Hi there,
My husband and I (fit, late 60s) are planning a couple of weeks in Puglia in late May. We will fly in and out of Bari. If possible, we prefer to take trains rather than renting a car. Buses for day tips are fine. We're having trouble deciding which towns are deserve 2-3 night stays and which are good for day-trips: Alberobello/Locorotondo, Polignano a Mare, Trani, Vieste, Ostuni, Lecce, Monopoli, Martina Franca? Don't expect to see all of them. Which are your favorites? Any other advice? Thanks so much.
Posted by
WA State
3961 posts
Looking at your proposed itinerary have you considered Maratea in the Basilicata region? Without repeating myself, I just wrote a recommendation in the thread "Heel or toe of the boot." This town was a huge favorite. Enjoy your planning.
Posted by
OP
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
35 posts
Thanks Janis. We'll check it out. We have been advised that renting a car is a must. Do you agree? Would it be possible to train between some towns and rent a car in one so as to do day trips?
Posted by
Washington DC
28417 posts
I based in Lecce in 2015. The tourist office there organizes van excursions (not really tours, just transportation) to multiple small towns in Puglia--and also to Matera in Basilicata. As of 2015 there was no fixed schedule; trips ran according to demand, so a certain amount of flexibility was necessary. There is also some public-bus service out of Lecce, but it would be difficult to use it to link several small towns on one day. In that sense, a car would be really handy. Most of the towns don't have a full day's worth of sights. Lecce does, and I imagine that Bari does, but I haven't been there. Many people have recommended spending a night or two in Matera as well.
Posted by
WA State
3961 posts
Since we did not drive in that region (we were on a tour) I would take acraven’s excellent recommendations!
Posted by
Boise, ID, USA
2331 posts
A few years ago, my husband and I spent just over three weeks in Puglia (plus Matera), and we did it all by train and bus. We stayed in six locations and visited 14 others on day trips, so it can be done! Much of it is on small, private train lines and you have to schedule carefully. I'm sure you could whip out more locations faster with a car, but then you've got the car hassles as well. We just prefer to stick to public transportation. We did not make it to Polignano a Mare, Monopoli or Ostuni, which I regretted, but enjoyed the rest on your list plus others. We stayed in Alberobello (because I wanted to stay in a trullo) and did Locorotondo as a day trip, but we'd love to go back to Locorotondo and stay there. We really liked Trani. We enjoyed Vieste (and Peschici as a day trip) but that area is somewhat out of the way and harder to do by public transportation - we did it, but we had more time than you're talking about. Happy planning!