Puglia, Alberobello and Matera

There are a lot of recent posts for this area. We are going in a few weeks and actually staying 3 nights each in Ostuni, Monopoli, Matera and Alberobello. For the Alberobello area, we would have stayed in Locotrondo if we could have found a room. Alberobello and Matera are quite busy. In cities like that, I actually like to overnight so that I can enjoy the cities when day trippers are gone. If you do really want to stay in one place I'd make a rough map and calculate the time between cities of interest. Also, you didn't say if you will have a car or rely on public transportation. Off the top of my head, you may want to look at Ostuni as a base, but I'd strongly encourage doing the rough map.

Preferred form of transport?
Arrival and departure points?
Time of year?

Assuming you will be in Bari at some point while visiting Puglia— Matera is a one hour bus ride from Bari ( or a 35-minute drive). Monopoli makes for a good seaside town to base yourselves in because it’s just a 50-minute bus ride from Bari ( or a 35-minute drive) and a one-hour bus ride from Alberobello ( or a 20-minute drive).
Keep in mind Matera is not in the region of Puglia but in the region of Basilicata.

2 years ago we spent a week in area you are interested in visiting. We spent 2 nights in Matera - well worth spending the time there. Two nights in Alberobello, 1 night would have been enough, but super fun staying in a Trulli! And then 2 nights in Lecce - a beautiful and interesting town. We spent a day in Polignano a Mare and enjoyed a boat ride there very much. We traveled by bus and train, so it would have been hard to have a base city.

i was there for the month of November 2024 but your question is too vague for me to answer.

I have been to Puglia and Matera twice in the past 2 years, both in the Spring. I would strongly suggest a car. Alborobello is very touristy, for me visiting as a side trip is plenty. I have stayed in a great Airbnb in Martina Franca both times. Many places to see within an hour or less, if you like to explore the historic areas of small-medium size villages, such as Locorotondo. I did a side trip to Polignano a Mari, beautiful views of the sea but also very touristy. Lecce is a beautiful city, I did by train from Brindisi, also where I flew into and rented a car. Lecce is easily done in 3-4 hours on foot. I just walked to the historic center from the train station. If you have a car and like beautiful drives I suggest driving the coastal road beginning north of Otranto, with a stop in Otranto, browse all the back alleys along with the famous skull chapel. From there drive the spectacular coast line to the very tip of the heel. I stayed one night in Castro in a fabulous place on a cliffside overlooking the Adriatic with the best homemade breakfast in 20 years of European travel, for $60. The drive to the tip has incredibly beautiful water and the road is adjacent to the sea for about 2 hours. I also enjoyed walking the streets and browsing the ceramic galleries of Gallipoli, about an hour SW of Martina Franca or on your way back from the tip. Now to Matera, which is in Basilica, not Puglia. Few places have I visited that have the WOW factor of Matera. I have not stayed there, but have visited on two occasions. It is an amazing place. This past year I walked through the maze of streets/walkways from the opposite end of the main Belvedere to the Belvedere area of this cavernous maze of tumbling blocks/dwelling spaces. It took around 2 hours, as most of the time I couldn’t really see a path I just meandered. When I first laid eyes on Matera I thought in my mind that this is what I imagined Jerusalem looked like in ancient times. It is much easier to get around Puglia with a car. I opted to pay a little more for an automatic this last year, just a lot less headache with the steep climb and switchbacks into the hilltop towns.

Correction to my above post, the ceramic town is Grottagali, not Gallipoli. However, Gallipoli is interesting also, as its historic center is an island connected to sprawling modern city.

We stayed in Matera for 2 nights in one of the caves. Loved it. We did not have a car, so be aware that the bus will drop you off in the main city and you have to take a taxi in.
Next, we stayed in Bari 3 nights (which we loved!), and took the bus to Alberobello. You get dropped off at the station and have to figure out where to go yourself. Going back was a nightmare, tons of tourists and the busses kept filling up quickly. Took us 3 tries to get back.
I would definitely recommend getting a car!

Reading this information, we are going to Matera with tour guide, then Martina Franca, Alberobello and Locorotondo, also with guide. Our next stop Lecce we just wanted to relax by ourselves, we have food tour planned but need more ideas. Can you get an Uber to seaside towns? I read above some recommended a boat trip, can that be done easily by bus or Uber? We are there 3 days. Thanks!

There are private train lines that cover Alberobello and other towns in Puglia. These are preferable to buses. But if you want to cover those three places in five days, a car would be advisable. Public transportation is for people who have plenty of time.

If you have not zeroed in on a place to stay in Martina Franca, I can recommend on Airbnb Trullo della Rosa. I stayed here the past two years in the Spring. In the one apartment in one bedroom you will sleep under a trullo roof. They have two apts added on to their home both with full kitchens and wash machines. This kind, sweet, happy and friendly couple I believe are in their late 60’s. They don’t speak English, but it is easy with Google translate. Antonetta will have your kitchen stocked with homemade spaghetti sauce , fresh eggs and whatever is in season in their garden, They are just a short drive to Alborobello.