How to Spend One Week in Puglia Without a Car

Puglia is one of Italy’s most beautiful regions. Due to limited public transport here, it’s not always the first region people visit in Italy. Making it more of a gem than the rest of the country

Everyone says Puglia is best visited with a car. While it is much more convenient, you can still explore Puglia without a car. In this guide, I will show you how to spend one week in Puglia without a car!

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In this Article show

How to Get to Puglia

There are 2 airports you can choose from to explore Puglia. Those are Bari Airport (BRI) and Brindisi Airport (BDS). Fly into Bari Airport if you wish to explore Central Puglia (Alberobello, Monopoli, Polignano a Mare). Alternatively, if you want to explore the south of Puglia, fly into Brindisi Airport (Brindisi, Gallipoli, and Lecce are conveniently nearby).

>>Read my full blog post on how to get to Puglia

Can you visit Puglia without a Car?

trullo home in puglia. how to visit puglia without a car

Polignano a Mare the best beach in the south of Italy

Yes, absolutely! But you will need to do some planning ahead and stay in major cities like Bari, Alberobello, Polignano a Mare, and Lecce. These cities are more connected by public transport. Puglia is not as well-connected by public transport, but they do have a train and bus system.

Without a car, you may miss out on staying in a beautiful farm stay in the countryside (known as a masserie) and seeing smaller towns that are lesser known.

My recommendation: Stay in Bari, Alberobello, Polignano a Mare, or Lecce and take tours via Viator and GetYourGuide to visit smaller towns.

Which towns in Puglia can you visit without a car?

Bari, Alberobello, Polignano a Mare, and Lecce can easily be visited without a car. These are the most popular towns in Puglia and are generally well-connected. But the chart below shows even more towns you can see by train or bus.

Town/Village	Train 🚆	Bus 🚍	Notes
Bari	✅	✅	Main transport hub, airport nearby.
Polignano a Mare	✅	✅	Gorgeous seaside cliffs, easy day trip.
Monopoli	✅	✅	Charming old town & beaches.
Ostuni	🚆*	✅	Station is ~5km from hilltop town, but buses connect the center.
Alberobello	✅ (FSE)	✅	UNESCO trulli town, reachable via FSE or direct bus from Bari.
Locorotondo	✅ (FSE)	✅	Beautiful whitewashed village, on same line as Alberobello.
Martina Franca	✅ (FSE)	✅	Baroque architecture, good train & bus connections.
Cisternino	🚆*	✅	The station is outside town; better by bus or via Locorotondo.
Lecce	✅	✅	Stunning Baroque city, southern hub.
Otranto	✅ (FSE)	✅	Seaside gem with slower train service from Lecce.
Gallipoli	✅ (FSE)	✅	Popular beach town, accessible via Lecce.
Nardò	✅ (FSE)	✅	Underrated Baroque town near Gallipoli.
Trani	✅	✅	North of Bari; gorgeous cathedral on the sea.
Vieste	❌	✅	Stunning in Gargano but only reachable by a long bus ride or car.
Peschici	❌	✅	Small beach town near Vieste, bus only.
Porto Cesareo	❌	✅	Beach town near Lecce, no train; local buses serve it.
Santa Maria di Leuca	❌	✅	Southern tip of Puglia; buses from Gallipoli or Lecce.
Specchia	❌	✅	Beautiful small village, reachable by bus from Tricase/Maglie.
Grottaglie	✅ (FSE)	✅	Known for ceramics, small town with train stop.
Castellana Grotte	✅ (FSE)	✅	Grotto caves, train from Bari or Alberobello.
Conversano	✅ (FSE)	✅	Easy from Bari; great alternative to Polignano if less touristy.
Bitonto	✅	✅	Close to Bari; worth a visit for an authentic feel.

If you wish to explore lesser-known towns, the best way to do so is through an organized tour! I find tours via reputable sites like Viator and GetYourGuide.

Some tours I’d recommend if you don’t have a car:

Tips for traveling to Puglia without a car

Many small towns like Alberobello, Martina Franca, and Locorotondo are connected only by FSE trains, which do not always run on Sundays or holidays.
There may be long gaps between departures, so planning is key.
Tickets must be validated (or bought with a timestamp)
It will take you longer to get around by public transport, and some towns require connections.
I simply use Google Maps (Transit) to plan my journeys. It will show you which bus or train to take! Or you can use the Trenitalia app for mainline trains and ferrovieappulolucane.it for local trains/buses.
You can also find and buy train tickets and even bus tickets on Omio.com. The benefit here is that it’s in English and straightforward to use from their mobile app.

One Week in Puglia Without a Car

I recommend basing yourself in Bari or Polignano a Mare if you don’t have a car. You can also stay overnight in Alberobello at a trullo home (it’s a cone-shaped building!) for a unique experience. However, the most convenient base for exploring all the spots in this post would be Bari if you don’t have a car.

Day 1: Arrival in Bari

Fly into Bari Airport
Train or bus to Bari Centrale (~20 min).
Explore:
- Bari Vecchia (Old Town)
- Basilica di San Nicola
- Lungomare promenade
Watch the Italian nonnas (grandmothers) cook orecchiette on the street. This ear-shaped pasta is known in the region and can be witnessed at Strada delle Orecchiette.
Stay in Bari for 3 to 5 nights (3 if you really want to spend 2 nights in Alberobello to stay in a unique trullo home).
Note: Bari is actually the most convenient base for a trip to Puglia without a car. However, it is not as picturesque and cute as the other places in this itinerary (in my opinion). In fact, I skipped it completely when I visited because I had a car. You can stay in Polignano a Mare as a different option if you want. It is also a pretty convenient base full of train and bus connections. But check it out, you may like it in Bari especially if you’re into bigger cities.

