Which airport should I fly to for Ostuni?

Brindisi (BDS), 35 km away. Bari (BRI) is about 100 km and has more flights; if you land there, allow an hour and a quarter for the drive to Ostuni and a little more to Cisternino.

Can I get around without a car?

Not comfortably. The towns have stations or buses, but the houses are in the countryside and the beaches and the best of the valley are between the towns. Hire a car at the airport; a small one.

How long is the drive from Rome or Naples?

From Naples, about 3 hours 30 by motorway across to Bari and down the coast. From Rome, about 5 hours 30. The train from Rome to Bari takes around four hours, and a hire car from Bari airport finishes the trip.

The valleyGuide

Getting to Valle d’Itria

Fly to Brindisi (BDS), about 35 minutes by car from Ostuni and 45 from Cisternino, or to Bari (BRI), a little over an hour from both. Hire a car at the airport: the valley is small roads, olive groves and the coast, and none of it is reached by train. Ostuni also has a station on the Bari to Lecce line, three kilometres below the town.

By air

Brindisi Salento airport is the near one, 35 km from Ostuni on a fast road, with direct flights from most of Europe in summer and from Rome and Milan all year. Bari Karol Wojtyła airport is bigger, with more routes and more airlines, and about 100 km away: allow an hour and a quarter. Both have every major car hire company on site. If the fares are similar, choose Brindisi for the shorter drive at the end of a long day.

By train

The main line from Bari to Lecce runs along the coast and stops at Ostuni and, a few kilometres from the town, at Cisternino. Fast trains from Rome and Milan reach Bari in four to seven hours and connect to it. Ostuni station is in the plain 3 km below the old town, with buses and taxis. The little Ferrovie del Sud Est line from Bari climbs through the valley to Alberobello, Locorotondo and Martina Franca: slow, pretty, and useful for a day out without the car.

By road

From Bari, take the SS16 south along the coast past Monopoli and Fasano, then the SS379 to Ostuni: an hour and a quarter. From Brindisi the SS379 runs straight up the coast to Ostuni in half an hour. Both houses are outside their towns on country roads: we send exact directions and a pin once a stay is confirmed, and we are on WhatsApp if the last lane does not look right.

Once you are here

A car is not optional. The white towns are ten to thirty minutes apart, the beaches are a quarter of an hour below, and the best of the valley is the road between them, dry-stone walls and trulli on both sides. A small car is better than a large one: the old towns are closed to traffic and the lanes to the houses are narrow. Park below the walls and walk up; that is what everyone does.

Good to know

Which airport should I fly to for Ostuni?: Brindisi (BDS), 35 km away. Bari (BRI) is about 100 km and has more flights; if you land there, allow an hour and a quarter for the drive to Ostuni and a little more to Cisternino.
Can I get around without a car?: Not comfortably. The towns have stations or buses, but the houses are in the countryside and the beaches and the best of the valley are between the towns. Hire a car at the airport; a small one.
How long is the drive from Rome or Naples?: From Naples, about 3 hours 30 by motorway across to Bari and down the coast. From Rome, about 5 hours 30. The train from Rome to Bari takes around four hours, and a hire car from Bari airport finishes the trip.

When to visit Valle d’Itria

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