Day 1: LECCE AREA
- Arrive at Bari Airport. After picking up the rental car and drive to Lecce. Overnight.
Day 2: LECCE & PORTO CESAREO (KM 60)
- Breakfast in hotel. Full day at leisure or we suggest to spend your day to visit Lecce and a winery cellar.
- Suggested itinerary: Walking tour excursion in Lecce (optional with the guide with supplement) known as the Florence of the South, thanks to its architectural structures such as the Basilica of Santa Croce, whose construction took 150 years, or the Duomo, the center of religious life of the time, or Porta Napoli, the Zelestinian Palace, and the II century Roman theater brought to light in Piazza Sant'Oronzo. Here still live the popular traditions of the papier-mâché art and the processing of the typical soft stone which is still honored today by many artisans. Here you have the opportunity to try the typical dessert, "Pasticciotto Leccese" (optional) Free time for continuing the tour or drive to Leverano and visit one of the most famous wineries in Salento, visit of the cellar and tasting of 3 types of wine. We will offer 1 bottle of wine per couple Continue to Porto Cesareo and free walk in one of the most famous tourist resorts in Puglia. Drive back to the hotel and overnight
Day 3: OSTUNI & ALBEROBELLO (KM 201)
- Breakfast in hotel Full day at leisure or we suggest to spend your day to visit Ostuni and Alberobello.
- Suggested itinerary: Drive to Ostuni; you will take a walk through the beautiful streets of the old town, called the white town because the walls and the old town are painted white. Ostuni is famous for its olive trees, which appear as a green carpet in the eyes of the visitor. The old town is a labyrinth of alleys, courtyards and stairways leading up to the 15th-century cathedral, from where you can enjoy a unique view. Continue to Alberobello along the Itria Valley with its masserie (typical Apulian cultural buildings) throughout the countryside. If requested optional guided tour of Alberobello through the Trulli (Unesco heritage). Its buildings are conical in shape, made of limestone. Mixed with the past, with archaic roots full of superstition, as on every trullo, Stop for a photo on the "Belvedere", drive back to the hotel and overnight.
Day 4: MATERA (KM 340)
- Breakfast at the hotel Full day at leisure or we suggest to spend your day to visit Matera.
- Suggested itinerary: Drive to Matera one of the oldest cities in the world. Matera is located in the Basilicata region, The road to the city of Matera leads through a hilly landscape with many small villages perched on top of the hills. Arrival in Matera (local guide with supplement if requested) walk through the streets of what is known as the Second Bethlehem. These scenarios have been the setting for numerous films, including Mel Gibson's "Passion". The city is famous for its "Sassi", (Unesco World Heritage Site). Photo break with a view of the beauties of the city. Drive back to the hotel and overnight.
Day 5: SANTA MARIA DI LEUCA & GALLIPOLI
- Breakfast in hotel. Full day at leisure or we suggest to spend your day to visit Santa Maria di Leuca and Gallipoli.
- Suggested itinerary: Drive to Gallipoli, a reality suspended over the Ionian Sea, famous for its crystalline sea. Inside its fortified walls there is everything it does feel good: beauty, history, food, relaxation. Splendid village full of charming alleys and wonderful churches, dominated by baroque architecture and the typical Apulian historic center between white houses and wonderful landscape views. Starting from the Greek fountain, probably the oldest in Italy, built in the third century. A. C. its historic center preserves ancient buildings, beautiful baroque churches and characteristic alleys. Gallipoli has two areas, the modern village and the historic center located on a small island connected to the mainland by a brick bridge and still surrounded by the ancient defensive walls of the '500. Possibility of organizing boat or snorkeling excursions for lovers of the depths of the sea. On to Ugento at I Contadini farm producing capers and typical Apulian products and tasting. Continue to Santa Maria di Leuca where we suggest you to make a boat ride to visit the caves. The transparency of the water makes this stretch of the Ionian coast one of the most beautiful in Puglia. A stop for the bathroom is planned. Or you can make a tour of Leuca: the nineteenth-century villas in Art Nouveau style, the bagnarole, the Sanctuary of S. Maria De Finibus Terrae, the Lighthouse and the terminal column of the Apulian Aqueduct with its splendid staircase Drive to Lecce and overnight.
Day 6: OTRANTO
- Breakfast in hotel. Full day at leisure or we suggest to spend your day to visit Otranto.
- Suggested itinerary: Otranto is a beautiful Adriatic town the eastern most city of the Salento area and a trait-d'union of Mediterranean cultures. Visit of the characteristic ancient village with its imposing Aragonese Castle, the beautiful Byzantine church of San Pietro and the ancient Romanesque Cathedral that houses the bones of the martyrs, known for the enigmatic medieval mosaic in which the stories of the old testament are told and of classical mythology, finally, the Aula crypt whose columns, one different from the other, come from various points of the ancient world. Drive to Otranto attracts holidaymakers by its crystal clear waters and natural bays. Free walk in the characteristic, historical centre of the city on the Adriatic Sea; you can admire the cathedral of the twelfth century with the famous mosaic, or the Aragonese castle Overnight.
