Bari With Autistic Children

Visiting Bari with autistic children might not be the first idea that comes to mind when considering a sensory-friendly family getaway. But if, like me, you have an adventurous spirit or happen to find yourself on a Mediterranean or Adriatic cruise, you may just end up in the historic port city of Bari with your autistic child. We recently visited Bari (as a port stop on our cruise on Costa Deliziosa) with our three kids – two of whom are diagnosed with autism – and discovered that with some planning and flexibility, it’s possible to enjoy this charming Apulian city while respecting your child’s sensory needs. Here is my friendly guide to navigating Bari in a way that can be enjoyable and manageable for your autistic loved one.

Getting To Bari

Most travelers reach Bari via Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport (BRI), but it’s also a popular cruise port and ferry hub in southern Italy. If you’re flying into Bari’s airport, which is about 8–9 km from the city centre, you have a few options for getting into town:

• Airport Shuttle Bus (Line 16): The local AMTAB bus #16 connects the airport directly to Bari Centrale (central station) for a budget-friendly fare of €1. It runs roughly every 40–50 minutes and takes about 40 minutes to reach the city centre. This is the cheapest option, but note that it’s a typical city bus with multiple stops. If your autistic child is comfortable with public buses and doesn’t mind a longer ride, this can work well. However, it might get crowded and isn’t the most predictable schedule-wise, so consider avoiding it if your child is sensitive to noise, unpredictable stops, or crowds. The local buses in Italy can also have a lack of storage space for luggage.
• Private Shuttle Bus: There are also private airport bus services (like Terravision or Tempesta) that run more directly to the central station in about 30–35 minutes. Tickets cost around €4–€5 per person. These buses tend to have space for luggage and go on a set schedule (usually every 30–60 minutes). They’re a good middle-ground option: still affordable, a bit faster than the city bus, and usually less crowded. If your child does okay on buses as long as the ride isn’t too long, this could be a suitable choice.
• Train: Bari’s airport is connected to the city by a regional train line. The train is the fastest public transport, taking just about 20–25 minutes to Bari Centrale. Tickets cost around €5. The trains are usually clean and punctual, and you won’t have to deal with traffic. If your autistic child is a train lover or does better with the smoother motion of trains, this is a great option. The ride is short and direct. Just be aware that it can get a little busy at peak times, and the station at the airport is a short walk from arrivals.
• Taxi or Rideshare: Taking a taxi directly from the airport to downtown Bari takes around 20–25 minutes, with a standard fixed fare of about €23. This is obviously more expensive than public transport, but it’s the fastest and most comfortable way to go door-to-door. If your autistic child does better in a private, quiet setting or if you have a lot of luggage and need flexibility, a taxi or pre-booked private transfer might be worth the cost. Keep in mind that in Italy, by law children under 150 cm should use a car seat in private vehicles, but taxis are exempt from this requirement. In practice, that means taxis likely won’t have a child car seat available. Plan accordingly for safety (bring a travel booster if needed, or request a transfer service that can provide a seat). Also note: app-based rideshare services like Uber are not widely available in Bari.
• Ferry or Cruise: Bari is a major port, and many people arrive by ferry from other countries (like Greece, Croatia, Albania) or by cruise ship. We personally arrived by cruise ship, which was wonderfully convenient. The cruise terminal in Bari is located just northwest of the Old Town, about a 15–20 minute walk from Bari Vecchia’s historic centre. We literally stepped off the ship and, after navigating out of the port area, we could reach the edge of Old Town in a short walk. If you arrive by cruise or ferry, you may find shuttle buses (for example, a local Bus #50 loop) running between the terminal gates and the town centre for a euro or two. Walking is very feasible if everyone in your family is mobile – the route is flat and straightforward once you exit the port. Do keep a tight hold on any elopers here, as the initial walk out of the port involves wide open areas and then city streets. There are usually security or police guiding pedestrians off of the busy roads and directing them where to go.

No matter how you get to Bari, try to arrive at a time that suits your child’s routine if possible. After a long flight or drive, build in some decompression time. We planned a low-key first activity (we chose to ride the Bari mini train to give them physical rest as they tire quickly) to let the kids adjust after the journey. As always, have snacks and comfort items handy in case of delays or sensory overwhelm on the way from the airport to the city.

