From Brindisi Airport (BDS) to the city centre and old town

How far is Brindisi Airport from the city centre?

On the approach to Brindisi, the plane drops low over the sea and the harbour, and for a moment you can see the whole old town before the wheels touch the ground. That is the best summary of this airport: it is practically in town.

Brindisi Airport, officially Aeroporto del Salento, IATA code BDS, sits on the northern edge of the city, about 5 to 6 km from the historic centre. By car or taxi the trip takes about 10 minutes outside rush hour. Few Italian airports are this close to the place you are actually going.

It is run by Aeroporti di Puglia, the same company that manages Bari, and it serves the whole of Salento and much of central Puglia. Many visitors land here and drive straight to Lecce or the Valle d'Itria without seeing Brindisi at all. That is a shame, and also an opportunity: a night in the old town before or after a flight costs you almost no travel time.

Is there a bus from Brindisi Airport to the city centre?

Yes. The local transport company STP Brindisi runs a line that links the airport, the railway station, the city centre (Via del Mare and Piazza Capitanerie di Porto, by the harbour) and the Costa Morena ferry terminal.

• Frequency: about every 30 minutes.
• Hours: roughly from 05:30 to 23:45 in the current STP timetable. Early morning and late evening runs only cover the airport and the railway station; the full route to Costa Morena runs during the day.
• Journey time: about 10 to 15 minutes to the centre, 15 to 20 minutes to the Via del Mare area, 25 to 30 minutes to Costa Morena.
• Fare: about 1 euro, about 1.50 euro if bought on board.
• Tickets: sold at the bookshop inside the terminal, or on board at the higher fare.

Timetables change with the season, so check the STP website before you fly, especially for a very early or very late flight. From the harbour stop, most of the old town is a 5 to 10 minute walk. From the railway station, walk down Corso Umberto towards the sea.

How much is a taxi from Brindisi Airport?

Taxis wait at the rank outside arrivals. The ride to the old town takes about 10 minutes. Fares change, and some drivers quote a fixed price for the airport run, so ask the price before you get in and check whether card payment is accepted. For a group of three or four with suitcases, a taxi often costs little more per person than juggling bags on the bus.

At busy times, especially when two or three flights land together on a summer evening, the queue can be long. If you arrive late at night or with children, book in advance.

Inside the old town some streets are narrow and part of a limited traffic zone. Drivers know where they can stop. For BDS House, the car can pull up in the small square in Via Annunziata, a few steps from the door.

Private transfers and hire cars

A private transfer means someone waits for you with your name and you go straight to the door. It is the calmest option after a long journey. Guests of BDS House can ask for an airport transfer when they book: send the flight number and arrival time, and we organise it and move the meeting time if the plane is late.

Car hire desks are inside the terminal. A car makes sense if you plan beaches or day trips to Ostuni, Alberobello or Otranto. It does not make sense for Brindisi itself: the old town is walkable and parking inside it is limited. If you stay with us, unload in Via Annunziata, then park for free in Via Spalato, about 9 minutes on foot.

A word on driving in Brindisi. The roads from the airport into town are easy, with signs for the centre and the port. The difficulty starts at the edge of the old town, where streets narrow and limited traffic zones (ZTL) begin. Cameras record entries, and fines arrive by post through the rental company months later. Follow your host's directions to the unloading point, keep to the main roads, and leave the car outside the historic centre for the rest of your stay. If you are only spending a night or two in Brindisi before driving on, consider picking up the car on the morning you leave instead: the desks are 10 minutes away.

Which option should you choose?

Here is a quick comparison. Times are approximate and assume normal traffic.

From Brindisi Airport to the train station, Lecce and Ostuni

Brindisi's railway station is on the same STP bus line as the airport, about 10 minutes away. From there, regional trains run along the Adriatic line in both directions, which makes the airport a good arrival point for the whole region.

Check exact times on Trenitalia on the day; regional trains are frequent but not every hour at every time. Ostuni station is a few kilometres below the town, so you will need a local bus or taxi for the last stretch. If you are planning several days, see day trips from Brindisi for what to do in each town.

From the airport to the ferry port for Greece

Ferries to Greece leave from Costa Morena, the ferry terminal on the eastern side of the harbour. The STP airport line continues there during the day, about 25 to 30 minutes from the airport. Early and late runs stop at the railway station, so if your timing is tight, take a taxi.

Allow plenty of margin: ferry check-in usually closes well before departure, and the terminal is not in the old town. Our Brindisi ferry to Greece guide covers the port, the routes and how to plan the crossing.

Late arrivals and early departures

Late flights are common in summer. The last buses leave before midnight, and on a delayed flight you may miss them. For any arrival after about 22:30, book a taxi or transfer in advance and tell your host your flight number, so the key handover can wait for you.

Early departures are the other side of the coin. With the airport about 10 minutes away, a 06:30 flight from Brindisi is much less painful than from Bari. For domestic and Schengen flights in high season, leaving the old town about 1 h 30 before departure is usually enough; give yourself more if you need to return a hire car or check bags. Our stopover guide has more on planning a night before an early flight.

Where to stay near Brindisi Airport

There are hotels on the roads around the airport, but there is little reason to sleep next to a runway when a real old town is 10 minutes away. In the historic centre you can walk to the harbour for dinner, see the Roman column lit up, and still be at the terminal in a quarter of an hour.

BDS House is a whole home at Vico D'Orimini 11, sleeping up to six, with a full kitchen, washing machine, air conditioning and two private terraces. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out by 11:00, and the railway station is about 750 m away. It is rated 5.0 on Google. If it suits your dates, you can book directly and ask for the airport transfer at the same time.