Train stations in Matera

Matera is reached by the small FAL railway from Bari, not by Trenitalia trains. Expect one change at Altamura, a journey that usually takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, and no trains on Sundays or public holidays. Matera station is signed Matera Centrale on FAL timetables and station signs.

Getting to Matera from Bari

FAL trains leave from Bari Centrale on FAL's own tracks, separate from Trenitalia's. A Trenitalia ticket does not cover the journey, so buy a FAL ticket. You change at Altamura, usually onto a connecting train a few minutes later. The earliest arrival in Matera is 06:50, on the train that leaves Bari at 05:06. The last leaves at 21:22 and arrives at 23:08. In between, a train leaves roughly every one to two hours. Coming back, the first train leaves Matera Centrale at 05:45 and the last through connection at 21:22, reaching Bari at 23:10. These times are from the timetable in force since 31 August 2026.

A single from Bari costs €6.20. Buy it at the station, on FAL's website or app, or tap in and out at the gates or card readers with a contactless card or phone. Tickets bought in advance must be validated at the machines in the station before boarding.

Where to get off

Stay on until Matera Centrale. It is the last stop but one, before the terminus at Matera Sud, and the station is at Piazza della Visitazione. Villa Longo, Serra Rifusa and, on some trains, Venusio come earlier. Matera Sud is one stop too far for the Sassi.

From the station to the Sassi

Matera Centrale is close to the old town. Walk along Via Roma to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the square at the edge of the Sassi where the tourist information point is. The main tourist information office, at Palazzo dell'Annunziata, is about 10 minutes on foot from Matera Centrale. The Sassi start just beyond, down steps and lanes, so wear flat shoes. If you would rather ride, the city's Linea Sassi bus runs about every 30 minutes, from 07:30 to 20:25 between 16 September and 30 June, and ends at Piazza San Pietro Caveoso in the Sasso Caveoso. Tickets are sold on the Dropticket app and at the sales points of the bus company, Miccolis.

Sundays and public holidays

There are no FAL trains on Sundays and public holidays. A replacement bus runs instead from the bus terminal on Via Capruzzi in Bari. Around eight buses a day reach Matera, and the trip takes between about 1 hour 35 minutes and 2 hours. Rail tickets are accepted on the bus. Check FAL's timetables page for the current holiday bus sheet before you go.

FrecciaLink from Salerno

Trenitalia's FrecciaLink combines a Freccia train to Salerno with a bus on to Matera. The bus runs daily with free Wi-Fi, calls at Potenza Centrale and Ferrandina-Scalo Matera, and ends at Viale Nazioni Unite 5. That is a bus stop, not the railway station, so allow time to reach Piazza della Visitazione or the Sassi from there.

Rail passes and reservations

FAL is a separate railway and is not among the Italian railways covered by Interrail, so buy a FAL ticket even with an Interrail pass. A pass is valid on the FrecciaLink bus from Salerno, but the bus cannot be reserved online: book it at a station in Italy or by phone, together with the reservation for the Frecciarossa to Salerno, which costs €13 as of October 2026.