Ahhh… Puglia. The idyllic heel of Italy’s boot. If you’re reading this right now, odds are you’re planning a trip there… and before we continue, I’d like to congratulate you on the excellent decision.

Because while there aren’t many secrets anymore when it comes to Italy travel, Puglia remains a magical region that’s (relatively speaking) less travelled than some of the country’s larger tourist heavyweights, like Venice, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast.

… Meaning more sun-bleached villages, absurdly delicious food, and dramatic coastline for you! But before you can faceplant into plates of orecchiette and pose by trulli like it’s your full-time job, there are a few must-knows that will take your trip from “great” to “I may never leave.”

So, read on for a list of Puglia must-knows for first time visitors… even if you don’t have a car! From navigating the (admittedly) confusing public transport system to all the best dishes to try, this list of tips is here to help secure your membership to the shameless Puglia fan club… of which I am president.

1. Apulia is the English name for Puglia, though people usually just call it Puglia

Now, let’s start with some basics. Technically, Puglia is the name for the region in Italian, while Apulia is what we call it in English.

But in practice, while you may encounter the name Apulia in some guidebooks, resources or marketing materials… for the most part, people just call it Puglia. So, remember that both Puglia and Apulia refer to the same place, and don’t confuse yourself by wondering where this mystical land of Apulia is. 

2. There are two main airports but arrivals are also possible via train & ferry

In terms of arriving in Puglia, if you are coming by air you’ll either fly into Bari or Brindisi Airport.

Both are well serviced by budget airlines like Ryanair which means coming here can actually be really affordable if you’re flying in from another European airport.

Bari is farther up North, so makes a great base for popular destinations like Polignano a Mare, whereas Brindisi is farther South, and closer to hotspots like Lecce and Ostuni… though the city itself, in my opinion, doesn’t have that much to do.

It’s worth noting that both of these cities also have ports servicing ferries so you can arrive that way if you’re coming from other countries like Albania, Greece, Montenegro and Turkey.

If you’re looking for more of a slow travel experience, getting to Puglia by direct train is also fairly easy from many major Italian cities like Milan, Bologna, Rome, and Venice. We took the Frecciarossa train from Bologna which took just under 6 hours, but it was fairly scenic along the coast and super comfortable.

For more info on tickets, you can learn more in my Italy train travel guide. 

3. Puglia has many small family-run & unique accommodation options

In terms of where to stay, there are plenty of accommodation options in Puglia, ranging from small family-run guesthouses to larger properties in the more resorty areas, as well as unique options you won’t find elsewhere, like…

• Trullo houses (plural: Trulli), known for their unique conical roofs. You’ll find them in the Itria Valley, with the highest concentration of them in Alberobello and Locorotondo and scattered in the countryside. Today most of these houses have been converted into souvenir shops or tourist accommodation
• Masseria (plural: Masserie), unique fortified agricultural estates – once used to house farm workers and owners, today also used as tourist accommodation, often with luxurious amenities like pools, spas, and on-site dining. These tend to be farther away from big cities (out in the countryside, as farms often are!) so should be considered destinations in themselves. 

Staying in either a Trullo or Masseria is a uniquely Puglian experience, so definitely worth trying for the experience, but they’re not the most practical bases if you hope to explore a lot of what Puglia has to offer.

So, in most major towns or cities, I’d say your best bet is just to search through all the various options with a site like Booking.com, and choose the best fit based on that.

Usually, I advise direct booking because that will give you the best deal, but I noticed with many smaller properties in Puglia, they don’t always have a website of their own, so 3rd party aggregators can be very helpful (especially if you don’t speak Italian).

I found lots of great stays this way, including this B&B where there were freshly made cakes from the owner’s mom every morning at the breakfast buffet. Divine! 

4. Vet reviews & photos for accommodation carefully

That said, when booking accommodation, do make sure that you vet reviews and photos especially carefully… even more than usual.

I noticed during my trip that places often had excellent reviews, but if you read them closely, they were usually glowing reviews of the host rather than the accommodation itself.

And I get it! As a traveller, you often want to support nice hosts and nice people, but this means that positive reviews can sometimes be misleading, speaking to the hospitality of hosts rather than the actual accommodation quality itself.

So, to avoid disappointment, pay special attention to photos and reviews about the actual quality of accommodation, and be sure to double check listing descriptions for amenities like elevators and air conditioning, which aren’t always a given at smaller properties.

5. Remember that B&Bs can have their downsides compared to hotels

Now, while I fully encourage supporting small family-run places in Puglia, something to take note of is that these lovely guesthouses and B&Bs often lack some key amenities that you take for granted at larger hotels, like easy luggage storage options or a 24/7 front desk.

