Foggia

Bari, in most cases: it is the nearest airport with plenty of flights, and trains continue up the Adriatic line. Gino Lisa, the local airfield, has only a few routes, and Rome or Naples work if fares are better there.

The bus station is right in front of the railway station, with coaches to Naples and towns across the province.

Any morning of the week. It is a morning-only market, so arrive early, while the stalls are still full of the plain's olives, grapes and vegetables.

Foggia is easier to reach by train than by air. Its own Gino Lisa airport has only a handful of routes, so most visitors fly to Bari, the closest major airport, or to Rome or Naples, and continue by rail.

About three hours on the best connections. From Milan, a high-speed train takes six to seven hours down the Adriatic coast.

Yes, if you have a few hours. The route runs through the small old town past the cathedral and ends at the last arches of the medieval walls.

Lucera, a walled town close by, fits into half a day by bus or car. The Gargano peninsula, with its coast and forest to the northeast, deserves a full day and really needs a car.

For most travellers, yes: an evening meal, the market next morning and the old-town walk fit before an onward train or drive.

Average highs reach about 33 C in both months, so walk early and spend the afternoon indoors or on the coast. May and late September, at around 25 to 28 C, are far more comfortable.

Yes. A rental office sits a block from the railway station, and buses into the peninsula are slow and infrequent by comparison.

Foggia itself needs no transport plan. The old town is compact, and the walk along Via Arpi to the Tre Archi, the cathedral and the restaurants near the theatre is easiest on foot. The morning market on Via Rosati is also within walking range of central hotels.

Da Nino al Grottino, the wood-fired pizzeria round the corner, is packed after 20:30. Giordano Da Pompeo, across from the theatre, is the white-tablecloth option, and Nenna Ne on Via Domenico Cirillo cooks with local produce only.

The best time to visit Foggia is Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct. Warm days on the plain, before and after the summer heat.

• Best overall: April - June, September - October (Pleasant for the old town and trips to Lucera and the Gargano)
• Summer: July - August (Very hot on the open plain; head for the Gargano coast)
• Winter: November - March (Cool and quiet; fine for a stopover, though the coast is shut down)

Schengen rules apply in Italy. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.

Violent crime against visitors to Italy is rare. Pickpocketing is the main problem, especially on buses and metros in Rome (bus 64 is notorious), at Roman and Florentine sights, and at Termini and Naples Centrale stations. Wear your bag across your body and zip it, and use only licensed white taxis or official ride apps.