For most travellers from Germany, Matera begins at Bari airport. Getting from there is straightforward.
Editorial team: Matera Guide · Travel planning and sources checked .
Bari airport to Matera: planning your journey
Compare a direct bus for your arrival date with a connection via Bari Centrale. The airport website lists Pugliairbus as a service to Matera; use the operator's timetable and booking system for a specific departure. Leave time after landing for baggage collection and possible delays.
- Bus timetable: Check the outward and return journeys separately, including the exact stop in Matera. Make sure the last bus suits your actual arrival time.
- Train: The journey via Bari combines an airport connection and an onward Ferrovie Appulo Lucane service. Check changes, operating days and service notices for both legs.
- Taxi or transfer: Agree the total fare, luggage allowance, child seat, meeting point and arrangements for flight delays before booking. Ask how close the vehicle can get to your accommodation.
For your stay, use the two-day Matera itinerary and the guide to parking in Matera. The city itinerary is planned on foot.
Where can I find current bus times and fares?
Use Bari airport's bus information, Tito Bus and FAL timetables and service notices. Fares and seat availability depend on the date and operator.
Is there a direct train from Bari airport to Matera?
The rail journey goes via Bari Centrale. Check your connection for further changes or replacement buses on your travel date. Ferrotramviaria operates the airport rail connection.
Bari Karol Wojtyła airport (BRI) lies around 65 kilometres from Matera. There are four ways into the city: the direct bus, the train via Bari Centrale, a hire car and a pre-booked transfer. Below you will find the companies that actually serve this route – with contact details, journey time and price range.
At a glance
| Option | Journey time | Price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct bus (Pugliairbus, Tito Bus, Miccolis, FlixBus) | 55–75 min | Check the fare when booking | Simplest option, no changes |
| Train via Bari Centrale | approx. 2 hrs | Check tickets for both legs | Change in Bari; other changes depend on the timetable |
| Taxi or transfer | approx. 45 min | Agree the price in advance | Useful for families and late arrivals |
| Hire car | approx. 50 min | depends on the company | Only worthwhile for day trips, not for the city |
Direct airport bus
In Matera the buses stop in two places: Viale Aldo Moro between the FAL station and the town hall (Pugliairbus, Tito Bus) and Via Don Luigi Sturzo, around two kilometres from Piazza Matteotti (Miccolis). From both, a city bus or a taxi takes you on to the Sassi.
Pugliairbus (CO.TR.A.P.)
Airport busThe region’s airport shuttle: it links the airports of Bari, Brindisi and Foggia, and connects Bari with Matera, Taranto and Rodi-Peschici. Runs all year round.
- Route
- Bari airport ↔ Matera, Viale Aldo Moro
- Journey time
- around 1 hr 15 min
- Fare
- Check the current CO.TR.A.P. fare
- Tickets
- online or from the driver, while seats are available
- +39 080 5790211
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - cotrap.it · Timetable on the airport website
- Via Bruno Buozzi 36, 70132 Bari
Tito Bus
Airport bus & coach hireThis bus company from Tricarico runs a daily service between Matera and the airport – well timed for late-morning return flights. It also hires out minibuses and cars with driver, handy for groups.
- Route
- Matera, Via Aldo Moro ↔ Bari airport
- Outbound
- departs Matera 08:30, arrives at the airport 09:45
- Return
- departs the airport 11:30, arrives in Matera 12:45
- Runs
- Monday to Sunday
- Tickets
- online via marozzivt.it
- +39 0835 726017 (9–12 and 16–18:30)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - titobus.com
- Via Appia, 75019 Tricarico (MT)
Marozzi VT
Tickets & long-distance coachSales and bookings for Pugliairbus journeys go through Marozzi; the company also runs long-distance coaches from Rome and Naples to Matera.
- Route
- Ticket sales Bari airport ↔ Matera, plus Rome/Naples ↔ Matera
- Tickets
- online with seat selection
- +39 080 5790211
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - shop.marozzivt.it
Bus Miccolis
Scheduled busMiccolis covers this route on its way to Potenza, Salerno and Naples – often the fastest connection, though a little more expensive.
- Route
- Bari airport ↔ Matera, Via Don Luigi Sturzo
- Journey time
- around 55–60 min
- Fare
- Check the current Miccolis fare
- Matera office
- Via della Scienza
- +39 080 5315334 · WhatsApp +39 344 2740135
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - busmiccolis.it
FlixBus
Long-distance coachFlixBus also serves the Bari airport – Matera route. Prices vary a lot: booked early it is cheap, at short notice rarely so.
