Matera

Here is a post for all of you who are wondering, "Where is Matera? and.... How do I get there?"



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The three closest airports to Matera in order of (least) distance are: Bari, Naples and Rome.

Bari:
Bari Palese (BRI) is the closest airport to Matera. Bari is approximately 60 kilometers from Matera and would be by far the easiest connection to Matera.

For those of you traveling from outside Italy there are a multiple low cost airlines connections to Bari from various locations including: London-Stansted, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Stuttgart and Paris. Please keep in mind these low cost airlines do not usually operate out of the major international airports, and therefore you will need to leave time to transfer between airports.

From the Bari airport you can rent a car and drive to Matera.
This may be a good option for those of you who plan to travel freely around the immediate region before/after the wedding. However, if you plan to stay in Matera there is not much need of a car - Matera is a small city and car access is restricted in the old part of town. We also plan on organizing some activities for those who are in Matera a few days prior to the wedding.

There is a commercial shuttle service between Bari and Matera. Information and prices can be found at the following website. If you send us your travel details by the RSVP date April 5, we can coordinate groups of wedding guests catching this shuttle together.

Normally in the summer there is a free public shuttle from the Bari airport to Matera that leaves the airport only three times a day. This is the website to check if and when the services resume in summer 2009: Pugliairbus

Naples:
Napoli Capodichino airport (NAP) is the next closest international airport. Naples is approximately 250 kilometers from Matera You can rent a car from Naples and drive to Matera. (However, the same comments regarding car rental above apply here too.)

It is possible to catch a train from Napoli to Ferrandina-Pomarico (the closest stop to Matera). You must however first transfer from the airport to the train station in Naples via taxi or bus. A direct train ride between Napoli and Ferrandina-Pomarico usually takes 3 to 4 hours. There is then a shuttle service from the Ferrandina-Pomarico station to Matera which takes 30 minutes. Because, as with all train travel in Italy, services are not that frequent it is crucial to check the train schedule between Naples and Ferrandina before you buy your flight.

Rome:
Roma Fiumicino (FCO) is approximately 450 kilometers form Matera. Although Rome is far from Matera it may be a good option for those of you looking to visit Rome or other parts of Italy prior to the wedding.

From Rome there are flights to Bari, as well as train connections to Naples and Bari. For travel information from Naples and Bari to Matera please see above.