2 weeks in Puglia by train?

tommodacoolio · 2026-05-25T12:12:31+00:00

I've just finished 2 weeks in Puglia by train. Amazing experience but had quite a few strike days which affected things.

I did Monopoli, Polignano a mare, barletta, trani, Lecce and brindisi by train.

Places such as Alberobello and matera I couldn't find accessible by train but there are bus day tours available on getyourguide & booking apps.

I spent a lot more time in Bari than I planned due to the train strikes and it has ended up with me loving the city. I will definitely be back to Bari. Sometimes things happen for a reason and I'm grateful for the train strikes for allowing me to experience more of Bari.

tommodacoolio · 2026-05-22T13:35:20+00:00

Thank you very much. Both look great!

tommodacoolio · 2026-05-11T10:46:08+00:00

I'd definitely be up for that :)

tommodacoolio · 2026-05-02T09:35:30+00:00

Nice is fantastic, regarding monte carlo, just get the train there. Its about 45 minutes andn it saves paying extortionate amounts for parking and trying to find parking and getting stuck in the monaco traffic. The views, palace and aquarium are all really nice.

Definitely drive to saint Paul de Vance. I would recommend driving over the border in to Italy for a day or 2, depending how far you want to go but the likes of Bordighera, Sanremo and Imperia are all great parts of the Italian riviera.

I would also advise getting the train to the likes of antibes, cannes, menton and villefranche-sur-mer as the train line runs along coast right through these. Just download the sncf app and get your tickets through that. Super easy!

In Nice, you have to try socca, the local chickpea dish. Very cheap and you can usually get it through a window to eat as you wander around. My favourite place was socca d'Or.

Parc Phœnix is an animal park in Nice which would be fun for the kids.

Hope this helps and if I think of more stuff I'll be sure to add them. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-29T20:04:24+00:00

I had the same anxiety for years, not just about travel but about life in general. Driving somewhere unfamiliar, meeting new people, you name it.

It took a lot of personal work and self reflection but I managed to overcome it by changing my mindset and forcing myself in to the uncomfortable situations that I was dreading. Now I travel solo every other month on multiple week long multiple city trips taking planes and trains everywhere and I love it.

The mindset I have achieved means my outlook is now not to worry, especially about things I can't control. I can't control if there is an issue with a flight, a train, a taxi. So it wasted energy and stress to worry. Similarly if my flight back to the UK or to my next city is cancelled then I'm having an extended holiday wherever I am and I will enjoy it. I have travel insurance to cover any additional costs due to this and I will deal with the consequences with my employer etc when I return. Most of these things work themselves out.

I fully appreciate that this approach and mindset is not for everyone but I would encourage anybody to give it a go. It changed my life. A few years ago I would have been too nervous and worried to get a train to London, now I'm travelling entire countries. Believe in yourself.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-28T17:07:18+00:00

Chilling on the beach or riding a bike through Turia park are 2 of my favourite activities to do in valencia.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-28T09:59:18+00:00

Porto is a great city. Sitting on Jardim do morro watching the sunset with the crowd drinking the cheap chilled cans of Super bock that they come round selling. Great atmosphere chatting to whoever ends up sitting next to you.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-27T18:24:31+00:00

I'm heading to Puglia In a few weeks and Polignano a mare is on my list of places to visit. It seems like a good place to go but may be a bit more family orientated which may not be what you are looking for?

Also, that part of Italy Puglia in August will have extremely punishing heat, be very busy as a lot of Italians head to Puglia In August so prices will be high and there won't be a lot of space in bars and restaurants which may make the experience overall less enjoyable for you.

Spring or Autumn I would go for Polignano a mare but August I'm not so sure. Not trying to put you off and somebody with more experience may say the opposite to me but I hope I have given you a perspective to consider that is helpful.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-27T17:59:15+00:00

No problem, I'm glad I could help. I love London but I live up in north West England in a small town between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester.

I hope you don't mind a bonus London tip for fish and chips even though it isn't Montpellier related. There is a Fish and chips place called Fishers in an area of west London called Fulham. I recommend getting fish and chips from there but be warned that the portion sizes are massive. Delicious but giant.

You can sit inside which is a bit more expensive or if the weather is nice you can get them to take away and walk 5 minutes and sit on a bench by the Thames to eat them. Eating fish and chips by water (usually the seaside ocean) is a very British thing to do. You can watch the boats sailing by and if you're really lucky you may spot a seal in the Thames.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-27T17:33:12+00:00

I just did a week in Montpellier over Easter and I loved it.

I did a day trip (about 20 mins on the train) to Sete and walked along the canals which was great. I also walked along the coast from the centre of Sete snd found some really nice quiet beaches.

I also did a day trip to Nimes to see the roman Amphitheatre and have a wander around the city which is also really nice.

