Car hire Bari airport: Puglia from Bari and Brindisi

Car hire Bari airport is the usual start of a road trip through Puglia, the heel of Italy, and Brindisi airport is the southern alternative for Lecce and the Salento. In our search of 1 October 2026, Vrooem offered three rental companies at Bari (Locauto, Green Motion and U-Save) and two at Brindisi (Locauto and Green Motion). One hands over the keys opposite the arrivals exit, the others after a short walk or a shuttle ride. This guide sets out where each office is, which card the deposit needs, the theft clause that applies in Puglia, the ZTLs of Bari and Lecce, and what the terms say about taking a hire car on a ferry to Greece or Albania.

Every rule below comes from the companies’ own terms, office pages and location data, and from Italian, EU and UK government sources, checked on 1 October 2026. Locauto, Green Motion and U-Save each write their terms for bookings made directly with them and say that conditions can differ through an intermediary, so the terms attached to your Vrooem booking always have the final word.

Bari or Brindisi: choose by where you will sleep

Puglia has more than 930 kilometres of coastline, from the Gargano promontory in the north to the Salento in the south, which Italia.it, Italy’s official tourism site, describes as bathed by both the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea. The two airports divide the region roughly in two.

	Bari (BRI)	Brindisi (BDS)
Name in the rental companies’ directions	Karol Wojtyła airport, at Palese	Papola Casale airport
Rental companies on Vrooem	Locauto, Green Motion, U-Save	Locauto, Green Motion
Closest to	Bari, Polignano a Mare, Castel del Monte, Matera, the Gargano	Ostuni, Lecce and the Salento, Otranto, Gallipoli

The Valle d’Itria, the valley of the trulli, lies between the two. Italia.it places it across the provinces of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto, some twenty minutes from the sea, and the more than 1,500 trulli of its best-known town, Alberobello, have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996. Locauto’s Bari airport page puts Matera, over the regional border in Basilicata, about 70 kilometres from the terminal; Italia.it lists the Sassi of Matera as a World Heritage Site.

A simple rule: land at Bari for a trip built around Bari, Matera and the Itria Valley, land at Brindisi when most of your nights are in the Salento, and consider arriving at one and flying home from the other (see the one-way section below).

Car hire Bari airport: where each company meets you

The routes below come from each company’s own pickup instructions and office pages, checked on 1 October 2026. The branch phone numbers are on your voucher.

Company	Where you collect the car	How to get there	Office hours
Locauto	Office on the ground floor, opposite the arrivals exit	Cars wait in a car park about 200 m away, along a footpath	08:00 to 23:00, Monday to Sunday
Green Motion	Office at Viale Europa 73/U, a few minutes away	Leave by Exit 1, follow the red “RENT CAR - AUTONOLEGGI” signs for about 150 m to the meeting point, then call for the shuttle	On your voucher
U-Save	Office at Prolungamento Viale Europa 2	Leave by Exit 2, turn left and walk about 300 m (about 5 minutes) to the large red “RENT A CAR” sign in the rental parking area, then call the office for a pick-up	On your voucher

Locauto is the only one of the three in the terminal building itself. Green Motion’s shuttle collects you at the end of the avenue, next to a red sign. Green Motion and U-Save use separate offices at Bari, so follow the instructions for the brand on your voucher.

To return a Locauto car, follow the “Car Rentals” signs once you enter the airport area, then the Locauto signs to the rental car park, about 200 metres from the terminal. Green Motion and U-Save cars go back to the office on your contract; ask at pickup how you get back to departures and leave time for it on the day you fly.

Brindisi airport: two companies, two ways to pick up

Locauto. The office is in a building near the terminal: walk out of the arrivals gate and follow the signs to the car rental area. The car park is a few metres from the office. Opening hours match Bari, 08:00 to 23:00 every day, and Locauto’s Brindisi page says the same hours apply to drop-off. If you rented through Locauto’s own Elefast app, the page adds, you can leave the car in the car park at the end of the rental without going to the office.

Green Motion. The office is at Via Egnazia 43 in Brindisi. Its instructions ask you to phone the number on your voucher while you are collecting your baggage, then follow the EXIT signs; the shuttle stops just outside the terminal building.

In our Vrooem search of 1 October 2026, for 4 to 11 November, Brindisi showed 26 cars: 15 from Locauto and 11 from Green Motion, 16 of them automatic. Green Motion listed a seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq as a guaranteed model and a nine-seat van, and Locauto listed a Volkswagen Caravelle, so larger groups have options at both counters.

Car hire Puglia: the roads between Bari, Brindisi and Lecce

The A14 motorway runs from Bologna to Taranto and passes Bari, where its operator, Autostrade per l’Italia, names the exits Bari Nord and Bari Sud. Like most Italian motorways it charges tolls; Italia.it says you pay at the exit or at the end of the toll section, in cash or by card. Brindisi and Lecce are not on the A14. Between Fasano and Brindisi you drive on the SS379 “Egnazia e delle Terme di Torre Canne”, and from Brindisi the SS613 “Brindisi-Lecce” continues to Lecce. Both are state roads run by ANAS, which describes itself as the concession holder for Italy’s toll-free national roads and motorways.

