In the Langhe the problem isn't getting there: it's getting back. The train drops you in Alba, and from there to the vineyards there's a single bus that works, twice a day.
Every plan you'll find for the Barolo area starts with “rent a car.” It makes sense: the hills are the whole point and the villages sit on top of them. But in truffle season, with wine tastings on every corner, driving is exactly what you don't want to do.
So I planned it the other way round: what you can do with just trains, buses and your own two feet. Spoiler: Alba and the fair, no problem. La Morra, yes, if you respect the bus timetable. Barolo, walking down through the vineyards. And for the way back, you need a plan.
From Turin, where I'm based, Alba is an hour and a half away by train. The bus times below come from the official PDF of the company that runs it, valid from 28 September 2026. Prices come from each venue's official pages.
From Bra to Barolo, on one map
Tap any point to see what's there, or press Follow the route. The first stretch is the railway from Bra to Alba; the second, the road the 066 bus takes up to La Morra; the last, the walk down to Barolo. Look at the profile: La Morra sits 340 metres higher than Alba.
The Truffle Fair, what you need to know
When. The World White Truffle Market opens on Saturdays and Sundays only, from 10 October to 6 December 2026, 09:30 to 19:30 (last entry at 19:00). On weekdays Alba still smells of truffle in the shops, but the market is closed.
Where. In the Cortile della Maddalena, right in the historic centre, about a five-minute walk from the station.
How much. Entry costs €6 and includes the MUDET, the truffle museum that opened this year. Under-15s go free. You can buy tickets on the fair's website or at the ticket office.
The auction. The World White Truffle Auction is held at the Castello di Grinzane Cavour, and this year it falls on Sunday 8 November. It's by invitation only, so you can't go in to watch; that day the castle museum is closed, though the enoteca stays open.
And the truffle itself, what does it cost? The fair doesn't publish a price: it changes every week. At the end of October 2026 the Italian press was quoting €3,800–4,000 per kilo for top quality, in a year with few truffles and small pieces because of the drought. In plain terms: about €4 a gram. A shower of 10 grams over a plate is about €40 in truffle alone.
Bus 066, the only timetables that work
Line 066 links Bra, La Morra and Alba. It stops at Vergne, a hamlet of Barolo. There are more runs, but almost all of them are school days only. These are the ones that run all year, Monday to Saturday. There's nothing on Sundays.
| Run | Departs | La Morra | Arrives | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alba → La Morra | Alba, Autostazione 07:50 | 08:20 | Vergne (Barolo) 08:25 · Bra 08:55 | Mon–Sat |
| Bra → Alba | Bra, Movicentro 06:40 | 07:03 | Alba 07:45 | Mon–Sat |
| Bra → Alba | Bra, Movicentro 17:00 | 17:25 | Alba 18:00 | Mon–Sat |
| Alba → Bra | Alba, Autostazione 18:00 | 18:30 | Bra 19:00 | Mon–Sat |
Source: winter timetable of line 066 (Bra – La Morra – Vergne – Alba), published by the operator S.A.C., valid from 28 September 2026. Service is suspended during the week of Ferragosto (mid-August). Alba's Autostazione (bus station) is about 400 metres from the train station.
What's at each stop
From the truffle town to the village that gives the wine its name. Tap “See on the map” to find them on the route.
How to do it without a steering wheel
Turin → Alba, by train
Between 1 h 25 and 1 h 30, almost always with a change at Bra (there's a single direct train, at 18:00 on weekdays). Comparison sites list it from around €7. It's a regional train: no need to book, and the price doesn't go up if you buy late.
Alba → La Morra, on the 07:50 bus
It's the only bus leaving Alba in the morning all year round. It reaches La Morra at 08:20. You can't make that time from Turin on the same day: you have to sleep in Alba the night before.
La Morra → Barolo, on foot
It's about 5 km, around 1 h 15 downhill, passing the Barolo Chapel among the Brunate vineyards. There are signposted trails: the full Sentiero del Barolo loop is 11.5 km. The way back is all uphill.
