Planning our 25th wedding anniversary and would like to spend it in the Gargano region. We have a place to stay and I can do some family research. What is the best way to get there without spending our whole budget on flying? Flying from the US to into Bari keeps getting too expensive and that leaves either Rome or Milan depending on what is available. Any suggestions? The trip would be at the end of May.
Posted by
Asnieres sur Vegre, France
127 posts
Where does you plane land on arrival? We had a car while there and were happy that we did. It is a beautiful and interesting area and with a car you can see much more than having to depend on bus or other transportation schedules. Driving in Italy is not the chore that some indicate and we have always been glad that we have had a car when out in the countryside so that we could travel from town to town with ease and were able to stop at places which we wanted to explore.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15250 posts
If flying to BRI, with presumably Alitalia, is prohibitively expensive, you should consider renting a car in Rome and drive there. It's more than 5 hours' drive however, therefore you may want to avoid driving there the day you arrive and you are jet lagged. Another option is to take a train from Rome to Bari, then the next day, after a good night sleep, rent a car and drive to the Gargano peninsula.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16894 posts
Milan would add several hours and over $100 per person in train tickets. It is worth a little more to fly closer to your destination. Prices could still be up and down this fall for May travel. I'm no airfare expert, but think you could keep watching the airfares. See also recent airfare advice in this forum.
Posted by
San Jose, CA
1994 posts
I took the train from Rome to that area, and I enjoyed the ride. It was winter, but it was a very pretty trip with no transfers.