Staying in Brindisi for work at the UN Global Service Centre and UNHRD

Where exactly is the UN base in Brindisi?

Seen from the old town, the UN base is on the other side of the water. From the Roman column you look across the inner harbour to Casale, the neighbourhood with the Monumento al Marinaio, and behind Casale lies the airfield. In the early morning the small harbour boat crosses with a few commuters on board, and on a still day you can hear the first flights taking off.

The UN Global Service Centre (UNGSC) is at Piazza Giovanni del Vento 1, inside the military airport "Orazio Pierozzi". Brindisi's airport is dual use: the civilian terminal, Aeroporto del Salento (BDS), and the military area share the same runway. Locals simply call the UN site "la base ONU".

The UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD), managed by the World Food Programme, is hosted by the Italian Ministry of Defence at the same military airport and at the former San Vito dei Normanni air station, about 11 km west of Brindisi, where WFP also runs a simulation-based logistics training centre. Your invitation letter will tell you which site you need, and it makes a real difference to where you should stay.

What does the UN Global Service Centre do?

The UN Logistics Base was set up in Brindisi in 1994. In 2010 it was merged with the UN Support Base in Valencia, Spain, into one entity, the UNGSC. It provides logistics, geospatial information, IT and training services to peacekeeping operations and special political missions around the world, organised in supply chain, field technology and central services.

For a visitor this means two kinds of trips. Some people come for a few days of meetings, audits or procurement work. Others come for training courses that last one to several weeks, often with colleagues from missions in Africa, the Middle East or Asia. The UNGSC also has a conference and learning centre, which can help with accommodation questions during training events.

What is UNHRD Brindisi?

UNHRD started from an Italian government programme for prepositioning relief supplies. The Brindisi depot opened in 2000 and was the first hub of what became a global network, with further hubs in Dubai, Accra, Panama City and Kuala Lumpur. WFP manages it on behalf of the humanitarian community: UN agencies, governments and NGOs store emergency stock there and ship it when a crisis hits.

According to UNHRD, the Brindisi hub has about 8,500 square metres of covered warehouse space, temperature-controlled storage, offices, a training centre and a guesthouse for about 45 people. If your stay is linked to a training at the San Vito site, ask your focal point whether the guesthouse is an option before booking elsewhere.

How far is the UN base from the old town and the airport?

Distances are short, but the harbour is in the way, so routes curve around it. These are approximate times outside rush hour:

The harbour boat (the "motobarca") is the local secret. It leaves from the waterfront below the old town and lands at Casale in a few minutes. In good weather it is the nicest commute in Puglia. Check the current timetable on the day, as it changes with the season and the weather.

For transfers from the civilian terminal and between sites, the UNGSC lists registered taxi services on its visitors' page. More detail on the airport bus is in our guide to getting from Brindisi airport to the city centre.

What do business visitors need for the UN base?

The base is a secured military and UN area. The UNGSC asks visitors to contact their focal point and UN Security before arrival and to bring a passport. Expect a check at the gate and a badge. Practical points that save time:

• Have your invitation, your focal point's name and phone number, and your arrival time ready, printed or offline.
• Allow extra time on the first morning for security procedures.
• If you have a hire car, check in advance where visitors park.
• The base has an on-site medical unit on weekdays; Brindisi's main hospital is the Ospedale Perrino, and 118 is the emergency number in Italy.

Rules change, so always follow what your focal point sends you rather than any guide, including this one.

Where should you stay: old town, Casale or near the airport?

There is no single right answer. It depends on how long you stay and how much you want to see of the city.

For anything longer than a few nights, most people we host prefer the old town: you finish work, cross the harbour and are on the waterfront for an aperitivo in 20 minutes. Our where to stay in Brindisi guide compares neighbourhoods in more detail.

Long missions: living in Brindisi for a month or more

Consultants and trainees on longer contracts need different things from a hotel guest. Look for:

• A real kitchen and a washing machine. After two weeks of restaurant meals, a pan and a market make a big difference.
• A proper desk. Reports and calls do not end at the gate.
• Outdoor space. From April to October the evenings are warm and long.
• Monthly rates. Ask hosts directly; long stays are usually priced differently from holiday nights.
• A plan for transport. If you are at the main base, you can manage without a car using taxis, the bus and the harbour boat. For San Vito, rent one.

Weekends are the bonus of a Brindisi posting. Ostuni is about 30 to 35 minutes away, Lecce about 35 to 40, and the Torre Guaceto reserve about 25 minutes. Our guides to day trips from Brindisi and the best beaches near Brindisi will fill your Saturdays. If you are staying a while, the international community guide explains how to meet people.

After work: evenings, food and the season

A Brindisi posting has a rhythm. Work at the base usually starts early and ends mid-afternoon, which leaves long evenings, especially from May to September when the light lasts until after 20:00. The waterfront fills with families around sunset, and the old town has enough places for a different dinner every night of a two-week course.

What to look for at the table: raw seafood and sea urchins in season, orecchiette, fried pittule, the frisa softened with tomato and oil, and local Negroamaro and Susumaniello wines. Our guide to what to eat in Brindisi explains the dishes so you can order with confidence.

Weather matters for packing. Summers are hot and dry, with sea swims possible from June to early October. Winters are mild but windy, and an umbrella and a warm jacket are useful from December to February. See our guide to the best time to visit Brindisi.

Working from BDS House during a UN assignment

BDS House is a whole home in the old town at Vico D'Orimini 11, a few minutes' walk from the harbour boat to Casale and about 10 minutes by car from the base and the civilian airport. It sleeps up to 6, which suits a team on the same training, and has a full kitchen, a washing machine, air conditioning and a desk with a 27-inch monitor for the evening report.

Two private terraces, one on the roof with a view over Brindisi, are where most guests end the day. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out by 11:00, free parking is in Via Spalato about 9 minutes on foot, and an airport transfer can be arranged on request. You can check dates and ask about weekly or monthly rates here.