Locauto offers a Tollpass device for the electronic toll lanes. Its general conditions say the device works only for motorway tolls in Italy, not for parking or for entering restricted traffic areas.

The main rules of the road, from Italia.it and the EU’s Your Europe portal:

• Speed limits: 130 km/h on motorways, 110 km/h on main roads, 90 km/h on secondary and local roads and 50 km/h in built-up areas. Drivers who have held their licence for less than three years are limited to 100 km/h on motorways and 90 km/h on main roads.
• Lights: dipped headlights on outside built-up areas at all times, and in tunnels.
• Alcohol: 0.5 g/l for most drivers, zero for novice and professional drivers.
• In the car: phones hands-free only, seat belts and child restraints compulsory, and a reflective vest and warning triangle on board.

One way from Bari to Brindisi

Green Motion’s own location data lists Brindisi airport as the drop-off point for its Bari airport branch, and Bari for Brindisi. Its Italian terms add a one-way fee where a branch offers one. Locauto’s special conditions also list a one-way fee for trips within mainland Italy. The Vrooem searches in this guide were round trips, so check that the drop-off you want appears in your search before you book.

ZTLs: Bari Vecchia and the centre of Lecce

GOV.UK warns that you need a pass to drive into the historic centre of many Italian cities in a private or hire car, and that cameras record cars that pass the ZTL sign. Italia.it gives the same advice for tourists: stay out of the restricted traffic zones at the times shown on the signs, and if your hotel is inside one, give it your number plate so it can arrange a permit.

• Bari: AMTAB, the city’s mobility company, defines the ZTL Città Vecchia within Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza Massari, Piazza Isabella d’Aragona, Corso Senatore Antonio De Tullio, Lungomare Imperatore Augusto and Piazza IV Novembre. It has seven gates, and permits go to residents and a few other groups. Staying in the old town? Ask your host where to park before you arrive.
• Lecce: under a City of Lecce notice of July 2025, the electronic gates of the historic centre are switched off on working days, Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:30 to 20:00; outside those hours the gates are active, the area stays closed on Sundays and public holidays, and the Porta Napoli gate is closed to traffic around the clock. Times can change, so read the sign at each gate.

If a camera records a hire car, the fine reaches the rental company first. Locauto’s FAQ says it passes the driver’s details to the authority and charges its own fee, which varies with the offence, and Green Motion’s Italian terms add an administration charge per fine. Our guide to renting a car in Italy covers ZTL signs and toll lanes nationwide.

The deposit and the card: what to bring

The table follows each company’s official Italian terms, checked on 1 October 2026.

Company	Card for the deposit	Deposit	Released
Locauto	Physical credit or debit card on Visa, Mastercard, Amex or UnionPay in the hirer’s name; no debit for groups L and T	No deposit on cars; a 0.01 euro pre-authorisation registers the card	No deposit held on cars
Green Motion	Physical Visa or Mastercard credit card in the main driver’s name, valid at least 6 months after the return; debit cards for rental charges only	Basic 900 to 1,500 euros; Plus 450 to 750; Premium and Premium Plus 200 to 300	Usually 21 days, longer for some cards
U-Save	Physical Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit card in the main driver’s name; no debit, prepaid or virtual cards, no digital wallets	Basic 900 to 2,000 euros; Plus 300 to 500; Premium Plus 150 to 250	Usually 5 to 15 days

Locauto does not accept Maestro, prepaid or reloadable cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay or cash. Its special conditions extend the debit card exception to group K. Vrooem shows the Green Motion and U-Save packages, with the deposit and excess of each, before you pay. Our guides to deposit and excess and to Green Motion and U-Save explain the packages in more detail.

Puglia’s theft clause: the line to read in your cover

Two of the three companies have a regional clause for theft that applies in Puglia.

• Locauto: its special rental conditions set a separate theft excess for Campania and Puglia. On the basic rate it is twice the standard figure, for example 3,600 euros instead of 1,800 for groups A, B, C and E. Smart Cover and Don’t Worry, which bring the theft excess to zero elsewhere in Italy, leave 1,800 euros for those groups in these two regions. Our Locauto guide has the amounts for every group.
• Green Motion: its Italian terms say the Plus, Premium and Premium Plus packages may not cover theft in Calabria, Sicily, Puglia and Campania, that each rental station sets this cover individually, and that you should check it at the station.

We found no regional theft clause in U-Save’s Italian terms. Whichever company you choose, ask at the desk which theft excess is on your contract before you sign it.

Licence, age and documents at the desk

Company	Minimum age	Licence held for	Extra papers
Locauto	18 for some small and electric groups, 19 for groups A, B, C and E; 21, 25 or 27 for larger groups	At least 36 months for most groups, per its Bari office page	Non-EU residents show a passport
Green Motion	21 for mini to compact cars, 25 for intermediate, 27 for minivans; maximum 80	At least 2 years, physical card licence	International driving permit for non-EU licences, except UK
U-Save	19; maximum 80	At least 1 year	Permit for non-EU licences, except UK; passport for non-EU citizens

All three add a daily young driver fee: Locauto from 19 to 24, U-Save from 19 to 24, and Green Motion up to 24, 26 or 29 depending on the car group. Green Motion and U-Save also add a senior fee from 75 to 80. Locauto’s Bari page lets drivers with a newer licence rent the BY, CY, AEV and BEV groups, and its special conditions limit drivers who passed after 14 December 2024 to the BY and CY groups. If your licence is less than three years old, check your car group before you book.