Where To Stay in Bari

I do not have a personal recommendation for where to stay in Bari with autistic children because we visited Bari on a cruise ship stop. Staying on the outskirts of Bari Vecchia would be a good choise – within walking distance to the main sites and gorgeous Bari Vecchia, but also close to modern hotels, apartments and food services (we all know I mean McDonald’s)!

Family-Friendly Activities in Bari

Bari’s mix of a pedestrian-friendly Old Town, seaside promenades, and modern shops makes it a great place to explore with kids. We had just one full day in Bari (thanks to our cruise itinerary), so we focused on a few key family-friendly attractions that would interest our kids and offer a balance of cultural sights and sensory breaks.

Bari Mini Train Tour

One of the first things we did was hop on the Bari mini train tour – a little “train” on wheels that offers tourists a ride around the city streets. As you leave the cruise port area, the trains and sales people for them are there waiting to sell tickets to anyone willing. Each adult was €25, and a child over a certain age (I think it was 7) is €15. The train was an instant hit with our kids simply because it’s a train and it meant a break from walking! The tour started near the port and took us about 2 minutes down the road to the perimeter of the Old Town. They then had us disembark the train and honestly we got super disappointed really fast because almost all of the rest of the tour was a walking tour. We jumped on the train again about 1.5 hours later and did about 5 minutes in it to another area where they took us to watch a musician who wanted donations. For the children it was a novel and playful experience, but I would not have done it if I’d know it was mostly a walking tour.

From a sensory standpoint, the mini train’s movement and visuals (lots to look at as we drove by the Basilica di San Nicola, the harbour, etc.) were great for our sensory seekers. The walking tour does go into some busy streets, and our children became a little frustrated with this. We made the best of it and I loved seeing Bari Vecchia – and we made sure we explored little shops or stalls the kids wanted to see too. At the end of the tour, we decided to split from the train tour group because the kids spotted McDonald’s and we knew they needed to do something that was for them, not something we chose for them. Doing it this way meant we had a 15-20 minute walk back to the cruise ship as opposed to a few minutes on the train and a short walk.

Walking Tour of Bari Vecchia

Bari Vecchia (the Old Town) is the heart of the city – a labyrinth of narrow stone alleys, archways, and charming courtyards that feels like a step back in time. We unknowingly signed up to explore it on foot with the train tour that was 80% walking tour. Walking through Bari Vecchia was a highlight for me because it’s so atmospheric and mostly pedestrian-only, which meant that the kids were safe(er) to be out and walking around and exploring things they wanted to see. Without cars zooming through, our kids had more freedom to wander (within eyesight and reach) and we had one less safety worry. The streets are very narrow and often twisty, but we managed it no problem even with a double stroller. I noticed people in wheelchairs were able to explore Bari Vecchia too. The high walls of the buildings provided a bit of shade from the sun, which was a welcomed relief for our Scottish skin.

One thing we loved was seeing local life in those backstreets: we passed nonnas making orecchiette pasta by hand at tables right outside their homes, and friendly cats lounging on doorsteps. Have you considered doing a food tasting walking tour.

Sensory elements: Bari Vecchia has lots of interesting textures to touch – ancient stone walls, smooth church marble, rustic wooden shutters, leafy green plants – which our tactile sensory seeker enjoyed running his hand along. The area has occasional strong smells (tempting ones like baking bread or simmering tomato sauce, and less tempting like, well, occasional garbage bins in alleys), so just be mindful if your child has olfactory sensitivities. My oldest son struggles a lot with smells, but he didn’t actually mention any of the smells of Bari during our visit.

Strollers: We used a double stroller for our youngest two, and it was mostly fine on the flagstone paths, but be aware some lanes have steps or are too narrow for wheels. At one point, I nipped up some steps to admire and photograph a beautiful view of the promenade that lines the coast but David stayed back with the stroller to save the hassle of lifting it up! If you have a child who bolts, consider a child harness or hold hands in the maze-like sections; it’s the kind of place a quick little runner could disappear from view if you’re not careful.

Autism travel tip: If your child benefits from social stories or visual schedules, consider showing them pictures of Bari’s old streets beforehand, so they know to expect “walls around us” and uneven surfaces. I posted a bunch of photos from our day in Bari to Instagram – feel free to use them to show your child if it will help.

Book your walking tour in Bari via GetYourGuide.

