Maratea is awkward to reach, which is part of its charm. The nearest airports are Naples (about 3 hours by car or train-and-coach) and Lamezia Terme in Calabria (about 2 hours). The Salerno-Reggio Calabria autostrada (A2) does not run through Maratea — the town sits on the SS 18 coastal road, which is slow and winding but spectacular.
The train is a viable option: Maratea station, about 4 km from the old town, is on the Tyrrhenian coastal line and has direct services to Naples (around 3 hours), Salerno (2 hours), and a handful of trains a day to Rome (4½ hours). A local bus runs between the station, the old town and the port; in summer a navetta shuttle runs more frequently. By car, the SS 18 hugs the coast both north and south, with many of Maratea's beaches and viewpoints along it.