So if you’ll be moving locations frequently, do keep in mind that you’ll need somewhere to leave your bags before check in or after check out, unless you manage to plan your itinerary perfectly so there’s no wait time.

6. July & August will be the busiest times to visit

Now, in regards to timing, Puglia is considered by most as a summer destination, so July and August will no doubt be the busiest times to go.

Shoulder seasons like Spring and Fall will give you the best mix of nice weather and thinner crowds. I personally went in May and loved it, though there was the odd rainstorm here and there. 

Do note though that though they take off season vs summer season pretty seriously in Puglia. 

The summer season doesn’t just refer to weather here, it refers to the tourism season where bus/train schedules change to get more frequent, different facilities/attractions will be open, etc., so while visiting in the off-season might be a great way to avoid crowds, you’ll probably encounter a lot fewer services in terms of transport and tourism. 

7. Puglia is comprised of six provinces, all worth exploring

Now, how do you decide where to go? Puglia is packed with beautiful places to see, so building an itinerary can be challenging. 

To help get you acquainted with the possibilities, these are the six provinces:

• Bari
• Barletta-Andria-Trani
• Brindisi
• Foggia
• Lecce
• Taranto

All have their unique draws. The North and the Gargano, AKA the spur of Italy’s boot is known for its striking landscapes ranging from limestone cliffs and the sparkling sea to pretty towns like Vieste and the lush Umbra Forest.

The Itria Valley is known for its charming small towns, sprawling countryside and iconic Trulli houses. 

And Salento, the Southeastern portion of Puglia is known for its not one but two glittering coastlines – one overlooking the Ionian sea in the West, and one overlooking the Adriatic in the East… as well as its Baroque architecture.

So, you really are spoiled for choice!

8. When planning your itinerary, less is more

Realistically though, unless you have a lot of time (e.g., 2 weeks or more), you probably won’t be able to do justice to every province. Puglia might look compact on a map but it’s a fairly long and narrow region, so driving from the northernmost city Foggia to the southernmost town Santa Maria de Leuca still takes about four hours.

One thing I will emphasize though is that less is more!

Many people try to cram too much into their itinerary and it ends up being hectic and stressful, which is the complete opposite of what a Puglia trip should be about.

Here’s the truth: many destinations in Puglia offer similar perks – Polignano a Mare and Monopoli, for instance, or the pretty towns in the Itria Valley. So you can get a feel for the charms of Puglia without adding a million stops to your itinerary. This is especially true if you are going by public transport, because transport times (and planning around them) can add a lot of time and stress to your journeys. 

So, rather than jump from town to town, switching bases every night, I think it makes sense to pick one or two bases and then explore around via day trips when you feel you’ve had enough of your base. One regret from my trip is we moved around too much and if I were to go again I would pick a slower pace. Probably three nights minimum per base.

To narrow down your itinerary, I would consider what your priorities are for the trip, whether you want to explore nature, cute towns, beaches, historic sights, or all of the above.

Overall, I think the best all-round Puglia trip will include at least… 

• A larger more dynamic city like Bari, Lecce or Ostuni
• A gorgeous seaside destination where you can gorge on seafood and enjoy the beach, like Otranto, Gallipoli, Monopoli or Polignano a Mare (admittedly very touristy, but beautiful)
• A quaint and picturesque village like Locorotondo or everybody’s Instagram favourite, Alberobello, home to the highest concentration of delightful Trulli houses, though you’ll see many around the countryside as well

9. Your mode of transport can also help with planning

Ultimately, assembling the perfect itinerary will depend on your mode of transport. 

With a car, you can see many more places in a shorter time frame as well as more remote locations, but with public transport, it makes sense to take it slower and just explore more places thoroughly… particularly ones with good transport connections. This can limit you to some of the more popular destinations, but there’s no shame in that – they’re usually popular for a reason.

10. It’s also well worth visiting nearby Matera

As a final note, I should say that a common addition to most Puglia itineraries is the magical city of Matera. Officially, Matera is part of the Basilicata region, and not Puglia, but it’s close enough that people will go there too and I honestly think it’s worth visiting.

It’s hands down one of the most unique and epic cities I’ve been to – it’s the oldest continually inhabited city in Europe and filled with all these cool cave dwellings that have now been converted into restaurants, hotels, museums, and more. Really worth seeing!

11. You don’t necessarily NEED a car when exploring Puglia, but having one is helpful

It’s a common misconception that you NEED a car for Puglia, but there are actually ways to get around by public transport. I know because that’s how I did my trip!

I admit, you do need to make a lot of compromises, like factoring in more time to get from place to place, and you’ll inevitably be more limited to the popular well-connected places, but for a first time visit, there’s plenty you can explore using just public transport. 

NOTE: Those who plan to rent a car – I like using DiscoverCars to find the best deal across companies.

