Buses
The bus is the most popular and intuitive mode of public transportation in Bari for the tourist.
The AMTAB carrier serves 31 routes, the longest of which is at #14: 34 kilometers of track and 81 stops.
The company’s official website is closed to those trying to access it while in Russia, but you can use an anonymizer. The site is only available in Italian.
The route can be planned here. You need to enter the departure station in the first box and the destination station in the second box.
By default, the search values are set to:
- «fastest route»,
- «maximum walking distance — no limit»,
- «the maximum number of transfers is unlimited».
Important: Bus stops are not marked on google maps, and you’ll need the name of the bus stop when planning your route. Find out the name beforehand.
Bus tickets
Fares were last changed on September 6, 2018. You can check prices and ticket types at the link.
The carrier offers several ticket options:
- One way ticket: € 1,00;
- Ticket for 90 minutes: 1,20 € (valid for 90 minutes from the first use);
- Day ticket: 2,50 € (valid for the whole day during public transportation hours);
- Ticket bought on the bus from the driver: 1,50 € (valid for 75 minutes after validation);
- Ticket for 10 trips: 9,00 € (book with 10 one-way tickets);
- Park & Ride day ticket: 0,30 € (valid for the whole day during transport opening hours). It works on the principle of «intercepted parking»: the driver leaves the car in designated areas and travels further by public transportation. The ticket can only be purchased in the parking areas of the Park & Ride system. All information about Park & Ride.
Important: any ticket must be composted upon entering the bus cabin and retained during the journey. An unvalidated ticket is equivalent to a fare evasion and the fine for this is 100 €. One out of five bus passengers in Bari is a stowaway, according to AMTAB public statistics.
If coming to Bari for more than a month, you may benefit from a pass. Pass options:
- For a year: 250 €
- For a month: 35 €
- For a month at fixed hours: 20 € (5 to 9 am; 12:30 to 18:00; 19:30 to 23:00)
Each line has its own hours of operation. Separate schedules for holidays and weekends. Generally, the first bus leaves at 5am and finishes at 11pm, sometimes at 11:40pm. The average wait time for a bus is 18 minutes.
Where to buy tickets:
- At newsstands (Edicola)
- In tobacco kiosks (Tabacchi)
- In the coach from the driver (more expensive by 0,5 €)
- Via the Bari Digitale app (available for IOS and Android)
- In vending machines at major interchange hubs
Metro in Bari
Bari does not have a subway that residents of large Russian cities are used to. It is closely connected to the suburban train network and is more like a «light metro». The main city operator of such transportation is the Ferrotramviaria company. The website is available in Italian and English.
Metro and train station diagrams and timetables here.
The 4 rail lines are united by their origin and a major interchange, the central station of Bari.
Of the four lines on the diagram, only the two marked with the letters FM are called «metro». FM1 is entirely within the city zone, while the terminus of FM2 is 8km from Bari.
FR1 and FR2 are well outside the urban area and are more like commuter trains, although operated by the same operator.
Where to buy tickets:
- At the station ticket office (there may be lines).
- At the ticket vending machine. There are no queues, but it takes skill or local help to figure it out. If you’ve ever bought tickets at a park ticket machine, the ticketing system in Italian ticket vending machines is similar.
The fares on the operator’s website are presented in the form of a fare grid, where you need to select the point of departure and destination: the intersection will be the price of the trip. The cheapest ticket costs 1.1 €, and the most expensive one on the FM1 line costs 4.9 €. Subscriptions are also available: for a week, for a month.
Trains run every 20 minutes on average.
Electric trains
The electric trains in Bari are the same as the «light metro», but with terminals outside the urban area. The operator Ferrotramviaria offers the FR1 and FR2 lines to reach Barletta station. The FR2 goes through the airport, while the FR1 bypasses Europa and Aeroporto stations, stopping at Palese and Macchie.
Fares are the same as for the metro, as the metro and suburban train network in Bari is unified and operated by a single carrier. The entrance to the main station in Bari is to the right of the entrance to Bari Centrale central station.
Long-distance electric trains and trains (trips outside Bari and other areas of Puglia) are run by the national operator Trenitalia. There is also a Russian website, but prices are sometimes different.
Excursion train
The Trenino della Felicita or Happiness Train will take the tourist all over Bari. The excursion lasts 2 hours. The train is only on the road for 20 minutes. The rest of the time is spent walking, tastings and stories from the guide.
The train has 50 seats, is open and travels slowly so that tourists can enjoy the views of Bari. It even passes through paths where public transportation is not available. The tours are in 5 languages: Italian, English, French, German and Spanish. Japanese, Chinese and Russian are also available on request.
The departure station is the tourist port of Bari; the train returns there after 2 hours, passing through 8 stations.
The price of «happiness» is 15 €. Reviews of tourists are overwhelmingly positive: they complain only about the fact that the paving stones in the center are very shaky.
On average, people in Bari spend 57 minutes daily on public transportation. Many people prefer to walk, considering the center quite compact and not suitable for transport. Residents and tourists agree on one thing: the historic city center is a headache for car drivers.
