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LATEST

Ongoing problems with Alitalia mean many people are avoiding this carrier. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives, however.

NEW FOR 2009

Amidst fears of schedule cutbacks, prospects for 2009 remain good.

Ryanair resume the useful flights from Bari to Pisa, and Tuesdays and Saturdays are operating twice daily, with a helpful afternoon flight to Bari, and flights at nil cost of seat plus taxes. Pisa is now becoming a good connection for Bari, with many flights from Pisa to the UK.

Ryanair resume their previous summer schedule from Stansted to Bari and Brindisi at the end of March 2009.

BA also resum their twice-weekly service.

NEW for 2008

Easyjet have started flights from Bari to Milan (Malpensa), so now offering connecting flights to the UK London Gatwick, Bristol and Edinburgh. This adds to the existing list of cheap carriers flying from Bari to Milan, Rome and Naples. They will also be flying to Brindisi from Milan Malpensa from October 2008.

Ryanair is now also flying Bari-Pisa giving many additional options for non-direct flights to the UK.

British Airways is now operating a summer schedule three times weekly to Bari so making with Ryanair daily direct flights UK-Bari.

Ryanair added two flights a week from Stansted to Bari for July August, now flying six days a week (Thursday excepted).

Direct Flights to Bari and Brindisi from the UK

RyanAir started daily flights to Bari from London Stansted in January 2004, and started direct flights to Brindisi in April 2004.

There are frequent special offers - bargain fares have been as low as a penny each way plus taxes. It is not necessary to book a return flight.

Prices otherwise normally available from RyanAir's website (see below) are from around a very low 50 pounds return inclusive of taxes. Flights for summer 2008 are daily, late afternoon departure from Stansted to either Bari or Brindisi depending on the day of the week.

Further news in 2004 was that British Airways started flying direct to Bari from Gatwick. There is no winter service but flights (now three a week) restarted in March and run until October. The schedules are variable but fairly convenient in timing, and flight time is around 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Seats can be booked at BA's online website(see below) and each-way flights start under 20 pounds plus tax if you are lucky. NEW! BA's budget prices are now applicable to ONE-WAY flights.

Both Bari and Brindisi airports are under an hour's drive from the Alberobello/Ostuni area. See below for UK direct flight schedules.

Alternative routes from London and regional airports

Direct flights

Prior to January 2004, Ryanair's nearest airport was Pescara, about 4 hour's drive away. Naples is 3 hours or so drive, and is served by direct flights from UK Gatwick (Easyjet) and from regional airports. Ryanair has now introduced flights to Lamezia in Calabria, which is about 3 hours' drive from Taranto.

Indirect flights

RyanAir are operating a list of new flights from Milan (Bergamo) from winter 2007/8, including 3-times-weekly flights to Bari.

This is welcome, illustrating Ryanair's commitment to Puglia, but because of flight timings this might be more helpful on the outbound leg from UK rather than the inbound, where a night stopover may be required. Flights from Milan also reach a number of UK regional airports including new destinations Bristol and Bournemouth.

Alitalia has flights from London Heathrow to Bari and Brindisi, with changes in Rome or Milan from around 130 pounds return. They have been unreliable for delivery of baggae, and now they are in difficyulties are best avoided.

It is also possible to get budget, charter or discounted airline flights, not only from London but from regional UK airports, to and from Milan and Rome, from where there are budget flights to Puglia. However, beware Ryanair's "Milan" destination. This in fact Bergamo airport, some 40 miles from Milan and its main Linate airport. Easyjet currently fly to Linate (and Malpensa) from London Gatwick.

New for 2008 - Ryanair have introduced flights Bari to Pisa, with a good number of flights available from Pisa to/from the UK.

Volare, the budget Italian flight company, are now back in operation and fly Bari or Brindisi to Milan Linate, which might help those for whom the Ryanair Stansted connection is inconvenient - try Easyjet connections from Linate to the UK.

Also flying from Bari to Milan Linate or Venice, or from Brindisi to Milan, the carrier AirOne (a pun - airone is Italian for heron) offer daily flights. They also offer Bari to Rome (Fumicino), and connections onward to London City airport. But their outward flights from London City go via Rome then to Milan and to Bari!

Also flying from Bari to Rome Fiumicino is low-cost carrier Blu-express.

Easyjet fly, however, UK to/from Rome Ciampino.

From Manchester or Leeds Jet2.com fly to Rome Fiumicino, where it is possible to get connections to Bari, as above.

