Eights day in Rome, then would like to head to Bari and surrounding area for a 2 day trip. I am from the U.S., but my Grandparents are from from Palo Del Calle, which seems to be quite close to Bari. Any suggestion on Hotels and possible day tours around the Bari area and Pal del Calle. I will take the train from Rome to Bari, but then I am stumped???? Thanks,
Pattie
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15809 posts
I woul: rent a car in rome and drive there.
Posted by
CA, USA
1227 posts
We were in the area two or three years ago. Great area to visit! You're probably not going to find a lot of organized tours. You're on your own. I recommend the Lonely Planet or Rough guide to Puglia. We spent five days in the area and never ran out of things to do. The whole Adriatic coast. The Gargano Peninsula. Since it sounds like you are reconnecting with your roots you might want to spend more than two days there. Once in the region, you will definitely want a car. And I strongly recommend bringing a GPS unit. I enjoy reading travel biographies. And in a number of them people with relatives from Italy have gone back to the village where their relatives came from. With grandparents, it is entirely possible there are still people living there that knew them before they left for the states (depending on how old you are, I suppose). So you might want to try and explore that possibility. Before you go, find out what days City Hall is open. You might be able to get copies of their birth certificates and things like that.
Posted by
Atlanta
5138 posts
Pattie, A day trip to Matera is (imo) a must see. Google it and see what you think.
TC
Posted by
Gaston, Oregon, USA
931 posts
Pattie, you have been given some excellent advice. If you don't drive down from Rome (4 1/2 to 5 hrs), you can alos look into flying down on one of the lo-cost inter EU ailines that you can find on Whichbudget.com. We drove down, and flew back from Brindisi; another option. Rent a car, and bring your GPS. We found the Lonely Planet guidebook to be extremely helpful. Use Trip Advisor.com to vett or find your lodging options. We spent two awesome weeks in the area, and never ran out of things to do and see. Spend more than two days! Maybe do some sleuthing around now, and see if you can make contacts in the village where your relatives were born? I would NOT place Bari on my list of places to stay. We loved the Sienna like town of Lecce, and seaside towns of Otranto, Trani, etc. The New York Times had an excellent article on the area a few years ago titled "The Heal is Rising": http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/travel/06Puglia.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0