Puglia - Bari in April - Trip report

We stayed 8 nights in Bari at the very beginning of April 2017. Transport from the airport to the centre of Bari and the train station is quick and easy with the ordinary local bus which also has the advantage of making several stops throughout the centre.

The weather was generally good, we had a couple of showers and heavier rain for a few hours one afternoon but it was mostly sunny. Nevertheless the weather was only just spring like, temperatures were generally lower than I might have expected considering we were in the south of Italy, definitely not the weather for shorts or summer clothes and in fact local people were mostly dressed for the end of winter. That said, when the sun was out and there was no cool breeze it was pleasant to sit outside for a coffee.

The historical centre of Bari is a maze of narrow streets where tourists can wander around and is generally clean and pleasant, the walk along the walls has good views of both the sea and the old town. The highlight for us was the San Nicola cathedral but the other churches and the castle were also interesting. Here and here are more details about what we did in Bari.

Bari is on the sea and we very much liked walking along the long promenade. The more modern and shopping areas are also nice.

One of the best things about Bari was undoubtedly the market with such an excellent range of fresh good quality and tasty fish, fruit and vegetables at such cheap prices. 

We started chatting to one of the stallholders and I commented that 'up north' we have to pay a lot more and often the fruit, for example, doesn't really taste of anything. He shook his head sadly, "here," he said, "people are used to good quality products and they want them cheap too.....so....we have to provide...". Hmmm, anyway, at one point I commented it would be worth spending a week in Bari in the early spring just for the market.....So if you like cooking I would advise self-catering accommodation.

Nevertheless, the other really good thing about Bari is that it's so easy to reach other destinations along the coast easily and quickly by train. We visited Polignano a Mare and Monopoli to the south and Trani and Molfetta to the north, all less than 30/40 minutes by train from Bari. As regards that with hindsight I would have chosen accommodation nearer to the station, trudging back for nearly half an hour from the train station in the evening was tiring and boring. People generally were friendly, we had no problems and we liked Bari so much that we visited again for a day trip when we stayed a week in Brindisi later in the year, oh yes and did I mention that a Pasticciotto at Martinucci is a must......