Castello Normanno-Svevo (Bari Castle)

A must-see stop in Bari with autistic children is the Castello Normanno-Svevo (Norman-Swabian Castle) because, well, what kid doesn’t think castles are cool? This medieval fortress sits right at the edge of the Old Town. Even if you don’t go inside the museum portion, it’s worth swinging by for a look and a little exploration. We decided not to do the full paid interior tour (museums and exhibits inside) since we weren’t sure how long we had until our train was due to take us to the next location, but we saw the castle from the outside and were already highly impressed with it. The castle has a large open courtyard inside its walls where we let the kids stretch their legs. For an autistic child who loves big spaces or historical structures, this castle is very engaging visually – the huge walls and towers provide a clear, structured environment.

Sensory notes: The stone corridors and courtyard of the castle offered a cool respite from the summer heat (shade and stone = natural air conditioning!). In peak season, if a tour group comes through, the quiet of the castle could be interrupted, but there are plenty of nooks to step aside. Try to figure out the quieter times and plan your visit around those.

Plan ahead and grab your tickets via GetYourGuide.

Basilica di San Nicola

A trip to Bari isn’t complete without seeing the Basilica di San Nicola, a famous 11th-century church that houses the relics of Saint Nicholas (yes, that Saint Nicholas – the inspiration for Santa Claus!). We were curious to visit, and we also find that churches can sometimes be a calming, quiet space for our kids – or at least a sensory change of pace from the streets. The walking tour we were on brought us to The Basilica which sits in the Old Town near the sea wall. Its exterior is a large, white Romanesque structure. The kids, especially our young daughter, were far too frustrated and getting upset easily, while also running off at any possible chance, so we decided it was best to admire the Basilica di San Nicola from the outside this time. You can visit the Basilica di San Nicola, the Museum Nicolaiano and do focaccia tasting via GetYourGuide. Too much? How about visiting Basilica de San Nicola and the crypts instead.

One more thing: Outside of the Basilica in the piazza, there is often a gelato shop or two open and some benches. We find that gelato stops are very motivating for our children who have a sensory love for all things extremely cold that they can eat.

LEGO® Store Bari

The LEGO® Certified Store in Bari (located on Via Argiro in the modern shopping district) is obviously a little different than the historical and cultural attractions I’ve mentioned so far, but we have found LEGO stores to be really exciting and rewarding for our children. Our kids love LEGO, and we often seek out a toy store or LEGO store when traveling as a sort of safe haven. The store is bright, colourful, and very predictable for autistic children since it looks and feels like LEGO stores they’ve been to elsewhere. That familiarity is comforting.

Sensory considerations: The LEGO stores often have fluorescent lighting and mellow music in the background. If your child is very light-sensitive, the bright primary colours everywhere might be a lot.

Our Favourite Sensory-Friendly Experience In Bari

Ruderi di Santa Maria del Buon Consiglio

Getting Around Bari With Autistic Children

Once you’re in Bari, you’ll find that getting around the city with kids – including those on the spectrum – is fairly straightforward, but there are a few considerations to keep in mind. Bari’s historic center (Bari Vecchia) is compact and largely pedestrian-only, which is a double-edged sword: on one hand, it’s wonderful because you don’t have to worry about traffic in those narrow Old Town streets, and walking truly is the best way to see everything; on the other hand, it means a lot of walking on cobblestones and uneven surfaces, which can tire kids out or cause sensory fatigue if they’re not big on walking long distances.

We chose to walk almost everywhere during our day in Bari. The distances in the central area are quite short – for example, it’s about 1.5 km (roughly 20 minutes walk) from the cruise port to the Basilica San Nicola in Old Town, and another 10 minutes from there through the city to the shopping district with the LEGO store. Walking gave us the flexibility to move at our own pace, pause when needed, and it provided our kids with much-needed movement input. In fact, allowing our kiddos to walk (or sometimes run, in safe spaces) helped them regulate – being cooped up in vehicles can actually raise their anxiety, so the more we could let them be active, the better their mood. The key was to factor in extra time for walking so that we never had to rush a tired or overstimulated child.

Other transportation options in Bari include taxis and buses, which we did not need to use. We did actually research the buses which could take us back to the port (or near it) as a backup if the kids were not cooing with the walk. We didn’t end up needing a taxi within the city, but it was comforting to know that if plans went awry. Taxis are readily available near major spots like the train station, port entrance, and central squares. Most drivers we encountered spoke at least basic English, and they’re used to short hops around town. One things to keep in mind is that if your autistic child needs a car seat, taxis likely won’t have one, so you would need to bring your own.

