Drive from Rome to Alberobello - thoughts?

Where does your flight originate? Drive almost 500 km immediately after getting off a transatlantic flight? That is SO not a good idea. Jet lag can make driving dangerous.

If you can't find an earlier flight, then why not just take a train? Leonardo Express to Rome Termini. Then change to the train to Bari. Relax, enjoy the scenery, forget about toll roads and getting gas, maybe even take a nap.

Do you arrive at FCO from overseas? If that's the case, then the drive to Alberobello is too long to be safe, because you will probably be very tired.
Could you cancel the Ryanair flight because of the schedule change, and fly to Brindisi instead, renting a car there? Distance to Alberobello is about the same.
Or take the train to Fasano (via Roma Termini and Bari Centrale) and have your friends pick you up there.

I never thought of flying to Brindisi!! See that's why I posted here for help. There is a flight on ITA at 1:20 arriving at 2:30. Going to see if our traveling couple can change their ITA flight to Brindisi from Bari. Fingers crossed they don't cancel these flights!!

You are making your trip the first day exhausting and complicated. If all four of you are arriving FCO within and hour of each other, I would suggest the following.

All arrive at FCO. Relax, take your time and take the Express train into Rome Termini Station. Grab some lunch, take the 1:00pm or 3:00pm train to Bari. No train changes. Having all four of you together will make the train ride a lot of fun. Stay out of a car and IMO don't take another flight the same day. Too much of a gamble with airlines these days.

Tell your friends you will all stay in Bari the first day/night. Next day, rent a car and move on to Alberobello.

Enjoy.

The problem with staying in Bari and/or Rome the first night is that we don't have as much time in Puglia and we are visiting Rome later in the trip. I want to get to Puglia to begin our trip. We all feel the same way -- want to get to Puglia on day 1. We have a gorgeous place to stay in Alberobello and Polignano a Mare....don't want to just book an overnight in Bari.

They are already flying ITA to Bari - but ITA offers free changes. So, they are changing to a 1:20-2:20 and we booked the same flight. We'll rent our car in Brindisi instead of Bari. We'll just eat the $150 we lose on the Ryanair Flight. We are saving over $200 by renting our car in Brindisi - so it's a wash.

Back up plan if something happens to this ITA flight - we will take a train arriving after 5:00 pm if necessary.

Thank you for all your suggestions, it really helped!! Fingers crossed they don't drop this flight!

Ryanair is notoriously hard to file claims against, but that time change does entitle you to a refund, as their T&Cs say :

You will be entitled to a full refund of all amounts you have paid to us in connection with that flight, if:

we change the scheduled departure time by at least 5 hours;
this is unacceptable to you; and
we cannot book you on an alternative flight which is acceptable to you.

It has to be 5 hours, though. If they only moved it by 4 hours and 55 minutes, you are out of luck.

arriving after 5:00 pm if necessary.

You would arrive at 16:10. Italotreno train #9915 to Bari departs from Roma Tiburtina at 11:12 and calls at Roma Termini at 11:45.

Walk-up fare € 54.90 per person. You could Use the free wi-fi at FCO and buy 2 Italo's tickets after you have retrieved your luggage.

Alberobello, never heard of it, and I have been all over Italy.

Tell us why you are going there.

Jennifer do you mind sharing the hotels you are staying at? I'm planning 4 nights in Puglia in September.

@geovagriffith, Alberobello is one of the main tourist destinations in Apulia, famous for typical stone huts known as "trulli".

Google photos Alberobello.

Hotels:
I'll give you 3 places in Alberobello -
We've stayed here in the past: Grandi Trulli Bed and Breakfast (booking.com)
We're staying here this time: Romantic Trulli (booking.com)
This is a bit outside of the tourist zone and parking is onsite - but they didn't have availability for our dates:
Resort La Corte Dell'Astore - Wild in Style Resort (booking.com)

Polignano a Mare: we're at an AirBnb

Matera (my favorite!): Palazzo degli Abati but I also loved: Thymus Residence nei Sassi

@geovagriffith
I can't say enough about the entire Adriatic side of Italy. I don't know why Rick Steves has not done a book or video on it. But, I'm kind of glad he hasn't, because much of it is not too touristy. Some of it is, like Alberobello, but I feel places are touristy for a reason....there's something cool to see! So, it doesn't bother me.

Alberobello has these cool homes called Trulli. The Trulli are all over this area, not just in Alberobello.
Matera (if you haven't been there) is one of my favorite cities in Italy (and I've been all over Italy as well).

The beaches and coastline are IMO more beautiful than the Amalfi Coast - certainly more accessible and more driveable. We just love the area.