Car and Driver in Puglia

How many days are you inquiring about? That could be very expensive, so feel free to share where you want to go, as perhaps there are some places that would be simple with public transport. The area is more challenging without a car, but it’s not impossible.

Possibly 2 days to visit towns in the area.

Okay that should not break the bank, but without specifics I cannot say if there’s any alternative. Maybe try the search, as I’m sure someone has mentioned a driver in the past.

OK. Are there services like Uber in that region? If so what are they?

We used PlacesnPeople while staying in Lecce. https://placenpeople.com. Very please with the service and highly recommend.

In Italy the car-with-driver service is called NCC (means "Noleggio con conducente"). If you look for "NCC Bari" or using a difference city name you find several solution. An NCC (and taxy, but taxi is used mainly in cities because is more expensive) is the only legally authorized to do transport service in Italy. Uber exists, but to operate a driver must be a licensed NCC: so the only one is the so called UBER Black, but using that service means pay more than directly contact the driver.

Thank you this is so helpful! I’m also wondering if it is easier to go to a travel agency and ask them to arrange car/driver. If you have any leads for travel agencies in the Bari area please share. Thank you! 🙏🏽

Also, want to know your thoughts on renting a car and driving around these towns. Is this doable? roads are good and signs are in english? We are three people so can rent a small car. We are also worried about parking in these towns.

It would really help a lot if you would share where you want to go. Bari would be no picnic to drive in and out of repeatedly, but the vast majority of driving in the area is rural. Just lots of traffic circles!
Other than summer, parking should not be too much of a concern.

Roads are very good --- we've driven all over Puglia several times, including driving a 9 passenger van. One of the easiest places to drive in Italy. Signs are in Italian as far as I remember, but Google Maps will help, and you do need to study what the traffic signs mean. I wouldn't have chosen Bari as a base, but instead a smaller town that is quicker to get out of, but it is close to one of the airports. You can park outside the historic district of any of the towns and walk in quite easily. Some even have a big parking lot for the summer crowds. If you search this forum, you will find lots of advice about driving.

we are planning to use Bari as base and travel to the following towns - Matera, Grotto de Castellano, Alberobello and Polignano de mare. I believe Matera has good train connectivity and can be a full one day trip. The other towns we are hoping can be captured in one day. Is Lecce worth traveling two hours from Bari? Not sure...

No train to Matera, but there is a bus from Bari that takes less than 2 hours.

There is a train to Matera.

We took a taxi from Monopoli to Alberobello and it cost us €50! Yikes. So that is a benchmark to figure in traveling not bus or train.

Alberobello and Polignano are easy by train.

Yes, there is a train to Matera --- I was wrong! I thought there was only a train + bus option.

I believe you are partly right Nancy, as you have to take a bus from the Matera train station--if memory serves anyway!

Is it fair to divvy up the places like this for our three days in Bari?
Day 1 - matera all day trip
Day 2- Grotto de Castellano
Alberobello
Polignano de mare
Day 3 - bari

Yes, this itinerary would work. And based on this, you would only need a car for Day 2, assuming you train/bus to Matera on Day 1. Renting a car for the day would be much cheaper but hiring a driver for the day would give you more time (you’d get door to door service and you don’t have to spend time picking up and dropping off the rental car, finding parking, not worrying about accidentally driving into ZTLs, etc).