Puglia help needed
 

Anyone have suggestions on what I might do with 3.5 days in Puglia? I'm thinking of taking the train from Bologna to Lecce, arriving late Friday evening then doing day trips from there. I had looked up flights but the times to either Bari or Brindisi aren't great and the train fare is 19e with the special. I'll fly back.

I only have from a Friday night to a Monday night which gives me 2 days and a chunk of Monday......have to work so am only taking a day off. At the end of my time here, will be doing 6 days in Siciy so this is just a why not kind of trip........

Thanks for any guidance!

Update--sad to say this morning when I tried to book, the fare had changed so I now need to think more about how/when to get there. Regardless, thinking Lecce might be the best base without a car so still welcome any thoughts.......

Lecce's well worth a look - and a day is probably the very minimum you'd need. Except for our Trani trip, the photos here come from visits that included a stop there...

http://www.pbase.com/isolaverde/pugliagen

If you've not sorted out accommodation, aside from the rather expensive hotels near Piazza Sant'Oronzo, some interesting-looking B&Bs have opened south of there, in the historic quarter towards the Porta San Biagio.

It is though one heck of a way from Bologna!

Peter

Thanks Peter. I had headed up to Bolzano and spent about 7 hours doing it total round trip but it was a delightful day trip. I had thought about a cheap RyanAir getaway but want to stay in Italy this trip so Puglia seemed like an interesting place to at least sample.

Would Lecce be the best base given i have no car? I am thinking of seeing if I can connect with a travel agency there for day trip stuff (like the wonderful Italian Days food tour here but more architeture and towns oriented).

Ekscrunchy---have read your wonderful post about Puglia so please chime in if you have more thoughts!

That's where I'd stay - particularly at this time of year!

As I recollect, we did a fair bit of our travelling around on the local railway, not on the main Trenitalia / FS services....

http://www.fseonline.it/en/default.aspx

Know nothing about such tours, but you might try here..
http://www.viaggiareinpuglia.it/hp/en

Peter

Hi K: I also think that Lecce would make the best base. I loved the Salento peninsula but much of my ardor was because of the coastal scenery and beaches.

I think in winter, when I think you are planning to travel, you might be best off trying to get that daytrip to the areas north of Lecce--the trulli zone, Ostuni, Cisternino, and coastal Polignano a Mare.

What about traveling light so you can even do an overnight in that area--perhaps in Martina Franca or Ostuni?


Lecce itself is small enough to cover the main sights on a day. Remember the mid-day close; you can fill that time with.....eating!!!

Lecce is delightful, and you have many options for exploring the area because it is on a main train line. Enjoy!

Hi Eks,
Thanks for hearing me! Do you think I would be crazy to try and see if I can find a travel agency to sort of do a drive/guide type thing (not at all what I usually do but in the interst of time and where places are located)? I would consider a car but only drive automatic and that is expensive and kind of intimidating this time of year, solo.

Am appreciating all the suggestions---so, now where to stay--hotels, b&bs? Etc?

I certainly understand the reluctance to rent the car, solo. If you did decide to do this, you would have no trouble finding the automatic, based on my experience. Is there any chance you might consider the car? The driving is easy; roads are well marked and mostly flat. You certainly would see much more if you were not constrained by public transport schedules.




But with only a few days, I agree about finding the tour/guide. I would bet that hotels in Lecce would be able to hook you up with someone. You could write and inquire, even if you do not decide to stay there. And we can all try to find some leads online... (I wonder if that guy who runs the cooking school in Lecce would be any help....) I really like the idea of an architectural tour since there the area is so rich in such varied styles from so many different historic periods.

As far as hotels, we have to decide upon the overnight destinations first. Puglia seems to me to be particularly rich in good places to stay so it is more a question of eliminating than in finding something. You know where we stayed--very nice, upscale hotel but nothing with any personality. I am wondering if a small B&B might be better. We came across this place, which certainly has an ideal location and gets good reviews, but I am not sure if they have on-site staff or not....

http://www.palazzopersone.com/camere...agina=sinagoga



I wonder if you ought to write to a few places and ask them both about rooms but also about a guide or tour. See which ones give you a good personal response. Lecce is small but you would want to be in the central part, not on the outskirts where some of the B&Bs seem to be located.


Also, there are a number of online Salento guides; I am trying to find onn in particular that I looked at last year. I found these, for starters; you could write to them and ask about private guides:

http://www.experiencepuglia.com/Eng/6daytour.asp

http://www.nelsalento.com/en/art_0XXXXXXXX0001.html


http://welovesalento.blogspot.com/
http://www.salento-travel.it/

..what I meant above (I was not clear) is that with only a few days, I hope you would either rent the car OR use the private tour or guide...rather than have to depend on local transport, which might not allow you to see too much... then again, I've not looked at the schedules, so maybe I am too pessimistic!

Thanks a ton! I absolutely agree with what you say about either the car or a guide. Truth be told, when i went for a 2 night stay in Perugia, I missed the train from Assisi to Spello and for 25 or 30e just took a taxi there and it was bliss. Time is occasionally a precious commodity when one is doing a fast trip which I need to do since I am working during the week most times......will follow up oon all the good suggestions you made (and also did email a tour operator who was mentioned by someone on the forum).
Kathy