Turin 101: Arriving & Getting Around

Posted on June 29, 2019

Turin is the capital of the northern Italian region of Piedmont, next to the Alps. Formerly an important political center as the capital of the Duchy of Savoy (from 1563) and the first capital of a Unified Italy, it is still an important cultural and business hub. Its rich culture is showcased through numerous churches, palaces, piazzas, museums and art galleries.

ARRIVING in Turin

THE AIRPORT

If you arrive by plane, you’ll land in Turin-Caselle Airport (TRN), 16km away from the city center. Since there’s no direct rail connection, these are your options, in order of cost/benefit:

GTT Railway + Dora Express Bus Service

The railway sfmA links the airport to Torino Dora GTT Railway Station in 19 minutes. The station is a few meters in front of the airport.

From Torino Dora, catch the Dora Express Bus to Torino Porta Susa. Its departures are time-coordinated with the trains, with a journey time of 15 minutes.

Purchase the Biglietto Integrato B at the ticket machine at the Airport GTT Railway Station, costing €3 each way.

ATTENTION: This service is available from Monday to Saturday.

SADEM Bus Service

Running regularly at 15-30 minutes intervals, with a journey time of approx. 45-50min to the main rail stations, Porta Nuova (Piazza Carlo Felice 39) and Porta Susa (Corso Bolzano in front of Exit D), and others.

Tickets cost €6.50 each way, but you must pay a €1 surcharge if you buy onboard. Avoid this by purchasing at the ticket office (Ricevitoria) and ticket machine in the Arrivals lounge (from Airport) or in the Cafés nearby the bus terminal (from the City).

Taxis: MyTaxi or WeTaxi

Costing between €30-50 until the city center, with a journey time of approx. 30min.

With WeTaxi, you can share your ride with other users who make a journey similar to yours, eg. from/to Turin Airport. If you book a shared taxi, you get a 50% discount on the fare, even if sharing does not take place.

RAIL

TravelAfter5_Italy_Turin_101_Porta Nuova — Porta Nuova

The easiest arrival in Turin is by train. And they usually stop at both main railway stations, Porta Nuova and Porta Susa, so you can choose which is more convenient. Both are connected to their respective homonym subway stations, as well as trams, buses and taxi stops.

From Porta Nuova to Piazza Castello, for instance, it’s only 4 stops with tram line no. 4 or bus line no. 11 or a 1.2km walk along one of the main streets, Via Roma. On the other hand, from Porta Susa, it would be 3 stops with tram line no. 13 or a 1.5km walk. Google Maps works really well for finding your way with public transport here.

BUS

There a few possibilities if you arrive in Turin by bus. If you are coming directly from Malpensa Airport with the SADEM Bus, it stops in front of Porta Susa and Porta Nuova stations, among others. If you are arriving with Flixbus, the most central stop is Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 131. From the latter, you have connections with local buses and trams.

GETTING AROUND Turin

The public transport system is operated by Gruppo Torinese Trasporti (GTT) and includes the subway, suburban trains, trams, and buses.

It’s important to note that if you are staying in the city center proper and will visit the main spots, you will barely need to take any transport: just from/to airport or train/bus station. But if you prefer to get this topic out of mind and be always covered, just go for time-based tickets:

daily: valid from validation until end of the service on the same day, costs €4.
biglietto speciale 48h or 72h: from validation until time elapses, cost €7.50 and €10, respectively.

However, if this is too much for your needs, a single ticket (valid for 100min) costs €1.70.

Buy them at machines in any subway station and don’t forget to validate it each time you board.

Torino_GTT Network