A loop from Bari taking in Castel del Monte and the Sassi of Matera, the trulli of the Itria Valley, Ostuni the white town, Baroque Lecce, then the Salento coast from Otranto to Leuca and Gallipoli, before heading back up via Monopoli and Polignano. The roads are easy and almost all free; the real trap is the historic centres closed to cars and watched by cameras (ZTL).
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May-June and September-October: the sea is warm enough to swim, and roads and car parks are less busy. In July-August, heat, packed beaches around 15 August (Ferragosto) and ZTLs extended into the evening, as in the Sassi of Matera.
🚗 133 km · 2h15 of driving from Bari
The toll A14 from Bari to Andria, then provincial roads via Castel del Monte and Altamura. In Matera, leave the car outside the Sassi.
🚗 81 km · 1h40 of driving from Matera
Small Murgia roads to the Castellana Caves, then Alberobello, a few kilometres to the south.
🚗 35 km · 40 min of driving from Alberobello
Small Itria Valley roads via Locorotondo and Cisternino, between trulli, olive trees and dry-stone walls.
🚗 77 km · 1h05 of driving from Ostuni
SS16 towards Brindisi, then the SS613 expressway to Lecce, toll-free. The Torre Guaceto reserve on the way, on the sea side.
🚗 46 km · 1h05 of driving from Lecce
Via San Cataldo, then the SP366 coast road: Roca Vecchia, Torre dell'Orso, Sant'Andrea, before reaching Otranto.
🚗 100 km · 2h of driving from Otranto
The SP358 coastal corniche via Porto Badisco, Santa Cesarea Terme and Castro to Leuca, then the Ionian coast.
🚗 150 km · 2h of driving from Gallipoli
A long toll-free leg: SS101 towards Lecce, SS613 towards Brindisi, then the SS379 and SS16 expressways along the Adriatic.
🚗 45 km · 45 min of driving from Monopoli
From the airport, head straight to Matera (1 night), then Alberobello (2), Lecce (2) and Monopoli (1) before returning the car in Bari. Otranto, Leuca and Gallipoli need two or three more days.
| Car hire only, April (most expensive month) | ≈ €33 a day |
|---|---|
| Car hire only, November | ≈ €11 a day |
| Small car, annual average | ≈ €26 a day |
| SUV, annual average | ≈ €43 a day (Kayak, Bari, Sept. 2026) |
| Vehicle | A small city car: narrow lanes in the white villages, tight squares, cramped car parks near the historic centres. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Bari-Palese airport, with desks on the ground floor of the terminal. It is a loop, so no one-way fee. |
| Insurance | Damage (CDW) and theft cover are included by default in Italy, with an excess of €500 to €2,000; excess waiver optional. |
| Age and card | Usually 21 minimum, with a surcharge under 25. A credit card in the driver's name. |
| Fines | The rental company passes on every ZTL or speed camera fine and charges €40 to €60 in admin fees. |
⚠️ A ZTL fine can arrive months later, with the rental company's fees on top. At a "Varco attivo" sign, do not drive in.
Any valid European Union licence is enough, with no International Driving Permit. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. Dipped headlights compulsory outside built-up areas, day and night.
110 on expressways, 50 in towns. In rain: 110 and 90. Licence held under 3 years: 100 and 90.
Zero for under-21s and licences held for less than 3 years.
Bari Vecchia, Lecce, Matera, Monopoli, Ostuni, Polignano, Otranto, Gallipoli: centres under camera surveillance, with hours specific to each town.
In Matera, Lecce, Monopoli or Gallipoli, a hotel inside the ZTL registers your number plate. Ask before you arrive.
Only the A14 (Bari-Andria) is tolled. The SS16, SS379, SS613 and SS101 are free expressways.
Phone in hand at the wheel: a fine and a licence suspension of 15 days to 2 months.
≈ €2.15 a litre of petrol, €2.34 for diesel (self-service)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: Osservaprezzi carburanti (Italian ministry) →
⛽ 667 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €100 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
MIMIT national average of 24 September 2026, more expensive on motorways (€2.25). "Fai da te" (self-service) costs less than "servito".
| A14 motorway, Bari to Andria | Ticket toll, the only paying section of the loop |
|---|---|
| SS16, SS379, SS613, SS101 | Free expressways |
| Castellana Caves | €25 for the 3 km route, €22 for the 1 km route (2026) |
| Castellana Caves car park | Paid, near the entrance |
| Sassi of Matera ZTL | 10:00-24:00 from 1 July to 15 September |
|---|---|
| Sassi ZTL, rest of the year | 10:00-20:30, from 16 September to 30 June |
| Matera centre ZTL | 24 hours a day, all year |
| Gallipoli and Otranto ZTLs | Extended in summer, hours set each year by the town council |
| Bari Vecchia, Monopoli, Ostuni, Polignano | Historic centres in camera-enforced ZTLs: park outside |
Allow 12 days for this loop of 8 stages and 11 nights from Bari: Matera, the Itria Valley, Ostuni, Lecce, the Salento coast down to Leuca and Gallipoli, then Monopoli and Polignano. In 7 days, keep Matera, Alberobello, Lecce and Monopoli. The Gargano, in the north, needs three or four more days.
Car only: about €360 of hire over 11 days in April (€33 a day, Kayak average), around €120 in November. For about 650 km, allow about €100 of petrol at September 2026 prices. Only the A14 between Bari and Andria is tolled. Add parking and entry fees, such as €25 at the Castellana Caves.
A limited traffic zone: the historic centre, closed to unauthorised cars and watched by cameras. Bari Vecchia, Lecce, Matera, Monopoli, Ostuni, Polignano, Otranto and Gallipoli all have one. At a "Varco attivo" sign, the camera is on: a fine of €83 to €332, plus the rental company's fees. Park outside or have your hotel register your number plate.
Not during ZTL hours: the entrances on Via D'Addozio and Via Buozzi are camera-controlled from 10:00 to 24:00 from 1 July to 15 September, and from 10:00 to 20:30 the rest of the year. The centre around the Duomo is closed 24 hours a day. A hotel located in the Sassi registers your entry.
May-June and September-October: the sea is warm enough to swim, the Salento coast roads keep flowing and the car parks at the coves do not overflow. In July-August, it is very hot and the coast is overrun, especially around 15 August. Several ZTLs, in Matera, Otranto or Gallipoli, are then extended into the evening.
Not with an EU licence: any valid European Union licence is enough. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required. Rental companies generally require a minimum age of 21, with a surcharge under 25, and a credit card in the driver's name.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/puglia · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