The Venice route might be an option for anyone wanting to fly from Bristol or Nottingham East Midlands, served by Easyjet flights to Marco Polo. Thomson fly from Coventry to Venice (Marco Polo) and Naples. Note Liverpool is served by Ryanair to Treviso, about 50km from Venice.

From Milan Linate or Rome it is also possible to fly Alitalia to Bari, but the cost of these flights can be more than the budget international flights. However Alitalia can sometimes offer good deals - ie through but not direct flights - from the UK, including to/from Manchester.

The SEAP web site gives timetables for flights from Bari and Brindisi, very helpful for flight planning, also has real time departure and arrival information.

Bari Airport (Palese- BRI)

Is situated about 11 km west of Bari, just off the state road SS16 (E55). In 2005 a new terminal building opened, regarded as a great improvment and a sign of Puglia's investment.

It will normally be necessary to hire a car, as getting around rural Puglia is not very easy by public transport, which is still relatively undeveloped outside the main train lines.

Car hire companies present in the airport terminal include Europcar, HolidayAutos, Avis and Herz. Cars are best and easiest ordered in advance from the UK through the internet. Herz offer special prices to RyanAir customers - see the RyanAir web site. AutoEurope also offer good value.

From the airport it is a straightforward journey to Alberobello and the Itria Valley, on dual-carriageway for most of the way, continuing down the SS16 as far as Fasano. Alternatively from the Bari ring road you can take the SS100 towards Taranto and cut across-country from Casamassima. For the Ostuni area carry on further down the dual carriageway

Brindisi Airport (BDS)

Is situated a few kilometers north-west of Brindisi, off the state road SS379 (E55). It is due for reconstruction this year of its terminal buildings, we understand.

Car hire companies are present in the airport terminal. Again cars are best and easiest ordered in advance from the UK through the internet - try Herz and AutoEurope for good prices. Because of the times of the Stansted flights not all offices are open at arrival time.

From the airport to Alberobello and the Itria Valley is on dual-carriageway for most of the way, continue up the SS379/SS16 as far as Fasano. For Ostuni the travel time is less.

Rail

Bari is served by express trains northward via Pescara (3 hours) to Milan or Venice, also across to Rome (about 4 hours). Trains from Bari continue along the Adriatic coast down via Fasano and Ostuni to Brindisi, and from Bari there are trains via Alberobello and Martina Franca to Taranto.

By car

If you want to bring your own car, it will take about 20 to 22 hours driving time from Calais by motorway through France and Italy, or France(Belgium/Luxembourg)/Switzerland/Italy, perhaps best done over three days.

If you drive at maximum legal speed on motorways, Rome is about 4 hours from Bari, Pescara about 3 and Naples under 3.

New Ryanair destination Lamezia in Calabria is about 3 hours drive from Puglia.

 
 
Travel Links  
   
SEAP - Bari and Brindisi airport info
Car Hire
 
Airone  
Blu-Express  
Jet2.com  
  Routes/Maps
  Train Timetables
   
   

London-Bari Flight Schedules Summer schedule 2008
RyanAir British Airways
Flights Su,M,W,F From March 2008 to October 2008
London Stansted dep 17.15 arr 21.05  
Bari dep 21.30 arr Stansted 23.30 Flights Tu/Thurs/Sat flight time 2.45 approx
  Dep LGW 12.20/08.20/14.05
Sat, Tu (July/Aug) Bari dep 17.15/13.00/18.45
Stansted dep 18.00 arr 21.45  
Bari dep 22.10 arr 23.55  
   
   
London-Brindisi Flight Schedules
RyanAir  
Flights Sat, Tu, Th  
London Stansted dep 17.15 arr 21.15  
Brindisi dep 21.40 arr Stansted 23.35  
   
Note exact times are variable daily  
   
London-Bari Flight Schedules From October 28th 2008
RyanAir (Winter Season)
Flights M,W,F  
London Stansted dep 07.30 arr 11.20  
Bari dep 11.45 arr Stansted 13.45  
   
London-Brindisi Flight Schedules
RyanAir  
Flights Th, Sun  
London Stansted dep 07.30 arr 11.30  
Brindisi dep 11.55 arr Stansted 13.50  
   
   
   
Easyjet flights Milan (Malpensa) to Bari Easyjet flights Bari to Milan (Malpensa)
   
Daily 7.40 am arr 9.20 daily Daily 9.50 am arr 11.30 daily
(25 minutes earlier Sunday) (25 minutes earlier Sunday)
MFW 13.55 arr 15.35 MFW 16.05 arr 17.45
Sun 14.30 arr 16.10 Sun 16.40 arr 18.20
   
E&OE