Suggestions on itinerary for 16 day trip to Southern Itally this Spring

Looks great! You just might need to flesh out some of these transport details:
Are you flying out of Rome, with a night there at the end?
Will you pick up the car as you depart Rome?
Ditto drop-off--Salerno would be my choice, then hop on ferry to Amalfi, probably a transfer to Atrani (ask the accommodations).

RE Vieste, on my back-to-back trips to Puglia, I ruled it out after strong consideration because of the long drive time and chance of less than ideal weather (could be cool or rainy) and its relative isolation. You could easily fill those days at any of your other stops.

Thank you for your quick response! We are flying into and out of Rome and plan to rent a car from the airport after our stay in Rome. Our departing flight is in the afternoon, so we were going to leave early from Atrani, where we would spend our last night. We understand that driving in the Amalfi Coast can be hectic and challenging, so we plan to leave our car in a car park for the duration of our stay and use buses and boats to get around.

We are considering Vieste due to its proximity to the Gargano. We thought it would be nice to enjoy some hikes in the area and maybe take a boat trip, weather permitting. Do you think our time would be better spent further south, given that it will be the end of April?

I just came back from a month in Southern Italy. Posted "Southern Italy".

S, F. 70+, solo and only use public transpo. Loved all although not visited Vieste. Stayed in Polignano a Mare versus Monopoli. Matera stayed in Lorenzo il Magnifico though booking.com and it was a great place and you would have parking but extremely walkable to the centro. Atrani is a 10 minute walk to Amalfi and here is where I think you will run into what to do with the vehicle issues. Equalizer 3 was filmed in Atrani and I watched it a dozen times before I went. Adorable town, not much too it. As I needed bus transpo stayed in Amalfi at Hotel Fortuna, at the foot of the bus area and port. This way I could head out in any direction I wanted.

We really liked Monopoli on a daytrip from Lecce—-the turquoise water was so inviting even in February that my husband went for a swim from the sandy beach we found.

We planned a return for 3 nights on our next trip, with a booking at the Albergi Diffusi site, but unfortunately had to cancel that part of the trip. I would book there again if we return to Puglia. Have a look:

https://albergodiffusomonopoli.it/en/homepage

I wouldn't want to be in Atrani the night before a flight from Rome, even an afternoon flight. Assuming it's a flight to North America, you'll need to be at the airport three hours early. ViaMichelin gives a minimum driving time from Atrani of 3:45, and that's with no stops, traffic tie-ups, car issues, time at the rental-car drop-off point, etc. I wouldn't risk it with a transatlantic ticket (I assume) on the line.

Agree with above- I would be in Rome night before departure. Transportation on the AC is chaotic and unreliable. Too much risk and you are looking at either a long unpredictable drive or several transportation changes/modes (ferry/bus, train then change at Termini.)

See if you can change itinerary order and put Rome at end
Maybe something like
Train to Salerno on arrival- ferry or bus to Atrani- then back to Salerno- rent car and continue on to your Puglia locations. If you take Vieste off the plan you could drop your car in Bari and train to Rome to end trip there.

I would not even want to drive to Atrani and park (if you can find parking). Get and use the car before or after your time in Atrani.

See if you can change itinerary order and put Rome at end Maybe
something like Train to Salerno on arrival- ferry or bus to Atrani-
then back to Salerno- rent car and continue on to your Puglia
locations. If you take Vieste off the plan you could drop your car in
Bari and train to Rome to end trip there. I would not even want to
drive to Atrani and park (if you can find parking). Get and use the
car before or after your time in Atrani.

Totally concur with Christine--this is the order/plan I'd follow.
The hiking near Matera (to include Laterza gorge) was realy nice if you decide to pad the other stops instead of including Vieste (much less driving required, and you have options in case of rain). We went to just about every park in Puglia for walking/hiking. There are several options near Otranto. My favorite was north of Gallipoli. Just zoom in on Google Maps to see green areas indicating natural areas.

Congrats on the Anniversary.
Easter is April 20, 2025, and it's the year of the Pope's Jubilee, which is expected to bring in a few more million visitors to Rome. I'd avoid Rome the week before and after Easter.
Also, another vote for being in Rome the night before your flight.
You also don't have that much advance time for booking reasonably-priced lodging, so firm up your itinerary as soon as you can. The spring and fall are no longer shoulder seasons as far as crowds and demand.
Are you familiar with the dreaded ZTL zones and the nasty tickets which arrive months after an Italy trip? The traffic cameras are very sneaky. You can be ticketed several times for the same offense ( even 1 mile over the limit) caught by successive cameras.
Now that you are aware of the realities on the ground, and plan for them, you'll have a memorable adventure.
Wishing you a wonderful trip! Safe travels.

All I would add is maybe stay 2 nights in Matera, take one from Atrani. We stayed in a cave in the center of town and loved it!

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies. Based on your feedback, we've decided to reverse the order of our trip. We'll explore the Amalfi Coast without a car and then rent a vehicle for the Puglia portion. When we arrive, it seems that taking the train to Salerno and then a boat to Atrani is our best option. We might stay in Naples on our first night to break up the journey and manage our jet lag.

From there, we'll take the train from Salerno to Bari, rent a car, and enjoy our Puglia trip. We'll return the car in Bari and take the train back to Rome for the final segment of our trip. This means we won't visit Vieste, but we'll have more time to enjoy other places.

Let me know if that sounds better or if you have any additional suggestions regarding transportation logistics.

Salerno is a lovely little town, I’d stay there rather than 1 night in Naples unless you have great desire to be in Naples
Take first morning ferry to Amalfi then walk or taxi to Atrani
Lots of Salerno fans here-search will bring up suggestions

Train from Salerno to Bari goes back up to Caserta I believe so it’s a long journey
I think you’ll have better car rental options in Salerno as well

Consider getting car in Salerno and visiting Paestum on your way south

Puglia is probably my favourite region of Italy and I love Vieste but I agree with others and your later decision to leave Vieste out of this trip - it's a very long drive from your other destinations. I would use that time to explore the Valle d'itria - Alberobello, Locorotondo, Martina Franca or just a couple of these. In April and May there are the spring flowers in bloom and the landscapes with occasional scattered trulli and poppies are splendid:
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2022/08/puglia-in-may-valle-ditria-alberobello.html

Based on your amazing suggestions here is the new itinerary:

Train Rome to Salerno
Salerno (1 night)
Morning boat to Almafi
Atrani (4 nights)
Boat Salerno (rent car in Salerno)
Monopoli (3 nights)
Otranto ( 3 nights)
Matera (2 nights)
Drive to Salerno (return car), train to Rome
Rome (3 nights)

Let us know if this looks better and more manageable.

We will now get down to booking accomodations and planning hikes, town visits, etc. It is our first time in Italy and we can't wait to explore Puglia!!! Thank you for specific suggestions of places to visit. It is so helpful :)