Matera spent centuries being called "the shame of Italy." Now it's UNESCO, was European Capital of Culture 2019, and has the most surreal architecture on the planet. Getting there is straightforward — just not fast.
MarinoBus runs direct Naples → Matera. Simplest option — direct, no changes. Book on marinobus.it.
A3 to Salerno, then SS407 Basentana east. Last hour is beautiful mountain road through Basilicata.
MarinoBus direct. 3.5 hours, no hassle. The train is unnecessarily complicated — skip it.