In short. Two international airports — Bari Karol Wojtyła (8 km from the centre) and Brindisi Casale, the Aeroporto del Salento (6 km) — plus Foggia Gino Lisa for the north. Grottaglie exists but does not take scheduled passenger flights. Both main airports have car hire, taxis, private transfers and the Pugliairbus coach network.
Flying is the fastest way in from northern Italy and from most of Europe, and the choice between the two airports is the single decision that shapes the rest of the trip.
Bari Karol Wojtyła
Also known as Bari Palese, about 8 km from the city centre. It is the largest and busiest airport in the region.
- Italian connections: Rome, Milan, Turin, Venice, Naples, Florence
- European connections: London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and seasonal summer routes
- On the ground: bus and train links into the city, car hire, taxis and private shuttles
Land here for the Gargano, the Murgia, the Valle d’Itria, Polignano a Mare and Alberobello — and for Matera, which is not in Puglia but is closer to Bari than most of Puglia is.
Brindisi — Aeroporto del Salento
Brindisi Casale sits just 6 km from the centre of the city — close enough that the transfer is not a factor.
- Italian connections: Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna, Venice
- International: Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Spain and eastern Europe, plus seasonal summer routes
- On the ground: direct Pugliairbus coaches to Lecce, car hire, taxis and private transfers
This is the airport for the Salento: Lecce, Gallipoli, Otranto and Santa Maria di Leuca.
The other two
- Foggia “Gino Lisa” — small, and the closest option for the Gargano and the north of the region.
- Taranto–Grottaglie — not operational for scheduled flights; it works as an industrial and cargo airport.
Getting out of the airport
Pugliairbus links Bari and Brindisi with the main Apulian cities — Lecce, Taranto, Foggia — and with Matera. It is the sensible option if you are not hiring a car.
But hire the car if you can. Public transport reaches the cities; it does not reach the masserie, the small towns and most of the coast. A car is what turns a Puglia holiday from three cities into a region.
Questions we are asked
Which airport for the Salento?
Brindisi. You can also do it from Bari with a train or a coach, but you are adding hours.
Which is the main airport in Puglia?
Bari Palese — the largest and the busiest.
Is there a direct flight to the Gargano?
No. Flights for the Gargano land at Bari or Foggia, and you continue by train, coach or hire car.
Back to getting to Puglia.