Bari does have a public bus network that covers areas outside the centre (for example, if you wanted to go to Pane e Pomodoro Beach or out to a suburb). For autistic travellers, consider the usual factors: time of day (buses can be stuffy and crowded during rush hour), noise (engines, honking, people talking loudly on phones), and the waiting time at the stop. We generally use local buses only when the timing is convenient; in Bari, if a bus was going to make us wait too long, walking was our default.

One fun option we noticed: there are bike-sharing stations and lots of locals riding bicycles, some with child seats. Bari is mostly flat along the coast and has bike lanes in newer parts, making a cycling tour an option. There are also cycle rickshaw tours (pedicabs) available. Why not explore Bari on a Tuk Tuk tour. If a tour isn’t your thing you can hire bikes to explore with no guide.

In short, what works for getting around will depend on your family’s needs in the moment. We found walking to be ideal for the most part, supplementing with the short rides on the train which took us the longer distances between important sights..

Is Bari Autism-Friendly?

You might be wondering, in general, how autism-friendly is Bari? The answer, based on our experience, is that Bari doesn’t yet have many overt autism-specific accommodations (no sensory maps or special passes like you might find at theme parks or autism-certified attractions). However, it is a city that offers a variety of environments and a culture that open air spaces, which means with a bit of planning it can certainly cater to an autism family’s needs.

That said, Bari is a bustling Italian city, not a quiet village. The biggest challenge we faced for our autistic kids was the sensory intensity of certain areas. During busy hours, the narrow streets of Old Town can fill with sounds – loud conversations, Vespas revving up on the periphery, church bells ringing – and those stone alleys echo, amplifying the noise. If your child is noise-sensitive or needs a big personal space bubble, you’ll want to be strategic about timing and routes. Sticking to the Old City (Bari Vecchia) means you can avoid traffic as it is pedestrian only – which was a bonus for us. There are plenty of quieter streets within Bari Vecchia that you can take to find a quieter route – this is something we did many times to avoid crowds of people.

Things That Make Bari Stand Out

• Bari’s main sights are located near each other. For us, a family traveling with autistic children, this meant minimal transitions and transport time – a big plus when you want to avoid meltdowns. We could walk back to our cruise ship anytime if we felt we needed to, or find a quiet spot within minutes if the crowds or noise became too much. That flexibility to quickly change course or take a timeout was invaluable.
• We found that many people working in Bari’s tourist areas (waiters, museum staff, taxi drivers, gelato sellers) spoke at least basic English, if not quite fluently. This made it much easier for us to ask for help or special requests.
• We were relieved that Bari, like most of Italy, has very kid-friendly food readily available. This is huge for us because our kids have limited diets and strong food preferences. In Bari you’re never far from a slice of plain pizza or a serving of simple buttered or plain tomato pasta. You’ll find familiar international options like McDonald’s in the modern part of town as well – sometimes the golden arches can be a sight for sore eyes when you need a guarantee of something your child will eat. Also, gelato – need I say more? The promise of gelato in a cone at the end of a task worked wonders for motivation. The prevalence of easy, tasty, simple foods in Bari made meal times much less of a struggle than in some other destinations we’ve been.

Tips for a Smooth Experience

1. Plan Ahead: Research each location and contact them to discuss any special accommodations your child might need. If you can plan to arrive after check-in time you should, or try to arrange an early check-in.
2. Sensory Tools: Bring along sensory tools and comfort items that help manage sensory needs, such as noise-cancelling headphones, sensory toys, and a sensory toolkit.
3. Clear Communication: Ensure that everyone involved in the trip understands the needs and preferences of the neurodiverse individual. Clear communication can prevent misunderstandings and enhance the travel experience. Consider using PECS or an AAC. We have a free pack of travel PECS available for download. Consider using our Italy PECS to add to your Italy travel experience with autistic children.
4. Safety: Consider getting an autism card for your child, or even better – use our emergency passport for medical information and important contacts. Our absolute must have safety item for travelling with an autistic child is a TinyTags wristband or tag that can be tapped or scanned by a mobile phone – giving the person who tapped it all of the information they need to get your child back to you. TinyTags also feature a location alert to help you find your child.

Pin This!

By following these tips and maintaining a flexible, go-with-the-flow attitude, we managed to have a wonderful time in Bari with our autistic children. Every family and every child is different, but I hope our experiences and tips can help you feel more confident in planning your own adventure. Let me know in the comments if you try any of the places I mention!

Interested in seeing more about the places we stopped on this Adriatic Cruise? Here you go: