Forty minutes, and then you are in the cliff town
Polignano a Mare is close enough to Bari Airport that the transfer should be the forgettable part of the trip. The drive is about 40 minutes down the coast road, and the complication is not the route but the arrival: Polignano’s old town is largely pedestrian, the villas sit outside it, and the boat departures are at San Vito, north of the centre. A driver who works here knows which of those you actually mean.
What it costs, and what the numbers really are
This route has more published figures than most in Puglia, and they need labelling. The official airport taxi fare is a fixed 80 EUR, while pre-booked private cars are listed by the transfer aggregators at roughly 104 to 110 EUR. But none of the chauffeur companies we have verified publish per-route fares of their own — they quote from a form, so the only public numbers are the airport tariff and the aggregators. Treat both as planning anchors, not as your price. We get you a real quote for your date, your party and your luggage.
A private transfer here is an NCC — noleggio con conducente, licensed chauffeur hire booked in advance, which is a different regulated service from the metered taxi at the rank. That is why it is priced per vehicle in advance rather than by the meter.
Which vehicle, and how many of you
Capacity decides the band. The fleets working this route run Mercedes E-class sedans for up to 3 passengers, V-class and Vito vans for 7 to 8, and Sprinters for larger groups, with wifi in the vans and English-speaking drivers. Golf clubs, buggies and a week’s luggage for six routinely push a group into the next size up, which is much better sorted before you land than in the airport car park.
Children, and the detail that gets forgotten
At least one Bari company supplies child seats free of charge and others fit them on request; Italian law requires child restraints in cars, and we do not quote statutes we have not verified. The practical point is timing: seats go into the car before your flight lands, so ages and weights need to reach us with the request rather than on the day.
Booking both ends, and the days in between
The verified chauffeur companies cover Bari airport, the cruise terminal and the station through to Polignano, Monopoli, Ostuni, Alberobello, Matera and Brindisi airport, so one company can usually handle your arrival, your departure and the awkward middle. They also sell hourly hire and half-day town tours, which is often the better buy on a day you want a driver rather than a guide. Book both legs together where you can — in peak season, from June to August, the good cars go early.
Who drives
A licensed local chauffeur company, not us. We do not own vehicles or employ drivers. We take your flight details to a company that is genuinely free, confirm the booking directly, and stay reachable if the plan changes.
Once you are here: the sea caves boat tour, a private chef at the villa or a cooking class. Everything is on the Puglia page; transfers elsewhere on airport transfers.
Request availability with your flight number, party size and the ages of any children.