Matera was one of my favorite stops on my recent trip to Puglia and Basilicata in South Italy. I’ve traveled a lot, but the beautiful stone facades of Matera’s cave houses, tumbling down the hillsides into the lush green valley, took my breath away every time I reached one of the city’s panoramic viewpoints. I really can’t recommend visiting Matera enough, which is why I wanted to create this guide to traveling to Matera from Bari by train.
Many people think you have to rent a car to travel around Puglia (and Basilicata, the neighboring region where Matera is located). However, I found it relatively easy to get around using public transportation, and even with a few hiccups I was able to get from Bari to Matera, and then back from Matera to Bari, using the regional train and bus system. This guide will start with the standard train journey that most travelers will take, but I’ll also explain what to do if you need to travel from Bari to Matera by bus on one of the (many) days where the train isn’t running.
How to Take the Train to Matera from Bari
The train to Matera from Bari is operated by Ferrovie Appulo Lucane (FAL), a private rail operator. You can find the train schedule and purchase tickets from their official website. At publication time (July 2024) a one-way ticket is €6.
The train to Matera from Bari has its own station, adjacent to Bari Centrale and connected by elevator to the Ferrovie Nord Barese station. If you’re coming from inside Bari Centrale station, exit the station through the front doors (onto the piazza) and the station will be on the corner to your left (past the KFC). If you’re coming from the center, if you’re standing in the piazza looking at the station then it’s on your right. The building facade is white and there is very small lettering over the two doors that says Ferrovie Appulo Lucane – it’s in the photo above.
If you didn’t buy your ticket online then you can use the automated machines at the station. Either way, keep your ticket as you will need to scan it to enter the platform in Bari (shown above) and leave the platform upon arrival in Matera.
There are few direct trains from Bari to Matera. Typically, you will need to take a train to Altamura (about 80 minutes) and then change to a train to Matera (about 20 minutes). Since many people are making this connection the rail company usually holds the train in case of any delays. The only thing to note is that the Altamura station has three tracks and no elevator, so there is a small chance you will need to carry your luggage up and down a flight of stairs.
On my train there was comfortable seating and a clean, wheelchair-accessible bathroom (although I don’t know how someone in a wheelchair would have got to the platform at Altamura?). There was overhead luggage storage for small bags but larger bags had to be stored in the aisles or in the open space around the doors.
From the Matera Centrale train station it takes about ten minutes to walk to the entrance to the historic center, and there are lots of great hotels in Matera around Via del Corso that are easily accessible by foot from the station. If you’re staying overnight in one of the sassi hotels (in the caves) then you should work with your accommodation to organize transportation from the train station, as it would be nearly impossible to navigate the labyrinth of stone staircases and alleys with your luggage.
Getting Back to Bari from Matera by Train
Getting to Bari from Matera should be intuitive, but surprisingly it is not. Matera Centrale station is fully automated, with no customer-facing staff. To enter the station you need to either scan your ticket or tap your credit card at the exterior turnstiles, which are shown above. This will give you access to the interior of the station, where there are no staff or services. The good news is that there is only one platform at the Matera Centrale station, and has a large elevator, so it’s an easy station to navigate.
If all goes well the journey back to Bari from Matera will be similar to your outbound trip, with a simple change of trains in Altamura (hopefully on the same platform!). Again, hang onto your ticket to as you’ll need to scan it to exit the platform in Bari.
However, on the day I traveled from Matera to Bari by train there was an unfortunate last-minute train cancellation. I was glad I had purchased my ticket online as proof of payment, because if I had just tapped my credit card I don’t know how I would have later proven to the driver of the substitute bus that I had paid for a ticket.
Although there aren’t any customer-facing staff at the station, someone did come out from an office to tell us all the train had been cancelled and to direct us to the substitute bus stop. It was a further ten-minute walk from the train station (away from the historic center), which is why I would recommend arriving at Matera Centrale no less than 15 minutes before your train is scheduled to depart. A bus showed up at the stop at the same time as the train should have departed, we all dragged our bags into the free space around the back door, and off we went to Altamura to catch our connecting train.
How to Get to Matera from Bari by Bus (on Sunday, Holidays, etc.)
There are no trains to Matera from Bari on Sunday, so you have to take the bus. The bus is operated by the same company as the train, Ferrovie Appulo Lucane. You should buy your tickets online in advance because there is no way to buy your ticket on board.
According to the bus company, only one stop in Bari is “guaranteed”: the beginning of the line on Via Bovio, across from the Eurospin store (near the Mater Dei hospital). You can find it on Google Maps here and I’ve added a picture above. Because I couldn’t risk missing the bus I ended up taking a taxi from my accommodation to this bus stop just to be safe. I’m glad I got on here as the bus did reach capacity a few stops later.
Yes, as is my luck, although apparently no other stops are “guaranteed” my bus did stop at every intermediary stop listed on the route, including at Bari Centrale station.
The FAL bus stop at Bari Centrale for Matera is located on Via Capruzzi (the back side of the station) across from #236 (so, on the same side of the street as the train tracks). Look for the FAL sign with the green logo; there will likely be other people there waiting too. It is located approximately here, but again once you’re there you’ll need to walk around a few meters in each direction to make sure you’re at the FAL stop, and not the stop for a different company.
The bus trip should take just under two hours, but because my bus was full of people who didn’t have tickets the driver had to make a 30-minute detour to a tobacconist shop where everyone without a ticket (we’re talking like 40 people!) got off and purchased tickets, one by one. Some people had problems with their foreign cards working in the small shop, which is why I recommend buying your ticket online before the day of travel.
In Matera, the bus from Bari should arrive at the Matera Centrale train station. However, when I did this trip in July 2024 the area around the station was undergoing extensive construction and the bus stop was closed. Instead, the bus from Bari to Matera continued 500 meters further up the road and stopped on Viale Nazioni Uniti. This increased the walk time from the bus stop to the center from about 10 minutes to just over 15 minutes.
Do I recommend the train to Matera from Bari?
Absolutely! It’s easy and affordable to travel from Bari to Matera by train, even if you have luggage (like I did). The big things to remember are that you should buy your ticket online in advance from the official site linked above, and you should hold onto your ticket until you exit the train at your destination. Also, be sure to arrive at the station at least 15 minutes before your train is scheduled to depart in case there are any schedule changes.
I’m having a great time traveling around Puglia! You can keep up-to-date with my travels by checking out all of my Italy travel guides, or follow me on Instagram to keep up with my travels in real time.
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