Day 7: CASTELLANA CAVES
- Breakfast in hotel. Full day at leisure or we suggest to spend your day to visit Grotte di Castellana.
- Suggested itinerary: Drive to Castellana Caves complex of underground caves of karst origin, among the most beautiful and spectacular in Italy and visit for about 1 KM for a duration of 50 minutes, The caves extend for 3.348 meters total and reach a maximum depth of 122 m below street level. Inside the cave system the temperature stays constantly around 16,5°C Drive back to the hotel Overnight.
Day 8: DEPARTURE
- Breakfast in the hotel. Check out at 10:00. Drive to the airport, release of the car and end of our services. Grazie e arrivederci!
- Lecce area: Grand Hotel Lecce 4*, Grand hotel Tiziano, 8Più, Hotel Club Santa Sabina or similar (*)
(*) The hotels indicated may be replaced with others of the same category. Accommodations are located in the indicated towns or in a different cities where will be possible to realize the program
- Norma Vacanze only deals with the intermediation between the customer and the car rental company. In the event of disputes with the rental company or accidents, the rules established in the contract signed at the airport between the customer and the rental company shall apply, without any involvement of Norma Vacanze.
- Each customer will be able to choose independently whether to follow the suggested itinerary or, instead, to create one according to its needs. However, it is essential to follow the program concerning the cities where to overnight
- The cars are subjected to availability and your category may not be available on all periods. In case the C category will not be available at the time of your booking, a superior category will be offered with a supplement that will be communicated before the confirmation of each reservation.
- Parking in hotel is not guaranteed, it will be possible in the surrounding area
- The rate includes Category C car rental for the duration of your stay with the "GOLD " insurance package; with extra charge possibility to book Platinum insurance
- The drivers must have the credit card for the check in.
- Norma Vacanze is entitled to change the itinerary of the excursion if it considers it appropriate or due to force majeure.
- Norma Vacanze is not responsible for accidents, delays, damage or loss of luggage or personal belongings, nor for damages caused by third parties or others like floods, storms, landslides, earthquakes, political unrest, epidemy, terrorists attacks, strike
The rate does not include:
- City tax to be paid on spot
- Lunches and dinners where not mentioned
- Tips and extras of a personal nature
- Porterage service
- Gasoline
- Motorway tolls
- Parkings
- Tickets for plane, ship, train or bus to reach airport
- Entrance to monuments and archaeological parks
- Anything not expressly indicated in "the rate includes"
- Car must be delivery at the same airport or there will be an additional cost to be agreed with the rental company
- Each rental day is a fraction of 24 hours, the vehicle must be returned on time or within the next 59 minutes
- The pick-up and drop-off of the car at the airport will be during the opening hours of the company Noleggiare (everyday from 08:00 to 22:30); after these hours the rental company will charge an extra fee. Please inquire before booking your flight
Admission Fees
- In order to skip the queues in the museums or in the archeological parks we need to make the reservation in advance: Pre-bookings of entrance tickets are mandatory on the first day of the tour.
- Tickets are non-refundable
The rate includes:
- Category C car, unlimited mileage
- 22% VAT
- Airport, railway and automotive charges
- Motor TPL policy - auto civil liability
- Gold Plan Insurance -resets deductibles for theft and damage. It also covers damage to glass and tyres
- Additional driver
The rate does not include:
- Fuel
- Fines
- Re-notification fees
- Rental to leave in another airport
- Baby Seat
- Satellite Navigator
- Fuel recovery service, an extra charge of €30,00 will be applied if the car is returned with more than 5 litres of fuel missing
- There is a tolerance of 59 minutes, after which a full day will be charged
- At the time of booking, the car group is guaranteed, not the model
Insurance Gold includes
- In Gold the amount of the deductible will not be charged. The "Gold" package clears the deductibles provided for damages and total theft and allows you to eliminate the deductible also for damages occurred to the parts of the vehicle not covered by the "Silver" package and the coverage of windows and tires is provided. Partial theft, attempted theft, damage to the roof, damage to the lower part of the vehicle, damage to the interior and damage caused by vandalism, riots, etc. are excluded.
Insurance Platinum on request
- If the customer purchases a "Platinum" package, the amount of the theft deductibles (also for partial theft and attempted theft) and damages (also for damage to the roof, the lower part of the vehicle and the interiors) will be zeroed and the PAI services (which guarantees the driver in the event of death, permanent disability and accidents, with a ceiling of up to € 100,000) and “Road Assistance Plus 24h road assistance (covers all towing costs in the event of an accident with fault and for any other event that occurred during the rental period)
