Matera Travel Forum

Hello,

Probably I'll visit Italy (Matera and Grotole) for this year's Christmas. I'll spend there about one week.

My questions are in the field 'How to reach... .':
I can fly to Milan or Rome. Can you help me - where it is easier to reach Matera? Is it better by train, or, probably busses are more convenient? After that I have to leave for Grotole. How is the public transport?

Do you think I'll manage knowing almost any Italian?

Thanks for your help, and greetings from Bulgaria. You are welcome if you are coming here.

Have a nice day,
Lillyia

I have been to Matera twice. It's a fascinating and strange place but there's nothing much going on there.Pardon me for being nosy, but why Grottole?
To reach Matera by rail you need to find your way to Bari--reasonably easy to do from Rome. At Bari, find the Ferrovia Appulo-Lucano station (Left side of piazza in front of Bari Centrale). The train to Matera is usually quite crowded and you need to change at Altamura or you wind up in Gravina, but the trip isn't too long and the price is very very low.
There is no rail service to Grottole. If you have the means, this is a fantastic part of Italy for a car trip, but no doubt there's bus service from Matera---probably sparse and inconvenient..
The only people I encountered in Matera who spoke English were two young women in a tourist assistance kiosk, and even they weren't too comfortable about it. I speak enough Italian that I never had to ask anybody if they spoke English, but frankly I don't know what people do when there's no common language at all. As for English at the bus station or train station I'd say you better forget it and learn some Italian right quick because printed information is scarce and unreliable.
I envy you. Basilicata is the great undiscovered beauty spot of Italy---outs the rest of the place in the shade for fantastic landscape and decent people. Just a bit lacking in infrastructure.

Thank you,

Why Matera? I thing I have to be there for Christmas. I travel enough for this year, (I know travel is never enough, :-) ) and I don't feel... but, I have to - I know some people there and they even prepared a programme...

This is a great option to learn some Italian. And part of the beautiful country I never visited before! Let’s see what will happen.

Thank you for the detailed information and do not forget to visit Balkans.

Lillyia