How to Get from Bari Airport to the City Centre

The cheapest way from Bari airport to the city centre is AMTAB Line 16, a €1 city bus that leaves from outside Arrivals and reaches Bari Centrale station (Piazza Moro) in 35–50 minutes, running roughly every 50–55 minutes until 22:10. If you are in a hurry, the Ferrotramviaria train takes about 20 minutes for €5.30, and if you land late you still have the Tempesta shuttle at €5, running until ten past midnight, and the fixed-fare taxi, which costs €25 to the centre.

All times and prices in this guide are from September 2026, and for Line 16 we used the AMTAB timetable in force since 1 September 2026. We point this out because plenty of travel guides still promise a bus every half hour or a €4 shuttle, and those numbers no longer match the official timetables.

Your options at a glance

Option	Time	Price	Frequency	Last departure from the airport
AMTAB Line 16	35–50 min	€1 (€1.50 from the driver)	about every 50–55 min	22:10 Mon–Sat, 22:00 Sunday
Ferrotramviaria train	17–20 min	€5.30	about 2 per hour Mon–Sat, every 50 min Sunday	23:36 Mon–Sat, 23:25 Sunday
Tempesta shuttle	about 30 min	€5	about hourly	00:10, every day
Taxi	about 20–30 min (traffic permitting)	€25 fixed to the centre, old town, station and port	always available	24/7

AMTAB Line 16: the €1 city bus to Bari Centrale

Line 16, “Bari Centrale – Aeroporto”, is the AMTAB city bus linking Karol Wojtyła airport (Bari-Palese) with the central station. It is an ordinary urban bus, you pay the same fare as for any other ride in the city, and that makes it by far the cheapest option, as long as you can live with its pace.

Where to catch it at the airport

The Line 16 stop is outside the Arrivals terminal, at the “Aeroporto” terminus: as you walk out of Arrivals, look for the AMTAB bus stop sign. Because of works in the area outside the terminal, the airport stops can move slightly, so if you cannot see it straight away, ask at the information desk rather than wandering around with your luggage.

Where it goes in the city

Right after leaving the airport the bus makes a loop around via Macchie and viale Europa, then enters the city along via Crispi and piazza Garibaldi and runs down via Quintino Sella to Bari Centrale in Piazza Moro. These are the most useful stops:

• Crispi-Garibaldi and Garibaldi-Visconti, for the Libertà district;
• Q. Sella-Calefati and Q. Sella-Dante, right in Murat, the main shopping district;
• Bari Centrale, for trains or to carry on on foot.

There is no direct stop for Bari Vecchia, the old town: get off in Murat or at Bari Centrale and walk from there.

How long it takes and how often it runs

According to the official timetable the ride takes 35 to 50 minutes, depending on the time of day and the traffic, and the initial loop around the airport area makes it longer than the map suggests. Many guides say it runs every half hour, but that is not the case: the real frequency is one bus every 50–55 minutes or so, and if you have just missed one, the train is usually a better bet than waiting for the next.

First and last bus

• Monday to Saturday: first departure from the airport at 05:25, last at 22:10, reaching Bari Centrale around 22:47.
• Sunday: first departure at 05:30, last at 22:00.

On public holidays falling on a weekday the Sunday timetable usually applies, but it is worth checking the AMTAB timetable. You can also see when the next Line 16 bus is due on Bari Smart.

Tickets: how much and where to buy

• Single ride: €1, valid for one journey on the city network, which is all you need for Line 16.
• 90-minute ticket: €1.20; day ticket: €2.50.
• From the driver: €1.50, exact change only.

You can buy it in four ways:

1. Contactless card on board: tap your Visa, Mastercard or Maestro card (or your phone) on the validator and pay €1 per ride, capped at €2.50 a day. On your first tap of the day your bank may show a €2.50 pre-authorisation, which is then released.
2. MUVT app, AMTAB’s official ticketing app.
3. Text message to 4860604 with the word “AMTAB”, only with some Italian mobile carriers and with a service fee on top.
4. Authorised tobacconists and newsagents in the city.

Do not count on finding a ticket outlet at the airport, since paying by card or through the app is quicker anyway. Board through the front door and validate a paper ticket as soon as you are on, because riding without a valid ticket means a fine starting at €50.

Luggage

AMTAB rules allow free hand luggage up to 25 × 40 × 80 cm and about 20 kg. A large checked suitcase can exceed those limits and the rules do not say what happens beyond them, and at peak times the bus can get crowded: with several big suitcases, the train or the shuttle is more comfortable.

Works at Piazza Moro: the terminus keeps moving

Piazza Moro and the streets around the station are being dug up for the new BRT bus rapid transit line and the redevelopment of Bari Centrale, and the Line 16 terminus has already moved more than once. As of September 2026 this is the situation:

• since 28 July 2026 AMTAB has moved the Line 16 terminus to the side of Piazza Moro facing the fountain, towards corso Italia, “until no longer required”;
• in mid-September 2026 local press reported a further move of the terminus for several lines, Line 16 included, to via Andrea da Bari, near piazza Umberto;
• heading to the airport, the stop at via Andrea da Bari corner via Calefati has been suspended since 15 September 2026, with a temporary stop at via Andrea da Bari 42.

To be clear, this changes often and may already be out of date by the time you read it, so check the latest notices on the AMTAB website before you set off.

