Day trips from Bari
Polignano is 16–20 min by train, Monopoli about 28 min, Alberobello about 1 h 15 – 1 h 40, and Matera a full day.
- Polignano a Mare
- Trenitalia regional train, direct
- Monopoli
- Trenitalia regional train, direct
- Alberobello
- FSE (Ferrovie del Sud Est) train or bus
Bari is the starting point, so the trips are measured by how long they take from it: Polignano is 16–20 min by train, Monopoli about 28 min, Alberobello about 1 h 15 – 1 h 40, and Matera about 1 h 15 by bus. The first two fit into half a day; Alberobello wants half a day to a full day, and Matera a full day.
The nearest, by train
Polignano is a town on a cliff above the Adriatic, known for Lama Monachile beach between the cliffs, for cliff-diving competitions and for a restaurant in a cave, the Grotta Palazzese. Trenitalia regional train, direct takes 16–20 min, a return ticket is €5.20, and a visit takes half a day.
The harbour and the castle of Charles V
The name Monopoli means “only city”. The castle of Charles V was completed in 1525, and in 1529 the town resisted a siege by Charles's forces; the cathedral is of the eighteenth century. Trenitalia regional train, direct takes about 28 min, a return ticket is €6.80, and a visit takes half a day.
Houses of dry stone
Alberobello is known for its trulli, houses of dry stone without mortar and with conical roofs; since 1996 they have been on the UNESCO list. Two districts hold most of them, Rione Monti and Aia Piccola, and the largest is the Trullo Sovrano. Walking among the trulli is free, and only the Trullo Sovrano museum is paid. FSE (Ferrovie del Sud Est) train or bus, about 1 h 15 – 1 h 40, a return ticket €12, and a visit takes half a day to a full day.
A full day, another town, another region
Matera is in the neighbouring region of Basilicata and has its own guide.
Getting there is SITA Sud/Cotrap bus, line 900, in about 1 h 15; a return ticket is €6.80, and a visit takes a full day.
Lecce
Further south, on the Salento peninsula, lies Lecce, a Baroque city nicknamed “the Florence of the South”, after its soft local stone.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Which trip from Bari is the quickest?
Polignano a Mare, by direct train, 16–20 min.
Which trip needs a full day?
Matera, SITA Sud/Cotrap bus, line 900, in about 1 h 15 one way.
How much does Alberobello cost?
A return ticket is €12; walking among the trulli is free, and only the Trullo Sovrano museum is paid.
Ready for Bari?
Where to next
Where to stay in Bari
→Two districts really split the choice: the old town on its peninsula, where everything is on foot, and Murat…
Matera · 55 km
→A city where people were still living in caves in the 1950s
How well does Bari suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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