Getting your bearings
Bari is a port and university city on the Adriatic, and it is laid out in distinct urban sections that shape how you move around it. The old town, Bari Vecchia, sits on a peninsula in the north between two modern harbours, and it is where you find the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, the Cathedral of San Sabino and the Norman-Swabian Castle; it is also a major nightlife district. To the south lies the Murat quarter, the modern heart of the city, built on a rectangular grid plan with a seafront promenade and the main shopping streets. Further out, modern residential zones and suburbs spread beyond the centre. For a visitor, that means most of what you want is concentrated in two adjacent areas, with the rest of the city reached by bus or rail.
Walking
Walking is the most practical way to cover the centre. The old town and the Murat quarter sit close together, and the Murat grid, the promenade and the shopping district are all comfortably explored on foot. Bear in mind that Bari Vecchia is closely built and maze-like, while the Murat quarter is regular and easy to navigate. For anything beyond the centre, you will want public transport or a taxi.
Rail, metro and tram
Bari Centrale, in Piazza Aldo Moro, is the main station and the hub of the local rail network. It is well connected to most Italian cities, including Rome, Milan, Bologna, Naples, Foggia, Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto, and local trains also arrive from Ostuni, Brindisi and Lecce to the south. Inside the station you will find tourist information points, ticket machines, bars and waiting rooms.
Several separate operators run services from or near Bari Centrale, so it pays to check which company you need before you travel:
- Trenitalia — the main national rail operator; check its website for timetables and prices.
- Ferrotramviaria — runs the direct railway link between the airport and Bari Centrale, and also publishes its own timetables and information.
- Ferrovie del Sud Est — runs trains to Alberobello and other nearby destinations, departing from Bari Centrale, and also operates buses to similar destinations in the region.
- Ferrovie Appulo Lucane (FAL) — runs trains from Bari to Matera Centrale. Its station is in a separate building just outside Bari Centrale; as you walk out onto the large piazza with the buses and fountain, it is toward the left.
Buses and other public transport
Local public buses are run by AMTAB (Azienda Mobilità e Trasporti Autobus Bari), and there are many of them across the city. A ticket costs €1, or €1.50 if you buy it on board. For longer-distance travel into and out of the region, Onbus connects Sicily with Puglia, and touring buses link Germany with Puglia.
Taxis and ride-hailing
Taxis are available, and the airport run into the centre is charged at a fixed price of €25. For local trips, agree the fare or confirm the meter before setting off, as you would in any Italian city.
Driving and parking
If you drive, Bari is reached from the north via the Autostrada Adriatica A14, exiting at the Bari-Nord toll booth and following signs for the Bari ring road (SS16) in the direction of Brindisi-Lecce-Taranto. From the south, exit at Bari-South and follow signs for the ring road in the direction of the San Nicola Stadium.
Parking in blue zones (ZSR) is generally paid Monday to Saturday, 08:30–20:30, and is free on Sundays and public holidays, except in specifically marked "parking islands" (Aree di sosta a pagamento h24) where charges apply around the clock.
The city also operates several Park & Ride lots, including Vittorio Veneto (north), Pane e Pomodoro (south) and Largo 2 Giugno (central-south). For a flat daily fee of roughly €1.00, the driver receives a return shuttle bus ticket to the city centre; additional passengers pay a small supplement of around €0.30.
Arriving by boat
Bari is a ferry destination in its own right. Ferries arrive from the Greek ports of Patras and Igoumenitsa, and there are also ships from Bar and Kotor in Montenegro, Dubrovnik in Croatia, and Durrës and Vlora in Albania. Operators include Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries and Jadrolinija. If you are travelling on a Eurail pass, the crossing from Patras or Igoumenitsa costs €16 in low season and €31 in mid season; a normal deck ticket to Igoumenitsa is about €29 in low season.
Getting from the airport into the city
Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport (BRI) is modern and well organised, and is served by carriers including ITA Airways, Lufthansa, Eurowings, Ryanair and Wizzair. You have several options for reaching the centre, and they differ mainly in price and convenience.
- Airport train — a direct railway link connects the airport to Bari Centrale, operated by Ferrotramviaria, with roughly two trains per hour. A single ticket costs €5.30. If you are willing to walk about 1.7 km to the next stop, Europa, a ticket from there to Bari Centrale costs only €1.30.
- Airport shuttle bus — run by Tempesta, this goes to Bari Centrale for €5, with roughly one departure per hour and a journey time of about 30 minutes.
- Local bus no. 16 — runs from the airport to Bari Centrale for €2.50, taking around 40 minutes, with about one bus per hour. It departs right next to the train stop entrance.
- Taxi — a fixed price of €25 to the centre.
Which you choose depends on your priorities: the train is the fastest and most frequent option, the shuttle and the local bus are cheaper, and the taxi is the simplest if you are carrying luggage or arriving late.
Practical tips
- Buy bus tickets before boarding where you can — AMTAB fares rise from €1 to €1.50 on board.
- Check the Trenitalia and Ferrotramviaria websites for timetables and prices before travelling by rail.
- Remember that FAL trains to Matera leave from a separate station building just outside Bari Centrale, not from the main station itself.
- If you are driving, note the weekday paid parking hours and the free Sunday and public holiday rule, and consider a Park & Ride lot with its cheap shuttle into the centre.