For UK drivers, GOV.UK says a photocard licence is enough to drive in Italy, while a paper licence may need replacing or an international driving permit, and that hire companies often set stricter rules. See our guides to documents for renting abroad and the young driver fee.

Ferries to Greece and Albania: can the hire car come along?

Bari is a ferry port as well as an airport. GNV sails from Bari to Durrës in Albania every evening, usually around 22:00, with a crossing of about 10 to 11 hours, and Superfast Ferries’ 2026 brochure lists a line from Bari to Corfu, Igoumenitsa and Patras in Greece. The rental terms decide whether your car can go too:

• U-Save: its Italian terms say cars are not permitted on ferries.
• Green Motion: cars are permitted on ferries, with possible extra fees, but cross-border travel is allowed only on rentals from Milan Malpensa, Naples (airport and two railway stations) and Rome Fiumicino. A car from Bari or Brindisi stays in Italy.
• Locauto: its cars may be driven in all EU countries and in Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom; elsewhere driving is prohibited, and its excess reduction services and roadside assistance do not apply. Albania and Montenegro are not on that list. Greece is in the EU, but Locauto’s FAQ does not mention ferries, so ask the office before you book a crossing.

The simplest plan for a two-country trip is to return the car in Puglia and hire again after the crossing. Our guides to car hire in Albania and renting a car in Greece pick up from there.

Fuel, mileage, late flights and returns

	Locauto	Green Motion	U-Save
Fuel	Full to full	Same level back with Basic, Plus and Premium; full to full with Premium Plus	Same level back
Mileage	Unlimited on online rates unless stated otherwise; a limit may apply beyond 27 days	Unlimited within Italy for rentals under 21 days; 80 km a day from 21 days	Unlimited
Grace period on return	59 minutes on daily and weekly rates	59 minutes	59 minutes

If a Locauto car comes back less than full, its conditions add a refuelling service charge to the fuel; with Green Motion and U-Save, missing fuel is charged per litre plus a refuelling fee. Our fuel policy guide explains the rules.

Landing late? Both Locauto airport offices close at 23:00. Locauto’s conditions list out-of-hours collection as a paid service, and Green Motion and U-Save treat out-of-hours pickups and returns as a request that cannot be guaranteed, for an extra fee. Add your flight number to the booking and contact the branch in advance.

Country roads. Staying at a masseria or another countryside address? Locauto’s general conditions hold the hirer liable for damage from driving on rough, unpaved or non-public roads, and the Italian terms of Green Motion and U-Save exclude damage from off-road driving from the excess limits. If the last stretch to your accommodation is not asphalt, ask your host before you arrive.

A Puglia checklist for pickup and return

1. Check that every mark is on the damage report before you sign, and film the wheels, tyres, windscreen and roof.
2. Photograph the fuel gauge and the odometer.
3. Make sure the reflective vest and the warning triangle are in the car.
4. Ask which theft excess applies to your contract in Puglia.
5. Send your number plate to any hotel inside a ZTL.
6. At the return, have the car inspected with you and keep the final report.

Booking car hire at Bari and Brindisi on Vrooem

In our Vrooem search of 1 October 2026, for 4 to 11 November, Bari airport showed 37 cars: 15 from Locauto, 12 from Green Motion and 10 from U-Save, with 24 automatics. U-Save and Locauto each had a nine-seat van, and Green Motion listed two Peugeot models described as fully electric. Brindisi showed the 26 cars from Locauto and Green Motion described above. Torn between gearboxes for the hill towns of the Itria Valley? Read automatic or manual.

Every Vrooem booking also includes a free travel eSIM, so you have data on arrival to call the shuttle or open your route to the car park.

Sources

Checked on 1 October 2026: Locauto Bari airport office, Locauto Brindisi airport office, Locauto FAQ, Locauto Special Rental Conditions, Locauto General Rental Conditions, Green Motion Italy terms, Green Motion Bari airport location data, Green Motion Brindisi airport location data, U-Save Italy terms, U-Save Bari airport location data, Italia.it on Puglia, Italia.it on Alberobello, Italia.it on the Valle d’Itria, Italia.it on Matera, Italia.it on driving in Italy, road rules in Italy on Your Europe, GOV.UK travel advice for Italy, Autostrade per l’Italia on the A14 at Bari, ANAS on the SS379, ANAS on the SS613, about ANAS, AMTAB on the ZTL Città Vecchia, City of Lecce on the ZTL, GNV at the port of Bari and the Superfast Ferries 2026 brochure. Pickup routes and car counts: supplied by the rental companies, as shown on Vrooem on 1 October 2026.