Transfer service/driver from Sicily to Puglia area

You didn’t give exact travel dates so I don’t know what the issue is with Bari flights. But I just did a quick check on Google Flights for random September dates and there were multiple flights from Catania to Brindisi, which is about 90 minutes south of Bari. You could do a round trip from Catania to Brindisi, then do private transfers (taxis?) from Brindisi-Bari, from Matera-Brindisi, and Catania-Taormina. A lot faster and less expensive than the two long private transfers.

Thanks for that suggestion. I did look at that, there are a few issues that make it not the best option..
Timing of the flights. We’d need to wait around in the airport until catching the domestic flight.
Connections. Where flying into Bari or Brindisi, the flights all require a connection in Rome, so the timing is mostly over 4 hours (a few are 3.5)
Combined total travel time. When you add waiting for the domestic flight, making a connection (hopefully) in Rome, and then transferring to Bari it is more time and more hassle than a 5 1/2 hour drive where you can stop along the way and stretch your legs.
So, hence, I’m looking at the car service option.

Check daytrip.com

I will give you here the person who we have hired for transfers in Sicily; he drives to Matera and into Puglia.
His name is Dario Cafiso;; his contact is this, his agency, Tour Barocco. He has all the necessary insurances and licenses and he drives a new, comfortable van with good a/c

https://www.tourbarocco.it/en/services/

Let me know if you do book with him, and I will give you a tip about snacking on the way..

Thank you, I appreciate this! I will do some research and def will contact you if we move forward with him. May I ask what your itinerary was with him, how you found him and how long ago you used his services?

We hired Dario in both 2023 and again in 2024 on two different visits to Sicily.
In 2023 we hired drivers to tour the island for three weeks, taking us from place to place and on day trips
In 2024 we rented a car but gave it up in Catania and had Dario take us around from there...

He was recommended to us by the owner of our hotel in Ragusa Ibla. (which we loved)

We hired him a total of six times, I think:

Ragusa Ibla to Catania hotel

Catania hotel to Milazzo (for Salina ferry)--twice; two different years

Milazzo port to Hotel outside Ortigia

Hotel outside Ortigia to Catania airport. (we booked this with little notice so one of his employees drove us)

Milazzo to Taormina hotel

Day trip from Ragusa to visit olive oil makers in Chiaramone Gulfi and brief peek at Modica

Trip from Ragusa to Marzamemi and PortoPalo di Capo Passero, for lunch at Ristorante Scala ( we invited him to join us but he preferred to wait by the car)

We love Sicily, and Puglia is among our favorites in Europe--we will be there again in two weeks..

5 1/2 hours Catania to Bari looks overly optimistic. The usually downstated Google travel time is 6 h 15 minutes, including 31 minutes for the ferry - that in real life you will have to wait, and it won't leave immediately. My guess is a time closer to 7 1/2 hours.