Planning a 10 day trip to Puglia with my family of four. My children will be 16 & 14. We enjoy the beach and local culture. I would like to choose a town in northern Puglia as well as one in southern. I do not want to rent a car as I get highly anxious in cars. Would traveling by train be doable? Also, which two towns would you recommend. We are also willing to do day trips from our home bases to see other Puglia sights/towns. Any suggestions for private drivers would also be appreciate. Thank you!
Posted by
134 posts
Pick two places on the main coastal railway served by Trenitalia, it will be doable and even easy if you are used to mass transit. Otherwise you'll have to rely on local railway companies and buses.
When are you going to stay in Puglia? Crowds can make train travel with luggage quite miserable. More, they run less buses when schools are closed.
Posted by
Saint Paul, Minnesota
2222 posts
The two locations that spring to mind are Trani in the north and Lecce in the south. They both are real towns, not beach towns, but with beaches nearby. Lecce is actually a city, but when you are inside the walls, it feels like a town. From both, you can travel to many places by train, and there are also buses although I've never taken one in Puglia.
On our most recent stay in Lecce last October, we lived in this apartment for 9 nights ---- https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18428374?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=8c9fb924-b917-46ed-b55c-da2d9b2f20ac
Loved the neighborhood, the balcony, the high ceilings, having a real living room with a couch, two bathrooms, and the nearby restaurants.
In Trani, years ago, we stayed in a guesthouse/hotel, but I imagine you'd want an apartment.
Rome to Trani by train takes 4 hours with no changes. Rome to Lecce takes close to 6 hours. You could also fly into Bari or to Brindisi --- we've done both right after landing in Rome.
Google on both places and see what you think.