Ferrotramviaria train: the fastest, in 17–20 minutes

Bari Aeroporto station is inside the airport, linked to Arrivals by a pedestrian tunnel of about 300 metres, and Ferrotramviaria’s FR2 and FM2 trains reach Bari Centrale in 17–20 minutes. The Ferrotramviaria station sits next to the Trenitalia one and is connected to it by an underpass, and along the way there is also a Quintino Sella stop, handy for Murat and Libertà.

• Price: €5.30 per ride, on fares in force since 1 April 2026.
• Monday to Saturday: first train at 05:02, last at 23:36, about two an hour at irregular intervals.
• Sundays and public holidays: from 06:06 to 23:25, one train every 50 minutes.
• Tickets: tap a contactless card or your phone at the turnstiles (“Paga e Via”), or buy online on the Aeroporti di Puglia website.

Some runs are replaced by buses according to the timetable, so check the Ferrotramviaria website before you travel. These trains are not part of the AMTAB network, so the €1 city ticket is not valid here.

Tempesta shuttle: the last one leaves at ten past midnight

The Autoservizi Tempesta shuttle links the airport with the central station in about 30 minutes and costs €5, not the €4 some guides still quote. You buy the ticket on board from the driver or online through Cotrap.

• Departures from the airport: from 07:30 to the last one at 00:10, roughly one an hour, on the same timetable every day, public holidays included.
• At the airport: the pick-up point has moved slightly, so when you leave Arrivals follow the “SHUTTLE BUS” sign, cross the road and walk a few more metres.
• In the city: request stops in piazza Garibaldi and via Quintino Sella, with the terminus at Piazza Aldo Moro corner via De Cesare (September 2026).
• Luggage: the driver loads it into the hold.

The timetable is fixed and the shuttle does not wait for delayed flights, so if you land at 00:15 the last one has already gone.

Fixed-fare taxi: €25 to the centre, luggage included

Taxis from Bari airport have fixed fares set by the City of Bari, with luggage and surcharges already included:

• €25 to Murat, Bari Vecchia, Libertà, the Central Station, the Port and the San Nicola stadium;
• €28 to Madonnella, Poggiofranco, Carrassi, Picone, San Pasquale and Mungivacca;
• €30 to Japigia, Carbonara and Ceglie.

The fixed fare covers a direct trip with no stops, and if you ask the driver to stop or change route they can switch to the meter. Taxis run 24 hours a day, public holidays included, and the two cooperatives at the airport are Apulia Taxi (+39 080 534 6666) and Nuova Co.Ta.Ba. (+39 080 554 3333).

Landing in the evening: Line 16 is the first to stop

Here is what is still running from the airport as it gets later, in order:

1. Line 16: last bus at 22:10 (22:00 on Sunday).
2. Train: last at 23:36 (23:25 on Sunday).
3. Tempesta shuttle: last at 00:10, every day.
4. Taxi: always, at the fixed fare.

AMTAB’s night line (Circolare Notturna AB) does not serve the airport, so if your flight is delayed and you land after 22:00, plan straight away around the train, the shuttle or a taxi.

With lots of luggage, the picture changes

• Line 16: free hand luggage up to 25 × 40 × 80 cm, but with large suitcases it can be awkward.
• Train: you walk from Arrivals to the station, wheeling your case through the pedestrian tunnel.
• Tempesta shuttle: suitcases go in the hold, loaded by the driver.
• Taxi: luggage is included in the fixed fare.

From the airport to the port and cruise terminal

By public transport, take Line 16 or the train to Bari Centrale and then AMTAB Line 50 “Circolare Porto”, which stops at the Cruise Terminal and the Stazione Marittima ferry terminal. Line 50 runs about every 20 minutes from 07:15 to 22:00, Sundays included, and takes about 11 minutes from Bari Centrale to the Cruise Terminal on the standard €1 city ticket. The 90-minute ticket (€1.20) only covers both rides if you connect quickly, since Line 16 alone can take up to 50 minutes. By taxi, the fixed fare from the airport to the port is €25.

Which one to choose

There is no single best option, only the right one for the time you land and what you are carrying. Line 16 makes sense if you travel light, land before 22:00 and are in no rush; less so if you have two big suitcases or a flight that lands after the last bus has gone, and then the train, the shuttle or a taxi are worth the extra euros.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the bus from Bari airport to the city centre?

AMTAB Line 16 costs €1 with a single-ride city ticket, which you can also pay by contactless card on board. Bought from the driver it costs €1.50, exact change only.

How often does Line 16 run from the airport?

About every 50–55 minutes. Monday to Saturday the first bus leaves at 05:25 and the last at 22:10, on Sunday from 05:30 to 22:00 (timetable in force since 1 September 2026).

What is the fastest way from the airport to Bari Centrale?

The Ferrotramviaria train, which takes 17–20 minutes and costs €5.30, with the last train at 23:36 Monday to Saturday.

Does Line 16 run on Sundays?

Yes, there are 21 departures from the airport on Sundays, from 05:30 to 22:00.

How much is a taxi from Bari airport to the old town?

€25 at the city’s fixed fare, with luggage and surcharges included. The same fare applies to Murat, the Central Station and the port.

How do I get to the centre if I land after 22:30?

The last Line 16 bus leaves at 22:10, so your options are the train (until 23:36, or 23:25 on Sunday), the Tempesta shuttle (until 00:10) and a taxi, available all night.