- Route
- Bari airport ↔ Matera
- Tickets
- online or in the app only
MarinoBus
Long-distance coachLong-distance coaches to Matera from many Italian cities, plus airport connections. For the short hop from the airport it is worth checking the timetable.
- Route
- Long-distance services to Matera, airport lines
- Tickets
- online, in the app or at a travel agency
- +39 080 3117537 · +39 080 3112335
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - marinobus.it
SITA SUD
Regional busThe large regional bus operator in Apulia and Basilicata, with its own depot in Matera. It runs the intercity lines in the province – for example to Altamura, Gravina and Potenza – and is based in Bari at the same address as CO.TR.A.P.
- Area
- Apulia, Basilicata, Campania
- Matera
- C.da Pantano, 75100 Matera
- Matera: +39 0835 385007
- Basilicata: +39 0971 506811 ·
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Apulia: +39 080 5790111 ·
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - sitasudtrasporti.it
By train
The train is the roundabout way: from the airport first to Bari Centrale, then onto the narrow-gauge Ferrovie Appulo Lucane line, which runs to Matera. If you have luggage or are short of time, the bus is the better choice – but the ride through the Murgia is beautiful.
Ferrotramviaria
Airport rail linkThe train leaves directly beneath the terminal and takes less than 20 minutes to Bari Centrale.
- Route
- Bari Aeroporto ↔ Bari Centrale
- Journey time
- around 17 min
- Fare
- Check the current Ferrotramviaria fare
Ferrovie Appulo Lucane
Train to MateraThe FAL links Bari Centrale with Matera Centrale. There is frequent engineering work on the line; replacement buses then run, some of them directly from Bari to Matera. Read the service notice on the website before you travel.
- Route
- Bari Centrale ↔ Matera Centrale
- Journey time
- around 1 hr 30 min
- Tickets
- online, at the ticket office or at authorised sellers
- Stops in Matera
- Matera Centrale, Villa Longo, Serra Rifusa, Matera Sud
- 800 050 500 (toll-free within Italy) · +39 080 5725421
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - ferrovieappulolucane.it
Autoservizi Tempesta
Shuttle busThe shuttle between the airport and Bari’s main station – the alternative to the airport train, with a stop in the city centre.
- Route
- Airport ↔ Bari Stazione Centrale
- Journey time
- 25–30 min
- Fare
- €4.15 single
- +39 080 5219172 · +39 080 5240662
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - autoservizitempesta.it
AMTAB
Bari city busLine 16 connects the terminal with Piazza Moro by the main station – the cheapest but slowest way into the city.
- Route
- Airport ↔ Piazza Moro (Stazione Centrale)
- Line
- Bus 16
Taxi and transfer
At the airport, taxis wait right outside the arrivals hall. The fixed fares only apply within Bari – Matera is charged as an out-of-town journey, so agree the price before you set off. If you arrive late, you are better off booking a transfer in advance.
Apulia Taxi
Taxi at Bari airport- Taxi rank
- right at the terminal
- Fixed fares
- within Bari only, confirm the fare before travel
Nuova CO.TA.BA.
Taxi in Bari- Taxi rank
- Airport and Bari city area
Hire car at the airport
The rental desks are in the arrivals hall, the cars in the multi-storey car park opposite. Companies represented include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, Maggiore, Locauto, Noleggiare, Goldcar, Leasys and Sicily by Car. The airport website lists which companies are currently operating there.
You do not need a car for Matera itself: driving is barely allowed in the Sassi anyway, and the old town is a pedestrian world of steps. A hire car makes sense for trips into the Murgia, to Apulia or to the coast.
What else to bear in mind
- Last connection: The direct buses run during the day; in the evening services thin out. If you land late, book a transfer in advance.
- Strikes: In Italy, public transport strikes are announced a few days ahead. Before you set off, it is worth checking the company’s website.
- Engineering work: Sections of the Bari–Matera railway line are being worked on; replacement buses then run, which take longer.
- From the bus stop to the Sassi: From Viale Aldo Moro it is about a ten-minute walk to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, and from there you head down into the Sassi.
Information as of 13 September 2026. Timetables and prices change – please check with the company before you travel.
