Turin Life and Visitor Travel Tips

(Turin, Piedmont, Italy)

The Piedmont region's capital city, Turin is still revelling in its success after playing host to the Winter Olympics in 2006. As a result of hosting this important sporting event, Turin spent considerable money and time on improving the city's infrastructure, facilities and overall appearance.

Turin has therefore never been so tourist friendly and a holiday here varies greatly season by season. The hot summer months afford plenty of outdoor recreations, while the cold winters create perfect skiing conditions close by. Some noteworthy travel tips can be found below.

Useful Contact Details

A number of individual tourist offices are to be found within the area, including an outlet at Turin International Airport (Caselle International Airport).

The main office lies on the Piazza Solferino, next to the Via Confienza, the Via Antonio Meucci and also the Via Davide Bertolotti.

FNAC (Internet Access)
Address: Via Roma, Turin, Italy, IT
Tel: +39 011 511 67 11
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:30 to 20:00, Sunday - 10:00 to 20:00

Internet Train - (Internet Access)
Address: Via Carlo Alberto 18, Turin, Italy, IT
Tel: +39 011 54 30 00
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:30 to 22:00, Saturday - 09:30 to 20:00

Turin Tourist Offices - (all share the same telephone number of +39 011 53 51 81)

• Airport Tourist Office - Strada San Maurizio 12, Caselle Torinese, 10072, Italy, IT
• Atrium Città / Atrium Torino (information and various reservations) - Piazza Solferino, Turin, Italy, IT
  Websites: www.atriumtorino.it / www.turismotorino.org
• Circolo Culturale Maurice (Gay and Lesbian information) - Via della Basilica, Turin, Italy, IT
  Website: www.mauriceglbt.org

Language and Dialect

The type of Italian spoken in Turin is known locally as Piedmontese, although classical Italian is also widely spoken and written. This local dialect is spoken by more than two million people and dates back as far as the 12th century. When holidaying in Turin, consider bringing a phrasebook, or simply learning a few basic Italian phrases, such as the following:

• Hi. - Ciao.
• How are you? - Come stai (sta)?
• See you soon. - A presto.
• Take care! - Stai (stia) attento
• How much? - Quanto?
• Please can I see the menu? - Vorrei vedere il menu, per favore?
• How much is it per person? - Quanto costa per persona?
• Thank you. - Grazie.
• Where is the toilet / bathroom? - Dov'è il bagno?
• Please write it down for me. - Può scriverlo, per favore?
• Please can you show me? - Può mostrarmelo, per favore?
• Nice to meet you. - Piacere.

Dos and Don'ts

• Banks and Money - a series of banking branches are dotted around central Turin and are particularly concentrated on the Piazza San Carlo and also the Via Roma. The Banca CRT on the Piazza CLN features a useful 24-hour banknote currency exchange machine
• Books and Maps - the Touring Club Italiano is amongst the best place in Turin to purchase maps and travel guides during your stay
• Launderettes - tourists in Turin looking for laundry services will be pleased to find numerous outlets of the 'Lav@sciuga' launderettes, including branches at the Piazza delle Repubblica and on the Via Vanchiglia. Customers can enjoy free Internet access whilst they wait
• Leaving Your Bags - a secure left luggage service can be found at the Stazione Porta Nuova train station, with inexpensive charges for 12-hour periods
• Medical Services - pharmacies in Turin include the Farmacia Boniscontro on the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, while the main hospital can be found on the Largo Turati
• Passports - those travelling from EU member countries can use either national identify cards or valid passports