We have spent a fair amount of time in mid Italy , Rome, tuscany cinqu terre, Venice and have always used public transportation but are planning a trip to the southern area from Bari, Lecce, Gallipoli area and heading over towards Tropea possibly. We would like to rent a car for this but I’m concerned with how hard it may be to find a place to park, will we be able to recognize where it IS ok to park and are we going to get caught in any crazy traffic? After witnessing the traffic in Rome and around Florence and Venice we just really don’t want to run into anything like that. We don’t have our exact route set in stone right now because we are struggling with the car rental decision. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Posted by
CA, USA
1253 posts
You won't have a problem finding parking, just don't expect it to be in the heart of the old town. I was in several of those towns last month and used trains/buses which is less convenient than having a car. With two people in the car, one driving and one navigating, it will be easy to get around. In Gallipoli, for example, the old town is actually an island without a lot of parking but the train station is across the bridge and there were plenty of spaces along the curb on streets while walking towards the old town. Lecci is a larger town for the region, plenty of parking around. A few years ago we visited Bari with a car and parked along the waterfront promenade maybe 1/2 mile from the old town.
Be sure to understand the ZTL restrictions and what the signs look like. But as for crazy congested, this is rural Italy and won't be bad except in the actual heart of the old towns and you should have parked before getting there anyway.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16133 posts
There is parking in every Italian city, northern or southern.
No Parking and No Stopping Sign
Posted by
Saint Paul, Minnesota
1592 posts
We've only been to Puglia (and to Matera, if you're going there) in the off-seasons, but we've never had a speck of trouble either driving or parking, even on the trip for which we had a 9-passenger van. If you are going during beach season, it will be a lot busier. We've rented cars in Foggia near the train station and at the Brindisi airport, also returned rental cars to the Naples and Bari airports with no problems.
A good human navigator (that's me) using Google Maps is often more helpful than a GPS system, be aware that you might have to go into a nearby bar or shop to find out how to pay for parking, and do not be discouraged by the outskirts of many of the towns and just keep going until you are right outside the old center of the town.
Posted by
North Italy
395 posts
Don't worry. Puglia, and Basilicata are between normal (east coast road), easy (most roads), spectacular and empty (inland) for driving. Here's some more info: https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2023/07/driving-in-puglia.html
Posted by
seattle
2144 posts
We were in southern Italy last year and only found Bari crazy for parking. We saw many double and triple parked cars. But I’m sure there are pay parking lots.we stayed in Lece for about a week and chose a hotel with a lot.
Posted by
OP
Kennewick, Wa
63 posts
Is paying for parking generally done with coins and machines? I’m assuming most places are pay to park?
Posted by
Abruzzo Mountains
1089 posts
There are lots of pay lots with varying ways to pay, often take a ticket and pay on the way out or at a pay station before returning to car. It will be well signed. Street parking is sometimes pay, sometimes free. Check the color of the lines on the ground where you want to park. White lines = free parking. Blue lines = pay parking. Yellow lines = don't even think about parking here. Pink lines = only if you are pregnant or have children in strollers. Pay parking is usually done at a blue pay kiosk on the sidewalk. They usually take cash or cards, and often use a pay parking app you can download such as EasyPark. Occasionally, parking is free but time-limited and you have to put a little blue clock sign on your dash showing the time you arrived. The clock signs are often supplied by the car rental companies, but if not, they are for sale at any tabaccheria or household store for one Euro. In my experience, parking costs are far lower than in the U.S. or Canada.
When you get your International Driver's Permit (IDP) at AAA, they will give you a small brochure with common road signs. Be very sure you understand the ZTL "don't drive here unless you have a resident permit" signs. Other signs are fairly similar to the U.S. or Canada. And do try to park legally - they do ticket, and rarely tow but it would be a pain to chase down your car at a foreign impound lot.
I agree with previous posters that the only place on your list to be concerned about traffic is in or around Bari. I found the roads there to be in bad shape too.