Brindisi (BDS) or Bari (BRI): which airport is best for your Puglia trip?

Should you fly into Brindisi or Bari?

Most people book the cheapest flight to "Puglia" and only later look at the map. Then they discover that Puglia is about 400 km long, that the beaches they saved on Instagram are near Otranto, and that their airport is two hours away. Choosing the right airport at the start can save a full day of driving over a week.

The two main airports are Bari Karol Wojtyła (BRI) in the north-centre and Brindisi Aeroporto del Salento (BDS) further south. Both are run by the same company, Aeroporti di Puglia, both have car hire, and both connect to the main European cities. The difference is geography.

The short rule: south and Salento, Brindisi; north, Bari and Matera, Bari; Valle d'Itria, either. Below are the details, a distance table and the case for open-jaw tickets.

Brindisi and Bari airports compared

In 2024, according to Aeroporti di Puglia, Bari handled about 7.3 million passengers and Brindisi about 3.4 million. Bari is the bigger airport, with a wider choice of routes and airlines. Brindisi is smaller, quicker to get through, and very close to its city.

Routes change every season, so check the airport websites or a flight search for your dates. From much of northern Europe and from Italian cities like Milan and Rome, both airports usually have options in summer.

How far is each airport from the places you want to see?

This is the table that decides it. Approximate driving times, outside summer traffic:

Notice the middle of the table: for Ostuni, Alberobello and the Valle d'Itria the two airports are roughly level, with Brindisi slightly ahead for Ostuni, Cisternino and Ceglie Messapica. For everything south of Brindisi, BDS saves you an hour or more each way.

Which airport for which Puglia itinerary?

Salento holiday (Lecce, Otranto, Gallipoli, Leuca): Brindisi, without question. Arriving in Bari adds about two hours of driving at each end.

Salento plus the Valle d'Itria (the classic first trip): Brindisi. It sits at the hinge between the two, so you can base yourself in one place and do day trips both ways. Our 7-day Puglia itinerary from Brindisi is built on exactly this.

Bari, Polignano, Monopoli and Matera: Bari. Matera is about an hour from Bari airport and about two from Brindisi.

The whole region in 10 to 14 days: fly into Bari and out of Brindisi, or the reverse, and travel in one direction. More on that below.

Ferry to Greece: Brindisi. The port is about 10 to 15 minutes from the airport. See our Brindisi ferry guide.

Open-jaw: in at Bari, out from Brindisi

Many of the best Puglia trips are linear: start in the north with Bari and Matera, move south through Polignano, Monopoli and the trulli, end in Salento. Flying into Bari and out of Brindisi (or the reverse) avoids driving back to where you started.

Things to check before booking:

• One-way car hire. Many rental companies allow a pick-up in Bari and drop-off in Brindisi, since both are in the same region, but fees vary. Compare the total price, not just the daily rate.
• The shuttle. Without a car, the Pugliairbus service operated by COTRAP connects Bari airport and Brindisi year-round. Check the current timetable on the Aeroporti di Puglia website.
• The last night. If you fly out of Brindisi early in the morning, sleep in Brindisi, not in Lecce or the Valle d'Itria. Our stopover guide shows how to use that last evening well.

Car hire at Brindisi and Bari

Both airports have the major international rental brands and local companies, with desks in or near the terminal. A few tips that apply to both:

• Book early for July and August, when automatic cars and larger cars run out.
• Consider full insurance: village streets are narrow and parking is tight.
• Learn about the ZTL (limited traffic zones) in historic centres, including Brindisi, Lecce, Ostuni and Polignano. Entering one without a permit can lead to a fine weeks later.
• Return the car with the agreed fuel level and leave time for the check.

If you base yourself in Brindisi, you may not need a car every day: Lecce, Ostuni, Monopoli and Polignano are all on the railway. Our guide to driving and parking in Brindisi covers the details.

Getting into town without a car

From Brindisi airport: a taxi to the old town takes about 10 minutes. The local STP bus links the airport with the railway station and the centre, and the Pugliairbus shuttle runs to Lecce in about 40 minutes. Step-by-step options are in our Brindisi airport to city centre guide.

From Bari airport: a train runs from the airport station to Bari Centrale in about 20 minutes, where you can connect to the main line towards Polignano, Monopoli, Ostuni and Brindisi. Buses and taxis are also available.

Brindisi's advantage here is time, not infrastructure: when the whole journey from the plane door to your sofa is 20 minutes, a late arrival or a dawn departure stops being a problem.

Late arrivals and early departures

Low-cost schedules love the extremes: a landing after 23:00, a departure before 7:00. This is where the distance between airport and bed matters most.

At Brindisi, a late arrival is easy. The terminal is small, so you are usually outside soon after collecting your bag, and the old town is about 10 minutes away by taxi or pre-booked transfer. Book that transfer in advance if you land late, as taxis can be few at night. For an early flight, a 5:00 taxi gets you to the terminal well in time.

At Bari, a late arrival with a car means driving on unfamiliar roads in the dark if you are heading south. If you land late in Bari, sleep near the airport or in Bari itself and drive the next morning.

A good rule for both airports: the first and last nights should be close to the runway. If your flight is from Brindisi, that means a night in Brindisi's old town, with a walk on the waterfront and dinner by the harbour instead of a motorway at dawn.

Why Brindisi wins for Salento and the south

Three reasons. First, distance: Lecce, Otranto and the Ionian beaches are an hour or more closer from Brindisi than from Bari. Second, position: Brindisi is the only airport city that is also a good base for both halves of the trip, Salento to the south and Ostuni and the Valle d'Itria to the north. Third, calm: a smaller terminal, a short transfer and a relaxed old town where you can eat by the harbour an hour after landing.

That last part is why we opened BDS House, a whole home in Brindisi's old town about 10 minutes from the airport, with two private terraces, a full kitchen and room for up to 6. Airport transfer is available on request, check-in is from 14:00, and the station is about 750 m away for trains to Lecce and Ostuni. If Brindisi is your airport, you can see our availability here.

For more on using the city as a base, read Brindisi as a base for Puglia and our Brindisi vs Lecce comparison.