Transportation from Sorrento to Matera

Gonzy,

Where are you coming from prior to going to Matera?

It is possible to reach Matera via the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane rail link from Bari. The trip is about 1H:30M. Upon arrival at Matera Centrale, it would probably be easiest to take a Taxi to your hotel in the Sassi. However you may still have a short walk to L'Hotel in Pietra (I'm not sure if it's possible for vehicles to get right to the front door).

I had a brief look at the hotel website, and it appears to be very similar to Hotel Sassi, which also features rooms in caves.

Happy travels!

Public transportation will most likely take you in and out of Bari. I' ve done it by both bus and train. Note that the train station for the train from Matera is around the block from Bari Centrale, so allow time to walk.

If you rent a car you could also visit the Alberobello district.

So the question is How do we get from Sorrento to Matera? Right? Bari, we find, is not easy to get to. We are planning to fly from Catania to Bari an hope that works out for us. It will be our first time to fly inside Europe. We will fly from Naples to Catania since that seems the quickest, though not the least expensive. So you might look at flights to Bari from Napels.

@Jerry&Stelly,

I'm not sure where Catania fits into your Itinerary, but regarding your question on travel from Sorrento to Bari, the method I'd probably use is Circumvesuviana from Sorrento to Napoli Centrale (~1 hour) and then Trenitalia from there to Bari (as short as 3H:51M, with one change at Caserta).

As Zoe mentioned, note that the rail station for the train to Matera is NOT Bari Centrale, so you'll have to walk a short distance from Bari Centrale to get to the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane station.

Looks like I may not have been very clear in my question. I will be arriving from Sorrento and staying in Matera for 2 nights then going on to Bari or thereabouts to catch an overnight ferry to Croatia.

Would renting a car in Sorrento, driving to Matera then dropping the car off in Bari be a good idea or is it more troublesome?

TIA

We stayed at that hotel last May and loved it! Matera is fascinating. We had a car and drove from Positano, stopped at Paestum, then on to Matera. I think public transportation will be more difficult than a rental car, but that's just my opinion. Have a great trip!

In this case, a car will be your best option. Travelling by train to Matera from Sorrento is very slow and it involves backtracking to/from Bari.

I'd rent a car in Sorrento and drive to Matera. Easy drive. Then I'd drive to Bari and return the car there.

A car will eliminate the backtracking to/from Bari, and allow you to stop in some of the beautiful places en route. I can suggest a B&B near Alberobello if you decide to add a stop.