Fast Facts

Bookstores -- Libreria Internazionale Luxemburg, Via C. Battisti 7 (tel. 011-561-3896), has a large selection of British books and a helpful English-speaking staff; it is open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 7:30pm and Sunday from 10am to 1pm and 3 to 7pm. Another good bet for books in English is the chain Libreria Feltrinelli, Piazza Castello 19 (tel. 011-541-627; www.feltrinelli.it). Turin has many stores specializing in rare books and old prints, and many of these shops sell their wares from the secondhand-book stalls along the Via Po, which runs between Piazza Castello and the river.

Consulates -- British subjects will find their consulate in Milan at Via San Paolo 7 (tel. 02-723001), open Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm and 2 to 5pm. Americans will find their nearest consulate in Milan at Via Principe Amedeo 2/10 (tel. 02-290-351); it is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to noon.

Crime -- Turin is a relatively safe city, but use the same precautions you would exercise in any large city. Specifically, avoid the riverside streets along the Po at night, when they tend to be deserted. In an emergency, call tel. 113; this is a free call. The central police station is near Stazione di Porta Susa at Corso Vinzaglio 10 (tel. 011-558-81).

Drugstores -- A convenient late-night pharmacy is Farmacia Boniscontro, Corso Vittorio Emanuele 66 (tel. 011-541-271); it is open most of the day and night, closing only between 12:30 and 3pm.

Emergencies -- The general emergency number is tel. 113; for an ambulance, dial tel. 118. Both are free calls.

Internet -- For Internet access, 1PCYOU, at Via Verdi 20/6 (tel. 011-835-908), is open Monday through Friday 9am to 9pm; Saturday 10am to 8pm; and Sunday 2 to 8pm. Or try the FNAC superstore, on Via Roma 56 (tel. 011-551-6711), which is open daily 9:30am to 8pm.

Laundry -- Lavasciuga, a laundromat/Internet point with seven locations across the city (tel. 335-750-7813; www.lavasciuga.torino.it), charges 7€ ($9.10) for a wash-and-dry of a small load. They're open daily from 8am to 10pm. The nearest location to the train station is Via S. Anselmo 9.

Luggage Storage -- Luggage storage is available at the Porta Nuova train station: 3.80€ ($4.95) per bag for up to 5 hours, .60€ (80¢) per hour for up to 12 hours, and .20€ (25¢) per hour. The office is open daily from 6:30am to midnight.

Newspapers -- Your best bet for English-language newspapers is at the newsstands in Porta Nuova station. The major British and Irish papers are almost always available, as are the International Herald Tribune, the Wall Street Journal Europe, and sometimes USA Today. You may also find English-language magazines, commonly The Economist and Wired, as well as a Rome-based, American-run glossy called, appropriately enough, The American.

Post Office -- Turin's main post office is just west of Piazza San Carlo at Via Alfieri 10 (tel. 011-506-011); it is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 7pm and Saturday from 8:30am to 1pm. The postal code for Turin is 10100.

Taxis -- You can find taxis at cabstands; especially convenient in the central city are the stands in front of the train stations and around Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Castello. Dial tel. 011-5737, 011-5730, or 011-3399 for a radio taxi.