Friends, I've researched extensively with no conclusive answer, so now I need your help. How do I get from Matera to Alberobello or vice-versa, without going back to Bari? It just doesn't make sense to have to back-track, but then again, we are in Italy. If Mexico is the land of "mañana", Italy is the land of "maybe".
Martie
Posted by
Portland
3648 posts
I can’t give you a specific reply. However I can say that when we looked into the possibility of using public transportation in Puglia, it looked very cumbersome and time-consuming. We ended up renting a car.
Posted by
Washington DC
28450 posts
The problem you're running into is that you're attempting to travel between two small towns that are in different regions. Italy's not the only country where that doesn't go well. Last year I traveled to France but had no time to include Paris in my itinerary. I still had to go there three times to change trains in order to cross provincial boundaries.
In theory you could take a bus, but you'd need to change in Gioia del Colle, and the bus to/from Matera runs only once a day (only Mon-Sat, I think), a situation that would make me very, very nervous. It appears that you'd have to go to a different place in Gioia (1/2 mile away??) to get the onward bus. For the random date I checked in May, there were 3 direct buses from Gioia to Alberobello and one additional routing with multiple connections. On that second link you need to choose the Autolinee tab; the webpage defaults to the train schedule, and there's no rail service.
Rome2Rio lays out the options, but don't depend on its fare or travel-time estimates.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
This is why it makes sense to rent a car for travel within southern Italy. Good luck.
Posted by
US
605 posts
If you want to travel by train, you will need to take the FAL http://ferrovieappulolucane.it/en/lines/lines/ from Matera to Bari, then change to the FSE https://www.fseonline.it/index.aspx from Bari to Alberobello. I did this last year and found it was perfectly manageable. Yes, it may be back-tracking, depending on where you've already been, but I am generally not concerned by that since I try not to be in a rush when traveling. And, I find myself grateful for the chance to utilize public transportation and not be concerned about driving, plus I enjoy the views along the way. For me, it's part of the experience. But everyone has their own opinion, of course. Good luck and have a good trip.
Posted by
Boise, ID, USA
2333 posts
I agree with Christine. We did the same train thing. Generally, you're required to check out of a place by 11:00 a.m. and not able to check into a new place before 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. anyway, so you have time to kill during the middle of the day when you're stuck with your luggage.