Minibus Rental Across Italy

Matera Coach Hire: the Sassi and Alberobello

The Sassi are seen on foot, down steep steps. The coach's job is the set-down and the wait, and since June 2026 those two happen in different places.

Set down, then move on

A town ordinance in force since 18 June 2026 moved the coach stop to Viale delle Nazioni Unite, for tourist and intercity coaches alike. Passengers get on and off there, nothing more: parking is not allowed, and the coach heads to a coach park. The change was meant to relieve congestion on Via Ugo La Malfa.

Piazza Matteotti, over Matera Centrale station, has also served as the town's coach reception point. The operator confirms which point applies for your date.

Mercedes-Benz Tourismo 49-seat coach, exterior
Mercedes-Benz Tourismo 49-seat coach, exterior

Walking the Sassi

Both cave districts, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso, form a UNESCO World Heritage site of cave houses and rock churches, reachable only on foot. The steps are steep and the paving uneven. Sturdy shoes are essential, and for anyone with reduced mobility the route needs checking with the guide in advance.

The Belvedere di Murgia Timone, across the ravine in the Parco della Murgia Materana, shows the whole town from the opposite side. It is a separate outing from the old town; the operator confirms the coach access.

Airports for groups arriving in Matera

Coach day trips from Matera

  • Altamura — about 21 km, about 30 min
  • Gravina in Puglia — about 28 km, about 45 min
  • Metaponto (Tavole Palatine) — about 45 km, about 1 h 5 min
  • Craco (abandoned village) — about 58 km, about 1 h 15 min
  • Castellana Grotte (caves) — about 64 km, about 1 h 40 min
  • Alberobello — about 69 km, about 1 h 45 min
  • Bari — about 71 km, about 1 h 25 min
  • Castel del Monte — about 74 km, about 1 h 30 min
  • Locorotondo — about 77 km, about 1 h 55 min
  • Polignano a Mare — about 100 km, about 1 h 50 min
  • Ostuni — about 103 km, about 2 h 30 min
  • Lecce — about 177 km, about 3 h 15 min

Coach rules in Matera that shape the day

  • Bari Airport (BRI, Karol Wojtyła) is about 65 km by road from Piazza Vittorio Veneto (about 1 h 15 min by coach). Bari city centre is about 71 km (about 1 h 25 min).
  • Matera is on the narrow-gauge Ferrovie Appulo Lucane line to Bari; Matera Centrale station is under Piazza Matteotti.
  • The Sassi are reached only on foot, with steep steps and uneven paving. Groups need sturdy shoes; for guests with reduced mobility, check the route with the guide in advance.
  • Coach stops: since 18 June 2026 a town ordinance makes Viale delle Nazioni Unite the stop area for tourist and intercity coaches, only for the time needed to set down and pick up passengers; coaches may not park there and must leave to a coach park. The aim was to clear the congestion on Via Ugo La Malfa. Piazza Matteotti has been the town's reception point for coaches.
  • On peak days the town can close the centre to tourist coaches: in the Christmas period of 2024 coaches had to set down and pick up at the Serra Rifusa (Matera Sud) intermodal terminal, with a train link to the centre. Check for such measures at Christmas, Easter and big events.
  • The Festa della Bruna, Matera's patron festival, is held on 2 July each year, with the procession and the "assalto al carro" in Piazza Vittorio Veneto; expect road closures in the centre.
  • Alberobello: coaches set passengers down at a checkpoint on Via Michele Viterbo, about 700 m on foot from the Rione Monti trulli district, then park in the designated coach parks (Contrada Popoleto near the stadium, or Viale Putignano). A daily coach access ticket applies and can be bought online in advance. The rules change often; check them when booking.

Peak days and festivals

When crowds peak, the town may shut tourist coaches out of the centre. Over Christmas 2024, for example, groups were dropped at the Serra Rifusa (Matera Sud) intermodal terminal and took the train in. Ask about measures like this for Easter, Christmas and major events.

Each 2 July the Festa della Bruna fills Piazza Vittorio Veneto for its procession and the "assalto al carro", when the crowd storms the float. Expect roads in the centre to close that day.

Alberobello and Puglia

Allow about 1 h 45 min to Alberobello. The set-down is a checkpoint on Via Michele Viterbo; from there the Rione Monti trulli are roughly 700 m on foot, and coaches go on to the designated parks. A daily coach access ticket applies. These details come from a non-official source and change often, so check them when booking.

Altamura is about 30 minutes away and the caves at Castellana Grotte about 1 h 40 min, while Castel del Monte is roughly 1 h 30 min. Adding Locorotondo or Polignano to Alberobello makes a long day; ask for the timings on the quote.

Questions organisers ask

Which airport do groups fly into?

Bari: around 1 h 15 min by coach, for about 65 km from Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Bari city centre is about 1 h 25 min away.

Can we come by train?

Yes, from Bari on the narrow-gauge Ferrovie Appulo Lucane line to Matera Centrale. A coach can meet the group at the station or collect it in Bari.

Can the coach wait on Viale delle Nazioni Unite?

No. Since June 2026 it is for setting down and picking up only. The coach waits in a coach park and comes back for the return.

Other group trips we arrange

Vehicles with a driver