Getting There
We strongly advise readers to rent a car for exploring this difficult-to-access corner of rural southern Italy. But if you insist on public transport, get ready for confusion, long delays, and schedules that change frequently. Most of the rail traffic from other parts of Italy originates in Foggia and, to a lesser degree, San Severo. From either of those points, transport by bus or by rail continues to sites that include Manfredonia and Monte Sant'Angelo. For information about these lines, contact Trenitalia at tel. 892021, or, for information about the smaller, local train lines that operate only within the Gargano Peninsula, contact Ferrovie del Gargano at tel. 0881-725188 or 0882-221414.
Alternatively, some sites within the Gargano Peninsula are best accessed by bus lines or by a combination of bus and train service. For information about buses and their connections to train lines throughout Gargano, contact SITA (tel. 0881-773117) or ATAF (tel. 0881-724088; many of their routes and schedules are interconnected and overlap). The routes include service, usually at intervals of between 60 and 90 minutes every day, between such major settlements as Foggia, Manfredonia, and Vieste. Less frequent connecting service is available to such hamlets as Mattinata, Monte Sant'Angelo, and Peschici.
If you have a car, you'll note that three roads dissect the peninsula and connect its major sights. Route 89 runs a 130km (81-mile) circuit around the coast. Route 528 cuts through the heart of the peninsula, starting 8km (5 miles) west of Peschici on the northern coast and running south through the Umbra Forest before ending at Route 272 just west of Monte Sant'Angelo. Route 272 slices east to west through the southern part of the region, from San Marco in Lamis in the west through San Giovanni Rotondo and over to Monte Sant'Angelo, ending on the coast near Punta Rossa.
Visitor Information
The Manfredonia tourist office is at Piazza del Popolo 10 (tel. 0884-581998), open Monday to Friday from 9am to 1pm. You can pick up a map and get advice about touring the district, including bus and train schedules if you're not driving (important because, in most towns, there are no actual bus stations). The Vieste tourist office is at Piazza Kennedy 13 (tel. 0884-708806), open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30am to 2pm, Tuesday and Thursday 4 to 7pm. It'll give you information about the many excursion possibilities, especially the excellent beaches along the southern shore.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
