Bari

Bari’s old town, Bari Vecchia, is a free maze of narrow lanes where local women still make orecchiette pasta in their doorways, and the seafront promenade along the Adriatic costs nothing to walk. The street food keeps the budget low: panzerotti and focaccia barese are some of the cheapest, best bites in Italy, easily a meal for a couple of euros. As the capital of Puglia and a transport hub, Bari makes a cheap base for day trips to Polignano a Mare, Alberobello, and Matera. Spring and autumn bring warm weather and lower prices than the summer beach season.