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Day Course Arrival and Departure.

If you’re coming for a day course then you’re likely already handling your own travel.

We suggest you read our guides to everything in Puglia while still in the planning phase.

If you arrive by car, park it on Via Adua and walk into the city at Porta Napoli. Don’t try to enter the historic centre with your car.

Leave your car outside. It’s also much less stressful. And far less likely to get towed.

We’ll meet under the column of Sant Oronzo, in the main piazza by the same name, at 10 am for Lunch course and 18:00 pm for dinner course.

We’ll walk you back to the main piazza or you can return to your car, as Via Adua is very near the school.

If you’re coming for both meals consider staying in Lecce that night, so that you’ll have a place to rest after lunch and before dinner. And you can drink more wine, which is what so much of this is about anyway.

Bring us a refrigerator magnet from your hometown.

Week-long course in Lecce arrival and departure.

If you’re coming for a week long course most fly into Rome, stay the night and then come to Lecce by train the next day. This works brilliantly as it helps with jetlag, any potentially lost luggage and any short-term cultural shock. It’s how we would arrive.

Lecce is the last stop on the national train system (so even if you fall asleep a board it won’t be a problem). Bring a book. Pick up picnic supplies while in Roma. Bring a bottle of wine. Make an afternoon of it.

Nap a lot.

If you’re short on time and arriving from Northern Europe, you can fly into Brindisi and then take the shuttle to Lecce (25 Euro). Or a cab, which is around 90 Euro.

Brindisi to Lecce is about half an hour away.

If you’re coming for a week long course most fly into Rome, stay the night and then come to Lecce by train the next day. This works brilliantly as it helps with jetlag, any potentially lost luggage and any short-term cultural shock. It’s how we would arrive.

Lecce is the last stop on the national train system (so even if you fall asleep a board it won’t be a problem). Bring a book. Pick up picnic supplies while in Roma. Bring a bottle of wine. Make an afternoon of it.

If you’re short on time and arriving from Northern Europe, you can fly into Brindisi and then take the shuttle to Lecce (6.50 Euro). Or a cab, which is around 60 Euro. It’s half an hour away.

Arrival to and Departure from Lecce, Italy.

For starters, print this page and bring it with you. It will ease any worries you may have. Write the name of your b & b on this sheet as well: have it handy to show the cab driver.

Students from all over the world have been coming to see us in Lecce for years and we have not lost one yet. Nor many anyway. Single digits, really. Look, the number is smallish.

When to Arrive

If coming to a Lecce week arrive on Saturday or Sunday, being certain to be in the main piazza under the column and statue of Sant Oronzo at 10 am Monday mornings for Week long Course in Lecce. This is the city’s most obvious point and you can’t miss it (in 15 years no one ever has).

If arriving for a week al castello everything is the same, just that Week long classes at the castle start (with your luggage) at 11 am at Porta Napoli for the trip to the castle. We’ve set it up so that you can check out of your hotel and then come right to the city’s gate.

By Car (for Lecce)

Lecce has several car hire (rental) companies, the most famous and easiest to drop off and pick up from is Hertz, Via Grassi. (NB Europcar is NOT in Lecce). Car hire (rental) isn’t for everyone. In general, you can get from city to city without a car, pretty easily in Italy. If you plan to travel a lot in the south, however, cars are ideal. Plan to park on the outskirts of the historical centres and then walk in.

If I were you, here is how I’d do it:

1) Book the car online.

2) Pick up the car.

3) See Puglia, from my suggestions. (Be certain to subscribe to receive our FREE Travel Info Guide in PDF).

4) Arrive in Lecce on Friday afternoon.

5) Drop of the car before 19:30 (7:30 pm). If you miss it, you have Saturday am (most are closed Sat pm and all day Sunday). If you miss this, you may have to rent the car for another full week.

6) Ask the rental company to call you a cab to take you to your b & b. Or walk it, it’s probably not far if you don’t have a lot of luggage.

7) Spend Saturday and Sunday in Lecce. Meet us on Monday mornings at 10am, under the column of Sant Oronzo.

By Train

The High Speed Train (http://www.italiarail.com/frecciargento) that travels between Rome and Lecce takes about 5 hours and cost approximately €90 one way for a second class seat and about €130 one way for a first class seat. You can buy your ticket online in advance or at the train station.

The Lecce train station is less half a kilometer outside of the city centre. If you intend to take a taxi from the train station to the city center, expect to pay about €15. Or if you don’t have much luggage, the walk is very nice as well. (with light luggage, you can walk across the historic centre of Lecce in less than 10 minutes).

By Cab

This implies that you’re flying into Brindisi (Bari is too far for a taxi).

Here is how I’d do it.

1) Fly into Brindisi.

2) Take a cab from those parked out front. Give them the name of your B & B in Lecce.

3) Expect to pay around 80 Euro to Lecce. I know, they are expensive in Italy. Alternatively you can take the shuttle bus for 25 Euro. Book online in English (Crusi Navetta).

By Boat

Ferries arrive in Brindisi from several non-Italian cities, most famously Split, Dubrovnik and Corfu. Arrive in Brindisi and then follow the By Cab instructions or head for the train station and arrive in Lecce by train.