We are going to London in about two weeks, for a week then on to Lecce Italy for two months
First do you know any different places in London that in not in tour book ,been before so want something new. We will be staying in Abingdon outside of London about a hour bus ride.
Then has anyone been to Lecce Italy never been so anything would be good ,How far is the beach?
Hope someone can help.
Laura
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
From Lecce (southern part of Puglia) you can get to the Adriatic beaches or to the Gulf of Taranto. You will not run out of beaches! There are several towns nearby that are interesting, including Otranto, even further south. Michelin, Blue Guide or Lonely Planet will have lots of information. Great regional food, too.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
You should ask your London questions in the England section of the Travel Forum:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1776 posts
The beach closest to Lecce is about 15 km. distant. - The point is that the beach season is from June to September, if you are going in February and March it will be too cold. The average high temperature for March is 16 °C.
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2197 posts
Laura, was there a reason you chose Lecce for a 2 month stay? Jobs, school, relatives???
We were there for a week a few years ago, and did not find it to be a tourist-friendly place. Since you will be there for two months you will likely be renting an apartment, but still, be aware that the entire town closes down daily from about 1 pm til 5 or 6 pm. Nothing is open ... no restaurants, shops, offices, nothing. It turns into a ghost town. And restaurants do not re-open until 8 pm, not even for a sandwich or a pizza.
We had to make plans to get OUT of Lecce every day in order to have something to do or see! We did not have a car, so we had some interesting experiences with buses and trains to Otranto (which will be dead and dreary out of season) and Gallipoli (which we really liked). We had a great wine-tasting tour with a company called Experience Path.
If I had two months for Italy beginning in late January, I would instead spend it in Sicily.