem with the rain.

Let’s remember that in November in Lucca the rain doesn’t last forever and so visiting the pavilions indoors can be an excellent alternative for those moments when the sky decides to cry.

Unfortunately, when it rains the rows slow down, so be patient or decide to go and eat something, maybe rest your tired limbs.

In the section delicacies or street food we give a lot of good advice for these moments, the pastry shops and bars of Lucca are absolutely welcoming places.

Comics without a ticket: a possible world

The question most frequently asked by friends who have never been to LC&G (and who ask the call center [we have infiltrated it] more often is:

Can you enter the city of Lucca or do you need a ticket for the city as well?

I know the question seems strange, but you have to understand that not everyone is lucky enough to be a nerd and we are often accompanied by relatives, friends, partners who are not and who maybe don’t want to wait for hours while we try the brand new role-playing game or while drooling while admiring the various cosplays.

So those who accompany us can rest assured: the city is free to enter. The tickets, as we will explain later on, will only be used to enter the various dedicated pavilions.

The interesting thing is that if you do not want to enter the pavilions, the show is the same insured. You can breathe the air, you can wander around the city without a precise destination, simply looking around and wondering as when you were a child.

Because let’s face it, Lucca is transformed, it is full of stalls and banquets selling everything, street food, people dressed in strange clothes and completely unexpected things can happen in every corner of the city.

So if your parents or friends have decided to accompany you, tell them to stay calm, while you kill yourself in Call of Duty they can pleasantly stroll around the city, visit elegant and delicious cafes or visit museums and really beautiful places of interest that this city hides among its thousand narrow streets and described in our guide.

Where to eat in Lucca Comics and Games

Lucca Comics is a marathon and as in all marathons it is a great hunger. Don’t panic! We help you and Lucca boasts an ancient and excellent gastronomic tradition and very often cheap.

Although there are also starred restaurants, there is no shortage of street food. But especially during the days of LC&G all the “grocery stores” keep open and make spectacular sandwiches filled with salami, cheese and many Tuscan cold cuts ranging from 2 to 4 euros.

There is one street in particular that is full of small bars and grocery stores of various kinds starting from Piazza San Michele, Via Calderia.

Here you will easily find a place to sit and eat something for very little money. In addition to this street there are many others. My advice is to get lost in the smaller streets and you will see that at some point you will find yourself in front of a small shop that definitely sells something good!

In our guide we have included some of our choices for an insider meal.

When to eat

Here too there are little secrets to survive. The first and most important is EAT PRESTO. Try to go and eat when the others are still having their third hobbit breakfast, i.e. around 12 o’clock so you’ll be quiet and eat without being stormed.

The other solution is to eat late around 15/16 but in this case you risk not finding the restaurants or pizzerias in operation.

The secrets to survive at Lucca Comics and Games

The Unofficial Guide of Dovevado collects the tips and tricks of some excellent insiders to enjoy the Comics to the fullest.

Where to eat, where to sleep, how to secure a parking space, your backpack, tips on how to dress, in short, all you have to do is download the guide!