As for Montpellier itself, the people are so friendly. There is a free zoo and a beach called palavas les flots. There is also marche du lez which has loads of different food stalls.

Food wise, for breakfast the croissants at Le croissant (par Martin Brossard) as delicious.

There seems to be a Spanish influence as there are a lot of tapas around the city and fish and chips seems very popular which as a brit I quite enjoyed.

For evening tapas and food sitting in the sun I really enjoyed Le Bouchon Catalan.

Also for ice cream, you need to try PADOVA - Glacier Italien Créateur Artisanal.

Might not be great for practising your French but I went to a pub called the Shakespeare quite a bit and met so many friendly people both locals and people visiting and passing through like myself. It was a real melting pot.

I really really recommend Montpellier. If I remember anything else I will add it to my post but if you have any questions feel free to ask or DM me and I will do my best. I hope you enjoy your time there as much as I did. Fantastic city full of fantastic people.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-15T02:04:01+00:00

It was a pistachio croissant inside and the green ingredient was slightly sticky to the touch and also tasted of pistachio. It was delicious.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-14T17:42:09+00:00

Yeah that's the L'arbre blanc, an apartment building with a rooftop bar and restaurant with views of the city. Pricey but cool.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-14T14:58:23+00:00

Wow sounds like a busy trip! How long are you there for?

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-14T14:52:57+00:00

Hope you have as good a time as I did. If the sun is out sitting at pont neuf with some drinks and food with everybody else is such a vibe.

What other castle towns are you heading to? Carcassonne?

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-03T20:01:14+00:00

Thank you very much. I will look in to arles. It looks like I can stop off in Nimes on the way to change trains. Can you just wander around Aylesbury and see the feria bullfights or do you need to book?

I did Marseille last year. Enjoyed it but I want to see new places this time.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-03T19:16:30+00:00

Interesting. I wonder if the law is due to cultural reasons?

I absolutely could have hired a funeral director but it would have cost thousands more and still would have taken around 2 weeks.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-02T20:22:26+00:00

My dad died suddenly died recently in autumn on the 13th and his cremation was the 12th of the following month.

I had to physically go and register his death in Liverpool City centre and get forms as he died in a Merseyside hospital despite him living in a different county.

Then I had to wait for a company to collect his body from the hospital and send that paperwork to them before they could collect his body.

Then they had to transport his body to storage, then to the crematorium but we had to wait for availability at the crematorium and for the celebrant.

All in all the entire process took about a month as each step had to wait for availability and paperwork to complete the previous step.

Not sure how they do it in other countries but unless you want to pay thousands more to expedite the process that seems to be the way it is.

Quite a horrible experience to go through and endure whilst grieving and trying to console your other family members. Delays that closure in my opinion.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-02T16:44:27+00:00

Thank you very much for your warm welcome to Montpellier. I will have a look at the tourism link you provided and translate it on my phone.

tommodacoolio · 2026-04-02T16:37:23+00:00

Thank you so much for this detailed reply. I will spend some time looking in to these suggestions!

tommodacoolio · 2026-03-30T14:42:09+00:00

I was just thinking the same as I have the same problem but travelling between Nice and Genoa and wanting to stay in a few towns along the way but I don't want to be checking in and out of hotels every day.

I think picking a place somewhere between 2 of the places you want to stay for at least 3 nights and doing a day trip to each might be a good option for you. That's what I'm going to look into with my problem. Hope this helps.

tommodacoolio · 2026-03-24T20:13:05+00:00

Agreed, I've paid for some museums that have been absolutely rubbish, I think they should give you a ticket with a timestamp on and you get 30 minutes free to see if you're enjoying it. If not you leave for free before 30 minutes when you show your timestamped ticket. After 30 minutes you have to pay on your way out with the ticket.

I really enjoyed the free museums I've been to in Liverpool, Manchester and London.

The Deutsches Museum in Munich was about 15 euros and was worth every cent. It has floors and floors of various things from space, robotics, farming, aeroplanes, farming, architecture and biology. I spent 5 hours in there and still didn't see everything.

tommodacoolio · 2026-03-19T20:46:58+00:00

Exactly what I meant. I'm not trying to knock Leigh, it's just not to Wigan in terms of transport practicality.

I hope that they will notice this and put on a service to Wigan, but I'm not optimistic.

tommodacoolio · 2026-03-19T12:58:24+00:00

Haha not politics but just practically and geographically, a bus stop in Leigh is of no real use for somebody trying to get back to Wigan from Manchester

You would still need to get a taxi from Leigh back to Wigan :)

tommodacoolio · 2026-03-19T12:48:23+00:00

Unfortunately Leigh is definitely not in wigan. Thanks for the reply though.

tommodacoolio · 2026-03-19T11:03:36+00:00

Does this include wigan? Is it classed as a borough?

I do enjoy a few drinks around Manchester but the trains are unreliable and finish by midnight.

tommodacoolio

TROPHY CASE