Do you need a car in Matera?
Updated October 26, 2026 · 5 min read
For Matera itself, no: a car is more burden than help. The Sassi are explored on foot, while restricted historic streets make a vehicle useless at the moment you most want to sightsee. Hire one if Matera is a base for rural Basilicata or the trulli towns of Puglia; skip it for a short city break reached by bus from Bari Airport.
What works without a car
The useful part of central Matera is compact but steep. Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Civita, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso connect through lanes, stairs and lookout points that reward walking, not driving. Local buses can bridge the modern districts, yet they do not remove the steps inside the Sassi.
Bari Airport is about 60 kilometres away and Matera’s tourism office lists direct coaches as well as a rail connection via Bari Centrale. Timetables change, and rail journeys can involve a change, so compare the connection with your flight before booking accommodation. For a couple spending two or three nights in the centre, a coach plus walking is usually simpler than collecting, parking and returning a car.
When a car earns its place
A vehicle becomes useful when the itinerary extends beyond one organised excursion. Craco, the Ionian coast, small Basilicata towns and a loop through Alberobello and the Valle d’Itria are much easier to combine on your own schedule. It also helps a family carrying a child seat and luggage, provided the accommodation has a clear arrival and parking plan.
Do not count airport convenience twice. If you hire at Bari Airport, keep the car only when the regional portion starts; paying for it while it sits outside the Sassi rarely improves a city stay. A one-day guided excursion can cost more than a rental day, but it removes navigation, parking and the question of who drives.
Parking changes the calculation
Treat the Sassi as a walking destination. Ask your accommodation for the exact legal approach and a car park outside the restricted zone; do not follow a satnav into a narrow historic street. A room advertised as “central” may still require carrying bags over stone steps from the drop-off point.
Before reserving, check the supplier’s pick-up location, opening hours, fuel policy, deposit, excess and accepted payment card. The cheapest headline price is not the final comparison if the desk is far from your arrival point or your card does not meet the rental conditions.
The practical verdict
Stay car-free for up to three nights focused on Matera. Add a car for a longer road trip with at least two independent stops outside the city. If only Alberobello interests you, compare the driving day with the Matera and Alberobello day-tour options before accepting the parking work.
For most first-time visitors, our recommendation is simple: arrive by coach, walk the Sassi, then collect a car only on the morning you leave for the region.
