Turin, Italy — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
Turin International Airport (Sandro Pertini-Caselle) (TRN)
Tel: (011) 567 6361/2 (flight information).
Website: www.aeroportoditorino.it
Turin airport is located in northern Turin, 16km (10 miles) from the city center.
Airport facilities: The airport has snack bars, shops and a newsagent. Other facilities include a bank/bureau de change, a restaurant, ATMs, a chapel, first aid point, nursery, tourist information center, a business center and two VIP lounges. Car hire is available from Avis, Easy Car, Europcar, Hertz, Maggiore, Sixt and Thrifty. The Air Palace Hotel is a five-minute drive away.
Transport to the city: The Sadem Bus Shuttle (tel: (011) 300 0611; website: www.sadem.it) stops at Porta Nuova station in the city center. The airport is also linked to the city by trains (tel: (011) 216 5352; website: www.gtt.to.it) to GTT Stazione Dora (website: www.satti.it) on Madonna di Campagna. However, this service will be interrupted for rail works between 23rd June 2008 and 11th September 2008. A replacement bus service will run in its absence. The taxi rank is by arrivals and the journey to the city center is around 30 minutes. It costs around €30 to reach downtown Turin.
Getting There By Road
Italy has an excellent network of motorways (autostrada), designated by 'A'. Speed limits on motorways are 130kph (81mph) for cars of 1100cc or more and 110kph (68mph) for smaller cars. All motorways are tolled but the strade statali (designated by 'SS') are toll free.
Both driver and passenger must wear seat belts, if fitted, or face an on-the-spot fine. Random breath tests can be imposed - the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.05%. The minimum age for driving is 18 years old. All those without an EU license must carry an International Driving Permit.
Autostrade (tel: 840 042 121 or (055) 420 3200; www.autostrade.it) provides information on motorway traffic in Italy.
Emergency breakdown services
Italian Automobile Club (tel: 361).
Routes to the city
The A6 motorway connects Turin to Nice, while the A4 goes to Milan and Venice. The A5 runs north to Geneva and Lausanne.
Coach services
The main coach operators are Eurolines (tel: 01143 30587 or 0553 57110; www.eurolines.it) and Sadem (tel: 01130 00611 or 538 967; www.sadem.it). Destinations include Milan, Palermo and the Aosta valley and services depart from the Terminal Bus Station (tel: 01143 38100; www.autostazionetorino.it) on Corso Vittorio Emanuele 11, 131, near Porta Susa station.
Getting There By Rail
The main station in Siena is Porta Nuova, Corso Vittorio Emanuele 11, 53 (tel: 01166 53098; www.torinoportanuova.it). Facilities include ATM, chemist, car hire and left luggage. Porta Susa station handles regional and local trains.
Rail Services
Porta Nuova station handles international and regional high speed-trains, with services to Milan, Genoa, Pisa and Rome, as well as Paris and Barcelona.
Rail Operators
The Italian state railway, Ferrovie dello Stato, operates Trenitalia (tel: (147) 892 021; www.fs-on-line.com or www.trenitalia.com), which is reliable and fairly priced. Passengers must validate tickets by stamping them in the yellow machines on the platform before boarding.
Getting Around in Turin, Italy
Public Transport
The city center is covered by a network of around 20 bus and tram lines, operated by Gruppo Torinese Trasporti (GTT) Corso Turati 19/6 (tel: 0115 7641; www.gtt.to.it). Services operate from around 0500 to 2400. An underground metro system is under construction, with the first stage completed in 2006. It currently runs from Collegno in the west to Porta Nuova, and is being extended to Lingotto.
Tickets are available from tobacconists or news agents and are valid for 70 minutes. A day pass is available.
Taxis
Turin's taxis are white and can be hired from taxi ranks or booked by telephone from Pronto Taxi (tel: 011 5737 or Radio Taxi (tel: 011 5730 or 3399; www.radiotaxi.it).
Driving in the City
The historic center of Turin, around Via Garibaldi, is pedestrianized. There are also some areas in which traffic is limited at certain times and days. Parking in the city center, the Blue Zone (Zona Blu), is pay and display, with vouchers available from tobacconists and ticket machines.
Car Hire
All the main car hire companies have outlets in Turin. These include Avis (tel: 01166 99800; www.avisautonoleggio.it), Europcar (tel: 01165 02066; www.europcar.it) and Maggiore (tel: 01165 03013; www.maggiore.it), all at Porta Nuova station, as well as Hertz, via Magellano 12 (tel: 0115 02080; www.hertz.it).
In order to hire a car drivers must be at least 23 years old, depending on company policy. All drivers without an EU license must carry an International Driving Permit.
Bicycle Hire
There are 75km (46.5 miles) of cycle paths in Turin. Bicycle hire is available from Amici della Bicicletta, via Vittorio Amedeo 21, (tel: 01156 13059).
