How to get to Puglia

Flights: The two main airports in Puglia are Bari and Brindisi.
Ryanair offer budget flights from London Stansted to Bari Airport (called Palese Airport)and to Brindisi(Casale Airport). There are also Ryanair flights from Frankfurt to Bari.
TUIfly offer low cost flights from Cologne, Munich and Stuttgart.
British Airways and Alitalia also fly to Bari and Brindisi.
The well served airports of Naples (3 hour drive), Rome (4 hour drive), Ancona and Pescara (3 hour drive) are also an easy way to reach our area.

By train: The closest station on the "Ferrovie dello Stato" line is Fasano, well connected to Cisternino by a local bus service.
There is also a local train service (Ferrovie Sud Est) that connects the towns in the area around Cisternino: not a very fast way to travel but we do recomend you try it as it is an interesting experience for a day out with the family. The kids will love the little trains!

Car Hire: We would suggest that you hire a car. Main car hire companies have desks at all airports (Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar...) and it costs less to pre-book a vehicle on the internet, before your arrival here.

Average temperatures and rainfall in Puglia

Driving in Italy

The Italian Highway Code follows the Geneva Convention and Italy uses international road signs: driving is on the right , passing on the left.

Speed limits are fixed at 50 km (31 miles) per hour in urban areas, 90 km (56 miles) per hour on secondary and local roads, 110 km (68 miles) per hour on main roads outside urban areas and 130 km (80 miles) per hour on motorways, with penalties for violation in proportion to the speed exceeded.

On all the roads outside town you must drive with your lights on and seat belts must be worn at all times. The drunk driving laws are strict - do NOT drink and drive. You must always carry your driver's license on you.

Money

Getting euros is very easy as there are many cash points (Bancomats) in every town (Most towns have several banks with cash points).
Most restaurants and big supermarkets accept main credit cards, but you will need cash for the market and the little shops.
Banks in Italy are open from Monday to Friday from 8:35 a.m. to 1:35 p.m. and from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Eating out and tipping

The local people eat out a lot during the summer months.
The prices in most restaurants and "pizzerie" are very reasonable and children are always welcome.
People don't expect tips as there is already a service charge included in the price of the meal.

Shops

Most shops are open Monday-Saturday from 9am to 1pm and from 4pm to 8pm. In Cisternino Monday is market day, other markets in the area are also listed on the market page of this website.
Barbers and hairdressers tend to be closed on Sundays and Mondays.

National and bank holidays

We all know about Christmas, New Year,and Easter. But Italy celebrates other holidays as well:

- Epiphany (Jan. 6),
- Liberation Day (Apr. 25),
- May Day (May 1),
- Festival of the Republic (June 2),
- Ferragosto (Aug. 15),
- All Saints Day (Nov. 1),
- Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8),
- Feast of St.Stephen (Dec. 26).

"Festa" days for saints are also common in local towns as well. So if it seems like everything is extra quiet one day, it may be because everybody's taking the day off to celebrate!

Measuring Units Conversion Table

Miscellaneous

Emergency Telephone Numbers:
- 112 for Carabinieri service
- 113 for Emergency Police Help
- 115 for the Fire Department
- 118 for Medical Emergencies

Public telephones are available throughout Italy. Either local or international calls require the use of a phone card (Carta Telefonica) which may be purchased at any news stand, tobacco shop or "bar"(coffee shop).

Stamps and postal service: Stamps ("francobolli") may be purchased only at tobacco shops and at the Post Office. Post Offices are generally open from 8.00 am -1.30/2.00 pm from Monday to Friday, Saturday 8.00-11.45 am.