How to Get from Tuscany to Puglia

Traveling from the Tuscany region of Italy down to the southern region of Puglia is a trip of almost 500 miles (800 kilometers) that will take about seven to eight hours by car or train or three to four hours to fly. Travel times are dependent on where you begin and end your journey, differing as to whether you start in Florence, Pisa, Siena or another Tuscan city and where you end up, with Puglia's main towns being Bari, Taranto, Brindisi, and Lecce.

Flying down is certainly an option, but depending on where you begin, the trip can take from 1.5 to 3 hours, and getting to and from the airport will add time to each part of the journey, so driving isn't that much more of a time consumer.

Driving will naturally allow you to see the sights along the way, whether you decide to go down the center of the country (through/around Rome) or down the coastline of the Adriatic Sea. Hiring a car and driver can take you on either route, with the option of stopping if you book by the hour, rather than the trip. 

Taking the train is a comfortable option, with the best route the one that goes from Florence through Rome to Bari Centrale Station. That will take about 6.5 hours, with choices of first- or second-class seats.

Another possibility is to combine two of our tours to see both Tuscany and Puglia; by doing that, we will arrange all your transfers between the two regions. Laidback Puglia: Aerobella, Bari, Lecce is a 10-day tour, which you can book to follow a Tuscany 7-day tour like Explore Tuscany: Florence, Siena, Pisa & Lucca or Cycling in Tuscany: Pisa, Lucca & Beyond, that goes for 6 days.

By Rental Car or Private Transfer

Pick up a rental car in Florence, Pisa, Siena or another larger Tuscan town, then follow the A1 to the A14 to make your way to Puglia. That trip will take you past Rome and Naples, both cities worth stopping for a bite to eat or even to stay over for a night or two. Or steer toward the Adriatic coast and get on the A14 (also known as the Autostrada Adriatica) and make your drive a leisurely one down the coastline through small, picturesque fishing villages all along the way.

To leave the driving to the professionals, hire a private car and driver to take you the distance between Tuscany and Puglia. The driver will come to wherever you are in Tuscany, be it big city or small village; the size vehicle can be chosen to accommodate a small or large party of travelers and luggage; and you'll arrive exactly at your chosen destination without any worries of getting lost. Use our local specialist network to assist in your booking.

By Plane

Fly from Tuscany to Puglia from cities like Pisa, where nonstop flights go to Bari or Brindisi in Puglia, or from Bologna, for a 1.5-hour flight to Bari. It's a quick way traverse the length of Italy, but add in the travel time from the center of a city to its airport to calculate your total travel time. You'll generally find that flying and driving are about equivalent in expense when combining the cost of the car rental as well as the gasoline needed to make the trip.

By Train

Trains in Italy are also a good option, as the country's train system is extensive, reliable and reasonably priced. Most trains heading from Tuscany to Puglia will make a fair amount of local stops, however, so expect this mode of transport to take about 8 hours to make the journey. You may find you'll need to change trains in one of the big cities (like Rome) to get on the right track to Puglia's Bari's Centrale Station or one of the other stations in the Puglia sector of Italy.