12. Public transport in Puglia is run by Trenitalia and also local companies

The public transport system in Puglia consists of national train services run by Trenitalia as well as regional services run by four local companies:

1. Ferrovie del Sud Est (FSE) which is now owned by Trenitalia
2. Ferrovie del Gargano (FdG)
3. Ferrovie del Nord Barese/Ferrotramviaria (FNB)
4. Ferrovie Appulo Lucane (FAL)

Because these local companies run largely independently of Trenitalia, you will not usually see their routes come up when you’re searching on Trenitalia’s website. This can be confusing if you’re new to train travel in Italy, but do know that the public transport network in Puglia is actually quite extensive, especially since these companies also have local bus routes. 

In principle, looking at all these routes, you would think you can get just about anywhere you’d want using public transport.

BUT – there are a number of quirks to beware of. 

13. Travelling Puglia with public transport is possible, but a bit confusing

Travelling Puglia using just public transport can take some patience and research, so here are some things I wish I knew.

First – while buses and trains do exist on these routes, they’re often not frequent, depending on the season and when you’re going. So don’t just assume it’s super simple to hop from place to place using just buses. 

Second – the information is scattered across these different transport providers’ websites so it can be a bit of a pain to compare routes. There is a website that combines a lot of the services in one place called Cotrap but it’s not 100% comprehensive. And some of these websites can be quite clunky and old too, though I did find that FSE has real time train updates here so at least there’s that.

Third – timetables vary quite a lot between weekdays and weekends, peak season and off-season, which makes it easy to mess up. 

I learned the heard way, for instance, that Sundays can have a very different schedule on public transport. So make sure you’re always checking the fine print of schedules and don’t just assume it’s the same schedule every day.

Fourth – you cannot trust Google Maps 100%.

Blindly trusting Google Maps led us (and a dozen others) to a bus stop that was not functional, only to find out the real stop was a 15 minute walk away and we had no time to reach it.

It also led me to a train that seemingly did not exist in Alberobello (with no way to verify because none of the screens at the station were turned on). This train ended up leaving 50 minutes after the expected time according to Google Maps (12:08) which led us to miss our connection which led me to stress-eat three slices of plain bread while crying. Okay, just kidding about the crying part but I did eat the bread!

Oh and finally: in many cases, bus tickets cannot be purchased on board (apparently). And they won’t wait for you to go get tickets from the machine so make sure you have tickets ready to go. This can be a tough thing to find out the hard way – like us!

So, in summary: public transport in Puglia does have a lot of options, but they’re not always the simplest to navigate. And they can be super busy as well for popular destinations like Alberobello.

My advice is this: if you are doing a Puglia trip via public transport, I would personally advise sticking to larger destinations on well-serviced train lines (like along the coast) in order to minimize the headache of getting around.

14. Double check the locations of train stations relative to the historic center

Before you commit to a destination by public transport, do also double check the location of the train station relative to the city centre. 

Many times the main train station is quite a distance from the city center, so walking isn’t the best option. The last thing you want is to be dragging your luggage for literal miles to reach the city and your accommodation, so you may need to get a taxi or more public transport once you’ve gotten off the train.

Ostuni train station, for example, is far from the actual city, so you should definitely catch a bus from the train station. 

15. When in doubt, ask train station staff for help – they often have way more info

Staff at train stations tend to be fairly helpful so if you even have an ounce of doubt, just ask someone. They often have access to much more information than we do as well in regards to delays.

Though this can be challenging in smaller stations which may be un-manned, as was the case in Alberobello in May. Maybe I got unlucky though with it not being peak season! 

Even if you don’t speak Italian, it’s worth asking staff for help as they will usually be able to speak English and there’s always Google Translate in a pinch.

16. Private shuttles and long distance buses are another option for getting around Puglia

For optimal convenience getting around, you can also look into private shuttles.

Unfortunately, this is a pricey route to go, but for those travelling in larger groups, it might be worth looking into booking private shuttles for ease and convenience. 

Split between a few people, this private transfer option from Matera to Alberobello, for instance, isn’t too bad and can save you a ton of headaches.

Or for an in-between option, long distance bus services via Flixbus might offer a more convenient solution. 

17. Puglian cuisine is amazing, with tons of local specialties to try

Puglian cuisine is criminally underrated compared to other Italian regional cuisines, so I suggest you take full advantage of the tasty local specialties you’ll encounter here.

Some of the most common staples you’ll find throughout the region include:

• Orecchiette, a satisfying ear shaped pasta served in all kinds of ways, including weirdly tasty ones like with turnip tops, also known as broccoli rabe.
• Cavatelli, another popular pasta shaped like an elongated shell, which is amazing with seafood
• Fresh seafood in general if you’re by the coast. From octopus sandwiches to swordfish carpaccio, I got to enjoy all sorts of amazing seafood!
• Taralli, cracker-like snacks in a ring-ish form

And they take their bread super seriously here in general – Focaccia is a big deal across the board, but most areas will have their own take on bready goodness, like the Puccia bread from southern Puglia which is amazing in sandwiches.

