Itinerary for 12-13 Days. Our 3rd trip but with newbies

Ps also going to use a private driver to Bari so that we may stop somewhere on the way to Borgo Engnazia

For what it's worth, Puglia is a great area with far more to see than just Bari (which I've read is nice but haven't visited). However, on this trip you don't have time for a comprehensive look at Puglia. You might have time for some of Alberobello (trulli!), Polignano a Mare, Martina Franca and Taranto.

Or you could spend a night in the very atmospheric Basilicata town of Matera. It seems a shame to have a car and be so close, yet not see at least Matera.

We won’t have a car but will hire drivers..Was thinking of a short stop on way to Borgo Egnazia and will take tours or drivers

Wasn’t sure how much there was to see so may add a night onto Puglia region. Ty for your advice

Oh, I misunderstood about the car. Matera is accessible by public transportation, but I'm not sure how quick it is.

If you want to consider other spots in Puglia, you can look at the destinations mentioned on the Lecce Tourist Office's website. It organizes van trips to some of the surrounding towns. Lecce itself is probably a bit too far from Bari for the time you have available, though it is a lovely Baroque city. I've linked to the "Excursions" page of the website. It's in Italian, but I think you can easily identify the towns visited on each tour, then check their Wikipedia pages and Google for photos Alberobello, etc. Purely from a visual perspective, I think Alberobello is a key sight in Puglia. You will not be the only tourists there, but there's a reason for that.

What time of year is your trip? Puglia is likely to be extremely hot in mid-summer.

Consider adding a day to Puglia. There are so many places to see. Alberobello is fairly close to Borgo Egnazia and a must-see; a few hours on a day trip would be fine, and a driver could also take you to other villages in the area.

I'd recommend an overnight in Matera, possibly on your way back to Rome. We stayed in a very luxurious cave hotel there called Locanda di San Martino, with a wonderful underground thermal spa.

We are going in Early September. It was recommended that I should spend more nights in Puglia so will increase it by one night but may have to skip Rome this trip unless can convince husband to stay an additional day.. ty soo much. Ps I wanted to go to Lecce but think it is too much this time

First, look at a map. Italy is about the size of California, north to south. You are about covering about the whole thing from Florence to Bari. You are going to spend a LOT of time on the Italian freeways. Would recommend either the area from Bari to Lece for the whole trip or Florence/Tuscany/Rome combo for your friends who have not been to Italy before. Southern Italy is fun, intense, and interesting but maybe not to folks who have not been there before. Good for a second or third trip (did it on my 4th to see where my family was from). Enjoy

Thanks for helping me out! I know this sounds ridiculous to those of you who know italy so well but I thought Florence and Tuscany were the same.. Need to rearrange our trip. Ty again k

Are you aware of the website Rome2rio.com? This easy-to-use site will quickly tell you distances (and transportation options) between any two points ... i.e. Rome to Borgo Egnazia, or Florence to Sorrento.

If Borgo Egnazia is a non-negotiable, you might try to start your trip by flying into Bari, then visiting Sorrento and ending in Rome. In this scenario, you would drop Florence.

Play around with various combinations until you find something workable.

Rome2Rio is great for identifying places that have no rail service, places that require multiple buses, etc. I've learned not to trust it for train and bus travel times, frequencies and fares. It nearly always provides a link to the appropriate rail or bus company. It's important to follow those links to find the actual schedule when you get to the point of making decisions. And be very careful about the day of the week and holidays.

Thank you!!! Rome2Rio is extremely helpful! Thank you

I'm so glad you're finding it helpful.

Acraven is right -- you don't want to count on Rome2rio for exact costs, bus info, etc. But I have found it invaluable when trying to visualize a group of places I want to visit and see where they are on the map, and how they fit together.

And by the way, my husband and I generally avoid renting cars in Europe, but we did get one for Puglia and found driving to be easy and stress-free. You might consider picking one up in Bari and using it for day trips from Borgo Egnazia. Many of the places you will want to see will be within an hour's drive. Matera is under 2 hours. Then return the car to Bari (or elsewhere) and continue on your trip.

Once you've settled on an itinerary, feel free to come back to this forum if you have specific questions in specific places.