Hotel Recommendations for Bari:

€€ Luxury/mid-range: Dilman Luxury Stay | Aurluna Luxury Suites

€ Budget: Casa Piacquadio

Day 2: Day Trip to Polignano a Mare

Polignano a Mare's famous beach in the South of Italy

30-min train from Bari Centrale (Trenitalia or FSE).
Explore:
- Lama Monachile Beach
- Old town alleys and cliffside views
- Statue of Domenico Modugno
- See caves! by taking a Cave Boat Tour – this was the highlight of my visit. The exact tour I took is linked here.
- Walk around the historic center and find poetry written on the streets.
Pescaria for lunch and La Focacceria for delicious focaccia.
Grab gelato with a sea view at Gusto Caruso or Bella Blu.
Return to Bari by train.

If you decide to stay in Polignano a Mare, here are some top choices:

€€€ Luxury: Grotta Palazzese (home to the famous cave restaurant) | San Michele Suite | Covo dei Saraceni

€€ Mid-range: Posea Polignano Sea Suites | Bed and Breakfast Suite Minerva | Il Simposio Suite | Guesthouse Palazzo Maringelli

€ Budget: Storie di Mare

<<Read my full guide to Polignano a Mare for more things to do

Day 3: Day Trip to Monopoli

🚆 25-minute train from Bari Centrale or 15-minute train from Polignano a Mare.
Explore:
- Porto Antico (Old Port)
- Monopoli Cathedral
- Beaches near the town
Lunch at Vini & Panini
Bonus: Combine with Polignano if you’re short on time.
Return to your base: Bari or Polignano a Mare

Day 4: Alberobello

🚆 Take FSE train Bari → Alberobello (via Putignano or Conversano). Journey takes ~2 hours.
🧚 Explore trulli houses in Rione Monti & Aia Piccola
Check out the view from Piazza del Popolo
Visit Trullo Sovrano, the only two-story trullo.
Try a Pasqualino sandwich at La Pagnottella
🛏 Either continue staying in Bari as a base (most convenient) or stay 2 nights in a trullo in Alberobello for a unique experience.

Hotel Recommendations for Alberobello:

Luxury/mid-range: Palazzo Scotto | Romantic Trulli | Astra

Budget: Terrazza Sui Trulli

<<Read my full guide to Alberobello for more things to do

Day 5: Locorotondo and/or Martina Franca

how to visit Martina franca without. car

Locorotondo: a pretty whitewashed village, peaceful and scenic
- 10-minute bus or train ride from Alberobello
  —> Book tickets via Omio
Martina Franca: elegant palaces, a busier local town
- 15-minute train from Locorotondo
  —> Book tickets via Omio
It is possible to visit both these towns in a day but plan ahead the timetable. For ease, I’d recommend doing this tour, which takes you to Alberobello, Locorotondo, and Martina Franca from Bari. This way, you can have 5 nights in Bari, going to all the towns I mentioned up until now. You won’t have to backtrack either to get to your next base of either Lecce or Matera!

<<Read my full guide to Locorotondo and Martina Franca

Days 6 & 7: Lecce or Matera

Now you can choose to spend the last 2 days of your week in Puglia without a car in Lecce or Matera. I’ve been to both and I have to say Matera is way more impressive in my opinion. Although Matera is not in the Puglia region, it is often visited since it’s so close.

For either choice, you will need to backtrack a bit without a car. You’ll need to return to Bari to get to Matera or Lecce. Unless you hire a ride share via Bla Bla Car via Omio, or hire a private taxi through Welcome Pickups.

On your way back home to Bari Airport, you can simply take a direct bus or train to the airport from either city.

—> Book tickets via Omio

Train from Bari to Lecce → ~2 hrs from Bari
Bus to Matera from Bari → ~1 hr 15 mins from Bari
Choose one:
- Explore in Lecce:
  - Basilica di Santa Croce
  - Piazza del Duomo
  - Roman amphitheater
  - visit the nearby seaside towns of Otranto or Gallipoli via bus
- Explore Matera (read my full blog post on Matera):
  - Stay in a cave hotel!
  - Explore the Sassi di Matera
  - Drinks at Zipa Cafe, a cave bar
  - Dinner at Regiacorte (for a splurge) or La Fedda Rossa
🛏 Stay 2 nights in Lecce or Matera
- Lecce Hotel Options:
- Matera Hotel Options: 2 affordable options include Residence La Vie del Mosto & Hotel Sassi
- Read my blog post on the best cave hotels in Matera to stay at.

If you decide to get a Car…

If you decide to rent a car in the end, you can see my suggested Puglia road trip itinerary.

I also have an entire post on what it’s like to drive in Puglia so you can be prepared. I found the roads pretty easy to drive on. The roads are large but with frequent round abouts.

And I’d recommend using Discover Cars to find a car to rent from Bari or Brindisi Airport. I personally used it and found it straightforward.

rent a car

I hope this post was useful in helping you plan a carless week in Puglia!