Travelling by Auto in Puglia

We always say it takes two people to drive in Italy: one to drive and one to navigate and read signs. Last time we were on Puglia (2013) our phone-based GPS was not quite dependable. And as it was English based the pronunciation of Italian names was laughable and almost incomprehensible. I would guess GPS in general are far better now but that was the biggest challenge: finding our way. Watch for ZTLs of course.

I'm assuming you don't mean driving into and out of the historic centers, but to parking outside the ZTL.

We stayed in Lecce for a week and also visited it for a day during another trip. Very easy to park and then walk inside the walls, and also to drive in and out of the city. It's an excellent choice for a place to stay in Puglia and we've had some of the best meals in Puglia both inside and just outside the oldest part of town.

We've only done a day-trip to Bari and also stayed in an airport hotel there. It was more of a challenge to drive in and out of, but still OK. It would not be where I'd want to stay for a week and explore Puglia from. We've greatly enjoyed staying in Trani and in Ostuni for a week each (such good restaurants in the old section of Ostuni!) but for ease of day-trips our favorite places to stay were a rented trullo outside of Cisternino and a lovely agriturismo called Masseria Aprile outside of Locorotondo (also in a trullo). I guess it's just nicer not to start and end each day with even a small driving and parking hassle. The downside of such locations, of course, is that you are not in a town and can't just walk to bars or bakeries or the market in the morning and to restaurants for dinner.

When we are in other regions of Italy, we essentially always choose to stay just inside the walls (or where the walls used to be!) of a town so that we can easily walk to where our car is parked --- it's often the less expensive and more interesting part of a town than where the tourist spots are located, too.

Check out a little town called Giovinazzo (between Trani and Bari on the coast) --- it's one I've got my eye on for our next trip to Puglia.

Not fond of Polignano a Mare as a place to stay although people recommend it --- we day-tripped there in March one year and it seemed a bit spoiled by having so many tourists. The beach, empty in spring, must be jammed in summer. The huge parking lot, also empty, was kind of a clue.

I should mention that although we've spent many weeks in Puglia and love the region, we've never been there from May through October, so I hope someone who has visited in summer will have some advice for you.

During an anniversary trip to Italy a couple of years ago I relied heavily on Google maps to keep me out of trouble. Not only was it valuable for identifying parking and generally helping me orient myself with the sometimes serpentine routes in and out of the towns (and steering clear of the ZTL's), but I quickly found the street view feature in particular to be indispensable in helping me to visually preview things before I ever got behind the wheel. It really helped me to have seen intersections, turnoffs, signage, etc. in advance before approaching them at driving speed.
Using Google maps, both before and during our daily drives, went a long way towards reducing my anxiety level and generally made me a more competent driver in what otherwise might have been some stressful circumstances. Might be of benefit to you too, especially if you have an engaged co-pilot to help you navigate.

Robert has an excellent suggestion.

I use Google maps street view to check out the “walk” from the train station to our chosen hotel or B and B, but I hadn’t thought of using it to review a driving route in advance. We hope to be in Puglia in March and will have a rental car for a few days (we’ll use the train for exploring the rest of the time. I’ll give it a try.

I agree with @nancys8 about Trani. We stayed there for a few days a couple of years ago and found it easy to get in and out. And at night there's plenty of dining or places for a nightcap around the harbor. Bari seemed busier and wouldn't be my first choice of a base to stay.

The comment about Polignano a Mare gave me a chuckle. We were there in early Sept and the massive parking lot was completely empty. 10 days earlier it had likely been filled to the brim with vacationers, but now it was empty and many shops and restaurants were closed.

We used the "Lonely Planet Puglia & Basilicata" book as a guide and found it helpful.

If you have driven in Italy many times, you should have no problems in Puglia, Bari is bigger and busier by far than Lecce, but nothing to be concerned about for a driver experienced driving in Italy already.

What day trips do you have planned?