Wheelchair Accessible Brindisi, Puglia: Our Accessible Travel Guide

Brindisi was our base for exploring Puglia, as when we were looking at flights, we found that flying into Brindisi was considerably cheaper than flying into Bari. So, rather than paying more to fly into Bari, we decided to make Brindisi our base and use the train to explore the rest of Puglia.

We stayed at the Ibis Styles Brindisi, and from there we travelled by train to Bari, Lecce, Monopoli and Polignano a Mare.

If you're planning a wheelchair-accessible trip to Puglia and wondering whether Brindisi is worth considering, here's what we found.

Where We Stayed – Ibis Styles Brindisi

We stayed at the Ibis Styles Brindisi, which is around a 20 minute walk from the railway station. The centre of Brindisi is also around a 40 minute bus journey from the Airport, so it was a convenient place to start and finish our trip.

We booked an accessible room at Ibisi Styles Brindisi. The room itself was quite small, we managed okay but it might be an issue if you need a room with plenty of space to manoeuvre.

The staff at the hotel were really lovely. Everyone we dealt with was really friendly and helpful, which is great when you're looking for tips on places to visit or need help with finding public transport.

There wasn't a huge choice at breakfast, so if you're someone who likes a massive hotel breakfast buffet, you might find it a little disappointing. However the warm Italian cornetti in the morning with a hot chocolate was amazing! I really miss those!!

Is Brindisi Wheelchair Accessible?

Brindisi is certainly somewhere you can visit as a wheelchair user, but we wouldn't say it's the most accessible destination in Puglia. For us, Brindisi worked much better as a base for exploring the region than as the main destination.

There isn't a huge amount to do in Brindisi itself compared with places such as Bari or Lecce. If you're using Brindisi as your base, you don't need to fill every day with sightseeing. Instead, what we did was head off by train in the morning, explored somewhere different and then returned to the same hotel in the evening.

Getting to Brindisi Train Station

This was one of the downsides of our stay.

The train station is approximately a 20 minute walk which might not sound particularly far but when you're travelling in a wheelchair, 20 minutes can easily take more time.

For us, the walk to the station felt a little too far, especially when we were setting off for a full day of exploring. If you're planning to use the train every day, this is definitely something I'd consider when choosing your accommodation.

Exploring Brindisi

We didn't spend huge amounts of time sightseeing around Brindisi itself. One of the things we did do was take the STP Motorboat Service across the river, which gave us a different view of the city. Once we were across the river, we enjoyed a nice walk along the waterfront.

This was probably one of our favourite things to do in Brindisi because it was relaxed and didn't involve trying to cram loads of sightseeing into the day. Brindisi's waterfront is lovely, and it was nice simply to take our time, enjoy the views and watch the world go by.

Using Brindisi as a Base for Puglia

We didn't choose Brindisi to provide us with days and days of sightseeing. We needed somewhere that was reasonably priced, had an accessible hotel and gave us access to the railway network.

From Brindisi we travelled by train to Bari, Lecce, Monopoli and Polignano a Mare

Wheelchair Travel by Train in Puglia

If you're travelling around Puglia as a wheelchair user, it is worth knowing about Sala Blu, the assistance service for passengers with reduced mobility.

Brindisi, Bari Centrale, Lecce and Monopoli are among the Puglia stations covered by the PRM assistance network. The service can include help getting to the train, boarding and leaving the train, and the use of a lift for wheelchair users where required.

Our biggest tip is to arrange assistance in advance, don't just turn up at the station and hope everything will work. The amount of notice required can vary by station and service, so check the current requirements before your trip. For us, having the assistance arranged made using the trains much less stressful and we found the easiest way to book it was using the Sala Blu app.

Would We Recommend Brindisi for Wheelchair Users?

Yes but we'd recommend it as a base rather than necessarily as the main destination. If you're looking for somewhere with loads of attractions right outside your hotel, Brindisi probably wouldn't be our first choice.

But if you find cheaper flights into Brindisi, as we did, it can make a lot of sense. We saved money by flying into Brindisi instead of Bari and then used the train to explore several other destinations.

Our stay at the Ibis Styles worked well for us. The room was small, but we had a wheel-in shower, the staff were fantastic and we had our morning supply of warm cornetti to look forward to.

The biggest downside was getting to the railway station. The official distance is only 1.5 km, but for us it felt like a bit too much of a walk with my wheelchair. Overall, Brindisi did what we needed it to do, it was our base, not our destination.

Our top tips for Brindisi

1. Consider Brindisi if flights are cheaper. Don't automatically assume Bari is the best airport for Puglia.

2. Check the accessible room carefully. The Ibis Styles has accessible rooms, but our room was quite small.

3. Ask about the bathroom. A wheel-in shower made a big difference for us.

4. Think about the station distance. The station is around 1.5 km away which felt further than we'd ideally like.

5. Book train assistance. If you need wheelchair assistance, arrange Sala Blu/PRM assistance before travelling.

6. Use Brindisi as your base. The real advantage is being able to explore Puglia without constantly changing hotels.

7. Don't skip the cornetti. Trust us on this one!

Final Thoughts

Brindisi probably isn't going to be the place that sells you on a trip to Puglia but it might just be the place that makes the trip possible.

For us, cheaper flights meant that Brindisi made financial sense. Staying at the Ibis Styles gave us an accessible base and the railway network allowed us to visit Bari, Lecce, Monopoli and Polignano a Mare without moving hotels.

So, if you're planning an accessible trip around Puglia, don't automatically overlook Brindisi. It might not be full of things to do but it's a great practical location!

You can read more about other places in Italy we have travelled to here.