Where to stay in Puglia without a car

Central Puglia

In Central Puglia, I chose to stay in Bari, the capital city (and the destination most people book their flights to).

Whether by train or bus, you can take day trips (with direct routes) to countless cities and towns. The ones included on this map are Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Ostuni, Alberobello, Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Lecce, Trani, and Giovinazzo.

You can also get to more places like Taranto, Molfetta, Barletta, Bitonto, Conversano, Putignano, Grotte di Castellana, and even Matera (the famous ancient city of the Basilicata region, though timetables are much more limited).

In Bari, it's best to stay in either Bari Vecchia (the old town) or the Murat district.

Bari Vecchia is more charming, consisting mainly of pedestrianized streets and alleys, and dotted with Apulian restaurants, famous historical landmarks like the Basilica San Nicola and Basilica of San Sabino, and everyday-life scenes of the locals who live there.

That said, I find it much less convenient to walk every day from Bari Vecchia to the train station and back, as you have more distance to cover and a maze of narrow streets to get out of/into. It's an area you must explore, but I wouldn't necessarily stay there.

Murat is the newer part of Bari, located right between Bari Vecchia and the train station. I'll admit that many parts of it can only be described as ugly (I said what I said), but it's still home to some lovely and extremely lively streets and avenues (like Via Sparano and Corso Cavour - the latter is technically considered a part of a little quarter called Quartiere Umbertino).

You'll also find a few historic buildings in Murat and countless shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars, so it's definitely full of life.

My recommendation is to stay in this district to get to the train station more easily, but try to find accommodation on or near Via Sparano, which is the more pleasant area of Murat (after staying in several places in Murat, I added two great options on this map that you can book).

If you prefer staying in a seaside town rather than Bari, which is also coastal but feels more urban in a way, consider Polignano a Mare or Monopoli. Both are tourist hotspots (not that Bari isn't), have beautiful historic centers, and boast a charming atmosphere even with the crowds. From both towns, you can use trains to directly get to one another, as well as to Bari, Ostuni, and Lecce. Reaching other places will require a bus/train switch or two.

Southern Puglia

In Southern Puglia, the Salento Peninsula, stay in Lecce. In general, Salento is a little trickier to explore without a car due to public transport routes and timetables, and even though it's not going to be completely perfect and convenient, Lecce is still the best base for day trips, in my opinion.

From here, you can find ways to get to Gallipoli, Otranto, and inland and seaside towns in southern Puglia. Not only that, but it is the main city on the peninsula and is so gorgeous with so much to see. I loved coming back to it every day and exploring it some more.