Planning a trip to Turin
Arriving
Domestic and international flights land at Turin Airport (www.aeroportoditorino.it; tel. 011/567-6361), about 13km (8 miles) northwest of Turin. Direct trains (www.gtt.to.it; tel. 011/57-641) run from the airport to GTT Dora Railway Station every 30 minutes between 5am and 11pm; the 3€ trip takes 19 minutes. SADEM buses (www.sadem.it) serve the airport and the main train stations, Porta Nuova and Porta Susa (40 min.; 6.50€ from the ticket office, 7.50€ on board). Taxis into town take about 30 minutes and cost 30€ to 50€, depending on the time of day.
Turin’s main train station is Stazione di Porta Nuova on Piazza Carlo Felice. There is regular daily Trenitalia (www.trenitalia.com; tel. 892-021) service from Milan. The fastest trains take 1 hour, with fares averaging 29€ (though advance-purchase fares can be as low as 9€). Slower trains take up to 2 hours, with fares of 12€ to 17€. Stazione di Porta Susa connects Turin with local Piedmont towns and is the terminus for the TGV service to Paris; four trains a day make the trip in under 6 hours for around 98€, but there are often specials for as low as 29€ each way.
Turin’s main bus terminal is Autostazione Bus, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 131 (www.autostazionetorino.it). Buses connect Turin to Courmayeur, Aosta, Milan, and many small towns in Piedmont. A 2-hour SADEM (www.sadem.it) bus service to Milan Malpensa Airport costs 22€ each way.
Turin is at the hub of the autostrade grid. The A4 connects Turin with Milan in 90 minutes. Journey time on the A5 to Aosta is around 90 minutes.
Getting Around
All the main sights of Turin are well within walking distance of each other. There’s also a vast network of GTT trams and buses as well as one metro line (www.gtt.to.it; (tel) 011-57-641). The Linea 7 tourist tram trundles around a circular route from Piazza Castello. Tickets on public transportation are available at newsstands for 1.50€ and are valid for 90 minutes. All-day tickets are 5€. There is no need to drive in the city center.
You can find taxis at stands in front of the train stations and around Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Castello. To call a taxi, dial Pronto at (tel) 011-5737, but all hotel reception desks will order a taxi for you. Meters start at 3.50€ and increase by 1.44€ per km up to 8€, after which the per-km rate decreases based on how long you travel; there are surcharges for waiting time, luggage, late-night travel, and Sunday journeys.
Visitor Information
The tourist office on the corner of Via Garibaldia and Piazza Castello (www.turismotorino.org; (tel) 011-535-181), is open daily 9am to 6pm. There is also a branch across from Stazione Porta Nuova in Piazza Carlo Felice (same phone; same hours).
If you’re planning to visit three or more attractions, you can save money by buying the Torino+Piemonte Card (www.turismotorino.org/card), which grants access to over 180 museums, monuments, castles, and royal palazzos, as well as offering discounts on public transportation. All of the attractions we list are included. A variety of passes are available; a 48-hour pass valid for one adult and one child up to age 12 costs 35€, with discounts of up to 20 percent available off-season if you book online. Passes can be bought at the Piazza Castello tourist office or Stazione Porta Nuova.
City Layout
With the Alps as a backdrop to the north and the River Po threading through the city center, Turin has as its glamorous backbone the elegant arcaded Via Roma, lined with designer shops and grand cafes, which marches northwards through a series of ever-lovelier Baroque squares until it reaches Piazza Castello and the palaces of the Savoy nobility.
From here, a walk west leads to the Area Romano, Turin’s mellow jumble of narrow streets and the oldest part of the city. Its edge is marked by Via Garibaldi. Turn east from Piazza Castello along Via Po to one of Italy’s largest squares, the Piazza Vittorio Veneto and, at the end of this elegant expanse, the River Po and Parco del Valentino.
Fast Facts
ATMs/Banks -- There are banks with multilingual ATMs all over the city center. Opening hours are roughly Monday to Friday 8:30am to 1:30pm and 2:30 to 4:30pm.
Business hours -- Turin works a 40-hour business week, usually 9am to 4:30pm. Stores are open Monday to Saturday from 9am–1pm and 4 to 7:30pm.
Consulates -- The consulates of the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand are in Milan.
Dentists -- Dr. Marco Capitanio at Via Treviso 24/G, (www.marcocapitanio.com; (tel) 34-7157-8802), speaks fluent English.
Doctors -- The Medical Center at Corso Einaudi, 18/A (www.medical-center.it; (tel) 011-591-388) has some English-speaking staff.
Drugstores -- A convenient late-night pharmacy is Farmacia Boniscontro, Corso Vittorio Emanuele 66 ((tel) 011-538-271); it is open all night but closes 12:30 to 3pm as well as on Saturday and Sunday. The website www.orari-di-apertura.it/farmacie-torino.htm gives the opening hours of most of Turin’s central pharmacies.
Emergencies -- All emergency numbers are free. Call (tel) 112 for a general emergency; this connects to the Carabinieri, who will transfer your call as needed; for the police, dial (tel) 113; for a medical emergency or an ambulance, call (tel) 118; for the fire department, call (tel) 115.
Hospitals -- The Ospedale Mauriziano Umberto I, Largo Filippo Turati 62 (www.mauriziano.it; (tel) 011-508-1111), offers a variety of medical services.
Internet -- Most Turin cafes, bars, restaurants, and hotels now offer Wi-Fi. Otherwise try Bunet Internet Wine Café atVia San Quintino, 13/f(www.bunet.it;(tel) 011-440-7517); it’s open daily 9am to 1am. Or try FNAC on Via Roma 56 ((tel) 011-551-6711), open Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 8pm, Sunday 10am to 8pm.
Police -- In an emergency, call (tel) 113; this is a free call. The central police station (Questura Torino) is near Stazione di Porta Susa at Corso Vinzaglio 10 ((tel) 011-558-81).
Post Office -- Turin’s main post office, just west of Piazza San Carlo at Via Alfieri 10 ((tel) 011-506-0265), is open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 6:30pm and Saturday from 8:30am to noon. A list of central post offices and opening times can be found at www.quartieri.torino.it/ElencoPoste.asp.
Safety -- 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 when the late-night crowds have gone home.
