Southern Italy in September

We loved Polignano a Mare this month.
It’s on the coast with beaches, great restaurants and is just a 30-minute train ride from Bari Centrale.
Polignano a Mare is also linked to Monopoli ( 6 minutes away) and Lecce (1:40) by train.

The fastest way from Bari Airport to Matera are the direct, 75-minute buses from the airport. Several companies run the buses. There also is a train line that runs from Bari Centrale to Bari Airport.

Have a great trip!

Hi Anne, I love the Puglia area of Italy! I’ll just attach my two trip reports there instead of rewriting info for you.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions about the content.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/3-week-italy-trip-to-puglia-plus-tivoli-rome-may-2025

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/my-1-month-independent-trip-to-southern-italy-tribute-to-my-husband

Kenko thank you. So how does this sound?

Fly to Cantania - 4 nights
Fly to Bari and bus/train to Polignano a Mare - 3 nights
Train to Lecce - 3 nights
Train Matera - 2 nights
Train to Naples - 1 night & home

Sounds great! There are high-speed Frecciargento trains from Bari Centrale station to Napoli Centrale station taking from 3:45 to 4:10.

There is an excellent restaurant in Polignano a Mare called “Il Grottino” in the center of town. A rare restaurant with fantastic food at a reasonable price.

Have a great trip!

Do you have a special reason to include Catania in this trip? Sicily is a large, fabulous island. There are great sights all over. You can't possibly do justice to more than a small area with only 4 nights there, and it means an extra flight. I'd suggest postponing Sicily until you can give it a lot more time.

Very good point, above. You could include one of the towns in the Valle d'atria, which you have not mentioned, instead of detours all the way to Sicily. You are missing so much in Puglia already. And you could stay in a masserie just outside a town, so you might be able to walk INTO town. There are a few at the edge of Ostuni, for example.

I'd spend three nights in Matera; we've been three times already and it never gets boring. The upper town is good to see, along with the sassi.

Thanks!!! Sooooo - If I don't include Catania, and fly to Napels/Rome, I'll have four additional nights. It was suggested I add a night to Matera and spend 3 nights there. That leaves me with 3 extra nights and the following:

Fly to Naples/Rome
Train to Bari and bus/train to Polignano a Mare - 3 nights
Train to Lecce - 3 nights
Train Matera - 3 nights
Train to Naples - 1 night & home

What would you add that found fit into the puzzle and accessible by train???

Locorotondo is a hilltown with Trulli houses in vineyards and olive groves below the town’s summit. Locorotondo is a fantastic place that can replace visiting the heavily overtouristed town of Alberobello— famous for its Trulli structures. Locorotondo can be reached quickly by bus in one hour from Polignano a Mare.

Ostuni is another scenic hilltown nearby. Ostuni can be reached by train in 45 minutes from Polignano a Mare.

www.Trenitalia.com

Trani? Day trips to Barletta, Bari, Giovinazzo or stay in Bari itself. It makes an excellent base.
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2019/11/puglia-bari-in-april-trip-report.html?m=1