We just spent one night in Bari to break up the train journey between Puglia and Bologna. I chose a place very close to the train station (just across the main piazza in front of the station) and we were very happy with the choice. The name is Il Pumo—-Apulian Rooms and you can find it on booking.com and maybe other platforms.
Although the area around train stations can often be a bit “gritty” this was not (although there were lots of cigarette butts on the sidewalk in the morning). The place has 4 very nice modern rooms on the 4th floor of a large building that has retail on the ground floor and offices and apartments above. There is no reception desk or anyone around to check you in—-it is all contactless. They give you a code to enter the building (if it is locked), another to enter the facility, and a third for your private room. They are readily available by text or WhasApp if you have questions or need anything.
The room itself was large, bright and modern, with a balcony overlooking Piazza Aldo Moro’s palm trees, and a nice big bathroom with a rain shower. They provide a Nespresso-type coffee machine, snacks, and a mini fridge with free water, but that is all. The bed is new and very comfortable. Indeed, the whole place is new—-I believe they just opened in 2022.
What we particularly liked was the proximity to the main pedestrian street into the town and the old town. It starts is a very nice park just 1/2 block down the street, and continues for 8-10:blocks to the oldtown. The wide sidewalk is lined with shops on both sides—from upscale like Prada, Gucci and Sephora to H & M and a low-end kitchen store named Kasanova. At some point you can turn right to reach the waterfront if you prefer to stroll there along the boats. We visited the Basilica S. Nicholas and wandered the oldtown in the afternoon, then walked to Castello Svevo, a fortress that was used by Frederick II of Swabia over a thousand years ago.
Overall we were pleasantly surprised by Bari, as I had not heard much about it. If you are heading to Puglia, or catching a ferry from Bari, it is well worth an overnight.