The way back
Here's the catch. No bus back to Alba leaves Barolo at a useful time. You have two options: walk back up to La Morra to catch the 17:25 (it reaches Alba at 18:00), or call a taxi. If you go for a taxi, book it from the morning: in truffle season they're in high demand.
Reference prices (2026)
| What | Details | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Truffle Fair World Market + MUDET | Sat & Sun, 09:30–19:30 | €6 |
| WiMu, Wine Museum Barolo Castle | Every day, 10:30–19:00 | €9 |
| Combined ticket, 4 castles WiMu, Serralunga, Magliano Alfieri and Roddi | — | €24 |
| Grinzane Cavour Castle Museum | 10–18 from 1 Nov · closed Tuesdays | €8 |
| Train Turin → Alba Regional, change at Bra | ~1 h 25 | from ~€7 |
| White truffle Top quality, late October | per gram | ~€3.60–4 |
Fair, WiMu and Grinzane: rates published on their official websites. The train fare is a comparison-site figure (Omio, Virail), not an official fare. Truffle: Il Resto del Carlino (€3,800–4,000/kg retail) and the tartufo.com listing (average €3,630/kg on 30 October). Confirm everything when you buy. With the Torino+Piemonte Card you get into the WiMu and Grinzane Castle free.
Two trips, pick yours
The bus makes the difference: with a single day, you stay in Alba. If you want the vineyards, you need to sleep out there.
A day at the fair
- Round trip from Turin in a day
- Works on Sundays too
- Market, MUDET and Alba's centre on foot
- Train only: no dependence on the bus
- You see the vineyards from a distance
A weekend among the vines
- Saturday in La Morra and Barolo, Sunday at the fair
- La Morra's balcony view and the walk down through Brunate
- WiMu and tastings without driving
- You have to sleep in Alba, and in season it fills up
- The way back from Barolo is on foot or by taxi
Vineyards on Saturday, the fair on Sunday
The bus doesn't run on Sundays but the fair does. So the order sorts itself out: Saturday is for the hills and Sunday for Alba.
The plan I'd put together: Friday afternoon, train from Turin and a night in Alba. Saturday, the 07:50 bus to La Morra, a coffee facing the viewpoint, and the walk down past the Barolo Chapel to Barolo, with the WiMu and lunch there. On the way back, a taxi booked in advance. Sunday, to the market as soon as it opens at 09:30, before it fills up, and the train home in the afternoon. And if you can choose, avoid 8 November: it's auction day, and that's when it's busiest.
Six things worth knowing
There's no 066 bus, and 8 December is a public holiday in Italy, two days after the fair closes. For Sundays and holidays, stick with option A: Alba by train. Before you travel, also check “Lavori programmati” (planned works) on Trenitalia: in March this year some Asti–Alba trains were replaced by buses.
Official links
Photo and map credits
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: autumn vineyards — Ida Astrid (CC BY-SA 4.0); white truffles — Nicolò Oppicelli / Mushroom Observer (CC BY-SA 3.0); cut truffle — Marco Plassio (CC BY-SA 3.0); truffle risotto — Blue moon in her eyes (CC BY 2.0); Alba, Piazza Duomo — Zairon (CC BY-SA 4.0); Alba at night — Valerio Manassero (CC BY-SA 3.0); Grinzane Cavour Castle — Davide Tomatis (CC BY-SA 4.0); La Morra viewpoint — Einaz80 (CC BY-SA 4.0); La Morra vineyards — Davide Tomatis (CC BY-SA 4.0); Barolo Chapel — Caulfield (CC BY-SA 4.0); Barolo Castle — Superchilum (CC BY-SA 4.0); Barolo from La Morra — Megan Mallen (CC BY 2.0); Langhe vineyards — Alessandra Cimatti (CC BY 2.0). Railway and path tracks: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) via BRouter. Base maps: © OpenStreetMap, © Esri, © OpenTopoMap (CC BY-SA), Esri World Imagery.