Car Rental - Bari Airport

Renting a car at Bari Airport is your key to the blissful south-east coast of Italy, and one of the nation's most phenomenal destinations.

Discover a city that invites you for a taste of authentic Italian food along with laid-back coastal living, all in the shade of majestic palm trees. Bari is awash with history that goes all the way back to the Roman era. Its vibrant atmosphere – and the remarkable region beyond – simply begs to be explored in your rental car.

On arrival at Bari Airport, you’ll find our convenient car rental location in the arrivals terminal. Choose from our extensive vehicle range, from business car rentals to family-ready SUVs. Get ready to jump in your holiday rental car and begin exploring Bari and the south of Italy as soon as you arrive.

Reserve online in advance and unlock the Adratic coast when you pick up a car rental at Bari Airport with Hertz.

Bari Airport is located a mere 8km (5 miles) from the city by rental car. It’s a prime launch pad from which to discover the beautiful Puglian countryside, as well as the other scenic destinations on the Adriatic Coast.

Simply leave the airport by the SP204 and follow the SS16 all the way into the city. Bari is packed with historic grandeur, with sensational architecture telling stories of the past at every turn. As a result, a Zona Traffico Limitato (Limited Traffic Zone) is in effect, meaning only vehicles with permits can enter the very heart of the city.

However, paid on-street parking is available throughout the city with some zones free on Sundays, and there are a large number of parking lots within walking distance of the historic center too. You can contact your hotel in advance and register your rental car if you are staying inside the ZTL.

Exploring the wider region is a joy. The SS-16 road hugs the Adriatic Coast and is a spectacular drive through seaside towns and villages. Follow it south of Bari to reach the baroque gem of Lecce right in the heel of Italy.

Other highlights of Italy are well within reach with a rental car from Bari Airport. The A14 and E842 will take you to Naples on the opposite coast in around three hours (the spiritual home of pizza). From here, if you are planning an extended road trip, it’s an easy drive to the ancient sights of Rome and onwards to Florence, home of the Renaissance, and food capital Bologna.

Driving in Italy is on the right-hand side of the road, as with most of the rest of mainland Europe. The speed limits vary from 50km/h (30mph) in towns and cities to 130km/h (80mph) on the autostrade freeways, but always check signs as these can vary. Some Autostrade are tolled, so it's a good idea to have some local currency on you.

Renting a car from Bari Airport offers unlimited access to the gateway to Bari and the surrounding countryside of beautiful Puglia.

The south of Italy is foodie central, with sumptuous dishes extolling the virtues of amazing Italian cuisine wherever you turn. There’s also history aplenty, from cathedrals to museums, from castles to sun-kissed piazzas.

Savor Street Food

Get a true taste of Italian coastal life by embracing the street food scene here. Wander through the old town and pop into local delicatessens to pick up some creamy burrata cheese and spicy salami. Stop at a bakery to try focaccia barese, a fluffy pizza-like bread topped with Puglia’s finest ingredients, or enjoy rich, homemade gelato in the sunshine as you amble through the narrow streets.

The old town is dotted with houses that double as makeshift restaurants. Watch the deft hands of women twist and shape orecchiette pasta, synonymous with the region. Or, head to a local trattoria to try the local favourite spaghetti all'assassina – a spicy, crispy spaghetti dish with a novel ‘burnt’ cooking technique.

Breathe In History

Stop for a look at the pilgrimage church of the Basilica of St. Nicholas. Dedicated to the saint whose legend became Santa Claus, the church houses his holy remains in an ornate crypt.

Admire the looming white facade of the Cathedral of St. Sabinus. Take a cooling break inside, a place where candles reflect off the white marble walls in the atmospheric main chamber.

The nearby 12th-century Swabian Castle is Bari’s iconic fortress. Honey-brown stone towers are flanked by palm trees while a refreshing sea breeze whips in from the coast. This ancient building is now an exhibition space, so get your culture fix at one of the many art exhibitions or events organized inside.

Discover Ancient Building Techniques

Drive to Matera and unearth an underground city, home to some of the world’s oldest dwellings. Explore a warren of caves in the Sassi di Matera area across the gorge. Reconstructions of cave dwellings will give you a feel for life in this area, while houses are carved into the cliff-face, and rock churches boast perfectly preserved frescoes.

One of the area’s highlights are Alberobello’s famous ‘trulli’ houses. The white, conical dwellings are UNESCO-listed treasures. Learn how these beehive-shaped houses were built by peasants in the mid-14th century. Centuries later, the trulli are still intact.

Park your car rental in Lago Martellotta and follow the steps up to Piazza del Popolo, where the Belvedere Trulli lookout offers stunning views across the delicate peaks of these ancient dwellings.

You can wander through the area of Rione Monti where more than a thousand trulli – traditional dry stone huts – cascade down the hillside, and shop for woven shawls and mini trullos in the boutique shops that have popped up throughout the ancient houses.

Explore the food and history of the coastal city of Bari, the ancient towns of Puglia and the wider south of Italy with car rental at Bari Airport. Reserve a holiday rental car direct today and start planning your adventure.