… Plus plenty of great cheese. In fact, burrata comes from here and I implore you to eat as much as you can because it’s SO creamy and good. Stracciatella is another one you’ll see everywhere and that’s just the creamy inside part of burrata. Caciocavallo cheese is also quite popular – it’s a fairly mild cheese but it comes in a super fun shape.

And we can’t forget the almighty Pasticcioto, an oval shaped pastry filled with decadent cream commonly eaten for breakfast. 

This is truly just scraping the surface though. There’s also many more specialties unique to individual cities and towns – because honestly they love their food here and are so proud of their traditional dishes, so be sure to look at specific dishes that are specialties of your specific town or city.

For instance, Bari is known as the home of Braciole al sugo, stuffed beef rolls in a tangy tomato sauce. And Spaghetti all’ assassina, which is a spicy and charred tomato-based pasta that’s fried first in a pan rather than just boiled.

18. Always pre-book for popular restaurants, especially on weekends/during peak hours

Granted, there are usually lots of food options in bigger towns and cities so you won’t ever starve, but the most popular, highly recommended places certainly fill up quick.

This is especially true from Thursday to Saturday which are the prime dining out evenings.

So, if you have your heart set on a particular restaurant, do make sure you book your table ahead of time. Calling or sending them a WhatsApp message is usually the best bet, but if you don’t want to call then you can seek out places that take bookings online – a popular app we came across was The Fork, which sometimes has special discounts as well, like these.

Another easy option for those with longer trips is you can just go in person to make a booking for the next day or during lunch hours to make a booking for dinner. For me, I find some of the best meals come from the small unassuming spots that don’t have websites or online bookings, so this can be a fun way to go. 

Do be mindful of the hours that you plan for food though, because…

19. Most restaurants close between lunch and dinner, as well as on Mondays/Tuesdays

So if you’re hoping for a sit-down meal, make sure to plan accordingly – typically places are open for lunch between 12pm to 3pm, and won’t open for dinner any earlier than 7pm, with 8pm being a common sitting time. 

That said, if you want to dine outside of these hours, there will often be quicker to-go options or street food available – just know that sit-down meals will usually not be an option at most places… though some places will be open for drinks earlier, which is how I ended up getting hopelessly drunk off Spritzes while waiting for dinner in Brindisi.

Another point to note is that many restaurants close on Mondays and Tuesdays, so plan accordingly.

20. You can pay by card in most cases, but having cash/coins just in case is a good idea

By law, every place in Italy actually needs to accept electronic payments like by credit card. So you should be able to pay for everything on card if needed.

In reality though there will probably be instances when cash is preferred, when it’s more convenient, or maybe your card doesn’t work properly. I always think having some cash as a backup is a good idea for these cases, especially coins. 

21. Beware the Riposo in the mid-afternoon, when many businesses/attractions close

Another thing – beware the Riposo!

This refers to a mid-afternoon break comparable to a Spanish siesta when many businesses and attractions will just peace out for a few hours, usually between around 1pm to 4pm. The exact timing will vary per establishment, but this includes places like churches and museums, so definitely be sure to plan around it and double check hours before you go.

That said…

22. Don’t blindly believe the opening hours you see on Google Maps

Local businesses don’t update their hours, I don’t think, which is why in pretty much every place we went to, there was a place that wasn’t open even though Google maps said it would be.

Again, downsides of travelling in the shoulder season, but do take all hours you find on Google Maps with a grain of salt. I find it’s helpful to cross reference those hours with postings on the place’s Facebook or Instagram, though they won’t always have one.

23. Bring tissues for the toilet as they often don’t have them, as well as wet wipes 

One awkward detail while traveling in Puglia is that in public toilets, there often isn’t toilet paper. Make sure you always have a little packet of tissues with you in case, so you’re not literally caught with your pants down…

And also bring some wet wipes. This is useful for a number of things but specifically for gelato hands!

24. Bring water shoes or protection for the beach/swimming as conditions can be rocky

Finally, I would advise some form of water shoe or protection for swimming if you plan to go out to the beach because the beaches and sea in Puglia are mainly rocky…

Though beware that in many seaside areas now, large portions of beaches are considered private property and for paid use only, which is extremely annoying but you can keep an eye out specifically for spiaggia libera, or free beaches, where this is not the case.

Regardless, do be sure to research any beach areas you plan to visit to ensure you can actually go to them, or prepare to pay a bit extra for the privilege. 

I hope this list of Puglia Travel Tips was helpful!

Let me know in the comments if you have any more to add.