How to reach Lecce

Travel by plane to Brindisi

The PLANE TO BRINDISI is to be preferred with respect to the other main Apulian airport of Bari. You may fly to Brindisi from the Italian airports of Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate. The website of the airport is http://www.aeroportidipuglia.it/.

From Brindisi airport to Lecce there are several options.

• A public bus to Lecce (the name of the company is SITA) leaves from the arrival area at the airport, it takes 30 minutes to go to Lecce. The schedule can be found here. However, we stress that such a timetable might change; please check the above link a few days before your departure. The ticket can be bought at the bookshop inside the airport (6.50EUR) or directly in the bus (8EUR). The bus stops in Lecce 100m from the Grand Hotel Tiziano, at the Lecce City Terminal, Piazza Carmelo Bene, Lecce. Then, if you wish to reach the train station you need a taxi (it is about 2km, just a pleasant walk through the city centre provided you do not have heavy luggage with you!). The fare is about 12-15EUR, see below for some phone numbers of taxi companies.
• A city bus to Brindisi train station leaves from the arrival area of the airport (tickets cost 1EUR and can be bought at the book shop inside the airport or directly on board for 1.5EUR). You can find the schedule here.
Trains from Brindisi to Lecce are rather frequent, see the website of Italian railways http://www.trenitalia.it/ .
• By taxi: it costs about 60EUR. A phone number is here.

Travel by train to Lecce

It takes about 6 hours to reach Lecce from Rome and 10 hours from Milan by train. The schedule is available here  http://www.trenitalia.it/ (also in English) with online booking. That is also the website for trains from Brindisi (town centre) to Lecce. Note that there is no luggage storage facility in the train station in Lecce!

Taxi in Lecce

If you need a taxi in Lecce there are several companies. You may call one of the following numbers (but you could be answered by people who do not speak English): RADIO TAXI del Comune di Lecce +39 0832 1779; Cooperativa Taxi Lecce +39 328 671 4428; Servizio Taxi 10 Lecce +39 329 385 9770. You should be able to go anywhere in town by 10-15EUR.

Other means of travel

• You might also FLY TO BARI from the most important Italian hubs (Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate) and also from a number of foreign airports. The airport's webaddress is http://www.aeroportidipuglia.it/. After arriving to Bari you will need to take a public bus or a direct train to the Bari train station and then travel to Lecce by train. There are frequent trains of two different types. With the fast ones the trip takes 1h30min, with the slow ones it is about 2h. The costs are respectively 25EUR or 12EUR.
• by PLANE AND TRAIN: it is possible to combine plane and train trips which could be a convenient alterative if you plan to visit other parts of Italy. There are trains from Rome and Milan every day, please refer to http://www.trenitalia.it/. Moreover, especially from Europe, many low cost companies have scheduled flights to smaller Italian airports such as Forlí and Pescara, from which a train is the most practical mode of transportation to reach Lecce.
• by CAR from Bari (150Km), via a motorway. Just follow the signs to Brindisi-Lecce. CAR RENTALS are available in the main italian airports, including the airports of Brindisi and Bari. This could be a good idea if you wish to join a visit of the South of Italy to the conference.

How to reach Otranto

• Train is the easiest way, see here for a timetable: http://www.trenitalia.it/. Bus schedule is still not available. On Sunday 4th June, the arrival day, there will be a bus replacement service to Otranto, leaving from Via Don Bosco, at the very beginning, 100m from the train station. The ticket for the bus is the same as the ticket for the train, as that is a replacement service; so, it can be bought either inside the train station or from the above train website. The schedule Lecce Otranto on Sunday 4 is: 07:58, 13:13, 16:08 and 18:58. The trip takes 47min.
• It is also possible to take a taxi. The average price is about 75-80EUR; see above for the phone numers of various companies, however, usually you can find taxis waiting in front of Lecce train station.

Lecce and Otranto

The historical center of Lecce is very interesting, and is 10 min. walking from the train station. You might wish to spend an extra day in town. The main attractions are the Duomo and its square, the Roman amphitheatre, the Roman theatre, the churches of Santa Croce, San Michele, the Castle Carlo V, the archaeological museum `S. Castromediano' with beautiful findings from the people of Messapi, that was living in the Salento peninsula long before the Roman conquer (about 270BC).

Otranto has an history which spans over more than three millennia. In your free time, the best places to visit are the Duomo di Otranto, with its amazing mosaic dating back to 1163, and the Castello di Otranto. The small Byzantine church of San Pietro is also worth a short visit.

Excursion

We will organize one excursion for participants and accompanying persons. The excursion is a boat trip in the cliffs and caves around the Cape S. Maria di Leuca (land's end); it will take place on 7 June 2023. The approximate cost is 50EUR per person. The participation has to be reserved upon arrival in Otranto at the registration desk. We will start by bus from the Hotel degli Haethey at 12.00 and be back at 20.00. The excursion includes two stops for swimming; in one of them it will be possible to swim inside a cave, the Grotta del Soffio. The boat trip will finish with an aperitivo. Click here for more information (in Italian, but there is a map and photos).