Traveling on June 9th to Rome. We plan on driving or taking a train to Puglia. Looking for advise on places to visit along the way as well as a central location to travel for the following week. From Puglia we are considering going elsewhere before heading out of Rome on June 22nd. We have been to both north and South Tuscany, Amalfi, Milan, Venice <
I would take a train to Bari and pick up a car there (driving or train takes roughly the same amount of time)--there is a Hertz near the train station, as well as others I'm sure.
Peruse the posts to see the many Puglia itineraries shared here, then tell us what appeals and what does not to fill in any gaps.
We flew from Rome to Bari and picked up a rental car. We drove to Polignano a Mare where we spent ten wonderful days . There are so many interesting towns to explore in Puglia plus you can visit Matera in Basilicata if you wish. Matera was our least favorite of the places we visited in this area. We wished we had skipped it.
Either on your way to or from Rome consider a stop in Caserta to see the Royal Palace and grounds. It is accessible by train and on your route.