Brindisi / Lecce

[Ian99]

I plan on spending a day and an evening next week in either Brindisi or Lecce - depends on what time I get off the sleeper train...

I've not been to either before so would be interested in thoughts on what each is like close to the station and if there is any special transport of interest.

Also does anyone know if breakfast is included in a single sleeper and if so, is the timing based on where one is due to get off?

 

[mad_rich]

I got a very light breakfast (coffee & biscuit) in a couchette on the way to Sicily, so you would get at least that in a sleeper. Probably best to verify with the attendant what time it will be served, as I assumed I wasn't getting anything until it suddenly appeared at about 11 am.

Intercity Notte | A guide to Italian overnight trains

A guide to the sleepers and couchettes on Trenitalia's Intercity Notte (ICN) overnight trains, for example Venice to Rome, Turin to Naples or Milan to Bari.

www.seat61.com

 

[rvdborgt]

There is a breakfast indeed, and a bit more than in a couchette. The last time I took a sleeper though, with a group of 5 (T3+Double), I think I saw all components but not everybody received all of them and my cappuccino was almost undrinkable.

 

[cyclebike]

Went by day trains to Lecce this summer for the start of a cycling trip. Historic centre very attractive and lively, especially at night. Worth a visit.

My experience in a solo sleeper to Sicily was a small breakfast was provided. My espresso was good.

 

[JB_B]

They're both good but I found Lecce more impressive than Brindisi in terms of things to see and do. It's also a better starting point for exploring a bit of the FSE network which is definitely worthwhile if you have time.

 

[Djgr]

I plan on spending a day and an evening next week in either Brindisi or Lecce - depends on what time I get off the sleeper train...

I've not been to either before so would be interested in thoughts on what each is like close to the station and if there is any special transport of interest.

Also does anyone know if breakfast is included in a single sleeper and if so, is the timing based on where one is due to get off?

Only been to Lecce. The historic centre is around 10 minutes walk from the railway station.

 

[Iskra]

Lecce is highly recommended, I've heard it compared to Florence.

The sleeper breakfast is a little inconsistent in what you will get: it could be as little as a coffee and a packaged, uninspiring croissant. Sometimes you will get juice as well, and other snacky items like packaged sliced of dried toast/nutella/wheat pretzel type things and/or cans of water too. The best bit by far is the Espresso, which you will need as Italian sleeper trains drive at linespeed and aren't driven very sympathetically when it comes to braking. I do enjoy them though; they are usually good value, it's a great experience, loco-hauled stock of course and being Italy, you are likely to wake up to beautiful views.

There is a breakfast indeed, and a bit more than in a couchette. The last time I took a sleeper though, with a group of 5 (T3+Double), I think I saw all components but not everybody received all of them and my cappuccino was almost undrinkable.

I find long, milk-based coffee in Italy to be served poorly throughout Italy. Much better to stick with Espresso, which is generally served to a high standard.

 

[Ian99]

Buongiorno a tutti.

I'm on the sleeper train at the moment, there was 750ml of water in my single cabin when I got on. The guard/attendant asked last night if I would like breakfast (what a question!) and I was just served a decent espresso, one of those sub standard long life croissants, a tasty apple/pomegranate juice and a little pack of toasts and a pot of jam....

Thanks everybody for the input. Think I'll stay on until Lecce...

 

[AdamWW]

I got a very light breakfast (coffee & biscuit) in a couchette on the way to Sicily,

I think I got an orange juice and a "biscuit" in a couchette on the way back from Sicily.
I wouldn't have described it as breakfast. I realise that modern technology has done wonderful things in the way of miniaturisation, but I'm not sure it should be extended to biscuits. I didn't know anyone made them that small.

 

[dutchflyer]

Lecce is highly recommended, I've heard it compared to Firenze.

Buongiorno a tutti.

Thanks everybody for the input. Think I'll stay on until Lecce...

Well, so that means no ritardo and probably arrived already. So this may come too late, but in Transport matters; Lecce also has one of the latest on this earth opened new TROLLeybussystems (that means an old-style wired bus but not on rails-was once mostly very populair in socialist countries), though it seems it was a kind of pet-project of a former lady mayor and not overly active. More info via the general site trolleymotion.eu.
It should in theory be possible to even go onward on a semi-private (it has gone broke and then taken over on govmt orders by that once was FS-delle Stato, now TrenItalia), FSE= Sud-Est, but when I checked about all trips were labelled as ´sost´= sostituvo, or replacement bus.
Lecce is also the end of the line of Tr.It, so you have to come back same way at least as far as Brindisi-which I remember from very long ago as a place where in the day all bekpekkers assembled to go onward on one of the plenty of ferries over to GReece. Just a port-town with not much else to do.
Oh-as a aside-age-old custom in those fancy sleepers was to arrange a time to be woken up-and in this case get breakfast-and not just let it happen. Mostly when the beds were done for the night by the attendant. In that distant past tickets were also taken and then given back-so one could sleep during all the checks.

 

[Iskra]

Well, so that means no ritardo and probably arrived already. So this may come too late, but in Transport matters; Lecce also has one of the latest on this earth opened new TROLLeybussystems (that means an old-style wired bus but not on rails-was once mostly very populair in socialist countries), though it seems it was a kind of pet-project of a former lady mayor and not overly active. More info via the general site trolleymotion.eu.
It should in theory be possible to even go onward on a semi-private (it has gone broke and then taken over on govmt orders by that once was FS-delle Stato, now TrenItalia), FSE= Sud-Est, but when I checked about all trips were labelled as ´sost´= sostituvo, or replacement bus.
Lecce is also the end of the line of Tr.It, so you have to come back same way at least as far as Brindisi-which I remember from very long ago as a place where in the day all bekpekkers assembled to go onward on one of the plenty of ferries over to GReece. Just a port-town with not much else to do.
Oh-as a aside-age-old custom in those fancy sleepers was to arrange a time to be woken up-and in this case get breakfast-and not just let it happen. Mostly when the beds were done for the night by the attendant. In that distant past tickets were also taken and then given back-so one could sleep during all the checks.

Having the attendant wake you with breakfast at a specific time or location is still common practice: when I alight at Taranto, I always arrange breakfast to be delivered when at Bari.

 

[cambsy]

I visited Lecce last year on Interail Pass, and can highly recommend a visit there, as it has stunning architecture and beautiful city centre, close to the station, and the night life was really good vibe, and the centre looked good all lit up. I would also recommend maybe doing day train on the Freciarossa as it scenic by the coast and the trains are really nice.