European city with £18 flights has sandy beaches and ‘Santa’s bones’ | Europe | Travel
When it comes to choosing travel destinations for 2026, you may be looking for places that are a bit off the beaten track, but most of us don’t have time to travel the world exploring remote places.
One way to discover new destinations is to look at Lonely Planet’s guidebooks and a new title called Mediterrenian Contains a list of the most popular routes to explore in this sun-drenched part of Europe. An often overlooked city that isn’t usually high on tourists’ bucket lists, has a mix of culture, beaches and, best of all, can be reached by a short flight from the UK, is at number one.
Bari in Italy is the capital of the Puglia region, with a port overlooking the sparkling Adriatic Sea. In the heart of the city is the old town of Bari Vecchia, where you can see the roots of the capital and some of its oldest buildings. Surrounded by ancient walls, the area consists of narrow, cobbled streets and buildings full of character.
One of its most iconic tourist attractions is the Basilica of St. Nicholas, an 11th-century church that is an important pilgrimage destination for Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Its treasures include Romanesque statues and a medieval bishop’s throne. This place is also home to a tomb said to contain many of his remains, as well as the remains of St. Nicholas, the inspiration for Santa Claus.
The old town also has Strada delle Orecchiette, a famous street where the famous pasta is made. Local nonnas sit at wooden tables outside their homes preparing orecchiette, Puglia’s ear-shaped pasta meaning ‘little ears’. You can get pasta-making tips from these experts and buy a pack of fresh pasta to take home.
When you visit local restaurants, be sure to try the city’s unique local dish, Spaghetti all’Assassina. This unique pasta dish is cooked in a pan instead of boiling water, giving it a charred texture. It is then finished with spicy tomato juice, which gives it an intense flavor and texture.
Bari’s coastal location means there are beautiful beaches right on its doorstep. Pane e Pomodoro, which literally means bread and tomatoes, is a small, sandy beach near the center with calm waters for swimming. Its unusual name comes from the local habit of snacking on these simple ingredients.
Beaches in the city can get crowded, but it’s easy to reach the beaches of the Puglia coast with trains departing from Bari Centrale. Visit nearby Polignano a Mare, home to the beautiful Lama Monachile beach, a narrow bay opening into sparkling turquoise waters shallow enough for swimming and splashing on warm days.
You can also take a bus to Lido San Francesco, a wide sandy beach in the north of the city. It is home to a large beach club where you can rent sun loungers and umbrellas and enjoy amenities such as having chilled cocktails delivered to your sun lounger. However, as with most Italian beaches, there are some empty spots you can find if you don’t mind lying on the sand.
Ryanair offers flights from London-Stansted to Bari all year round from as little as £18 one way in January. They will launch a route from Bristol to Bari from March and also offer seasonal flights from Edinburgh from April to October for £33 one way. British Airways and easyJet also offer seasonal flights from London-Gatwick.
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