Car Service in Matera

[debcip]

I will be doing a land tour and spending 3 days in Matera.  I would like to hire a car to bring me about an hour inland to a small town called Salandra (my grandmother's hometown).  I can find recommendations from the Bari airport to Matera, but it's been tough finding recommended drivers starting in Matera.  Does anyone here have any experience which you could recommend?  

And while I have you...any tips for finding long lost relatives in the town?  I don't even know if the folks there speak much English, as the town is not one frequented by tourists/Americans

[Hlitner]

Sure can't help you with finding lost relatives, but if I wanted to spend a few days (or longer) in that part of Italy I would rent a car at Bari and drive myself.  Using cars/drivers and public transit is a tough (and expensive) way to get around a relatively rural part of Italy.  Your post did get my interest so I did a little browsing on the Internet and came up with a site that might be helpful:

https://www.italianside.com/basilicata/matera/salandra/genealogy/

 

I would emphasize that I have no personal experience with this web site so use your own due diligence when dealing with the sites and its links.

 

Hank

[bennybear]

We have driven around this area,  lots to see,  Matera, Altamira,   The Unesco site Caste de  monte and the best hotel I have stayed at in Italy.  We found the driving to be no problem.  

[debcip]

9 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Sure can't help you with finding lost relatives, but if I wanted to spend a few days (or longer) in that part of Italy I would rent a car at Bari and drive myself.  .  Your post did get my interest so I did a little browsing on the Internet and came up with a site that might be helpful:

https://www.italianside.com/basilicata/matera/salandra/genealogy/

 

 

 

 

Thanks Hank!  No way am I venturing into driving through rural Italy myself, and with a time restriction no less!  You, bennybear, and my brother-in-law are much braver than I am!  

 

Regarding Italianside.com:  I had found this as well and contacted them.  They have a very extensive program which seems to be legitimate, but charge a pretty high price for their services.  If I was really digging into my geneology I would use them 

The site did provide a link to search for people with a given name in a given town.  I did find some folks with my grandmother's name--maybe will just try to find them upon my arrival that day, if I manage to make it there

 

Debbie

[debcip]

9 hours ago, bennybear said:

We have driven around this area,  lots to see,  Matera, Altamira,   The Unesco site Caste de  monte and the best hotel I have stayed at in Italy.  We found the driving to be no problem.  

Thanks, bennybear.  I am a bit of a chicken and will not be driving myself!  Perhaps if I had more time and was not alone I would do this.

Thank you for the recommendations--I have been to Italy a number of times but never to this area.  I am so looking forward to it!

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, debcip said:

Thanks Hank!  No way am I venturing into driving through rural Italy myself, and with a time restriction no less!  You, bennybear, and my brother-in-law are much braver than I am!  

 

Regarding Italianside.com:  I had found this as well and contacted them.  They have a very extensive program which seems to be legitimate, but charge a pretty high price for their services.  If I was really digging into my geneology I would use them 

The site did provide a link to search for people with a given name in a given town.  I did find some folks with my grandmother's name--maybe will just try to find them upon my arrival that day, if I manage to make it there

 

Debbie

LOL on the driving.  My wife has accused me of being "nutz" because I actually enjoy driving in Italy.  And yes, I can understand some reticence on the part of a lady (or a man) to go driving off on her own in a strange country, where they do not speak her language, and have some strange driving habits :).  On the other hand, sometimes it is truly the best option and the only reasonably priced way to get it done.  The reality about driving in Italy is that it is not much different then driving in the USA and the part of Italy you are visiting would be a lot easier than trying to drive around suburban Philly.   The driving rules are similar to the USA, but folks do need to do a little homework on parking rules.  The other issue regarding renting cars in Italy (and Europe) are that many of the lower priced cars have manual (stick) shift.  For those that don't know how to drive a stick it often means paying a much higher price to rent an automatic.  While I gather you have made up your mind not to drive I am posting this for others who might read the thread :).  

[debcip]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

  The other issue regarding renting cars in Italy (and Europe) are that many of the lower priced cars have manual (stick) shift.  For those that don't know how to drive a stick it often means paying a much higher price to rent an automatic. 

 

I forgot completely about the standard transmission.  Never learned.  Ok, now I am 1,000% OUT on the driving (as opposed to the previous 100%).

[grnrab]

hi

Did you try googling/  I found these links which should give you some ideas on car hire. Maybe they could also do Matera to your final destination - won't know until you contact them

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187874-d12159975-r536064748-Apulia_Shuttle-Bari_Province_of_Bari_Puglia.html

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187768-i20-k4129034-From_Bari_to_Matera_then_Alberobelo_and_back_to_Bari-Italy.html

 

https://www.barincc.it/en/city/drive-hire-matera/

 

https://www.barincc.it/en/

 

 

[grnrab]

here's another - driver in Matera

https://en.autoconautista.com/matera/

 

[debcip]

1 hour ago, grnrab said:

here's another - driver in Matera

https://en.autoconautista.com/matera/

 

 

Thanks!   As always, it takes Googling the correct words--I spent a couple of hours on it last night and did not hit upon any of these!  Thank you so much!!

[Grandma Cruising]

The website http://italia.indettaglio.it/eng/basilicata/salandra.html

gives an email address for the town council. Why not try emailing them beforehand.