Travel to Turin, Italy

Manuel with wife Pinkie in Torino

We were lucky to see the "Shroud of Turin"

Travel Tip # 12:  Geneva to Turin (Torino) , Italy by land

                   (May 2010)

Itinerary: 2 days/ 1 night

          Day 1:                   Geneva/ Torino                12:30 pm / 4:30 pm

3 hours (if non-stop)

          Day 2           Torino/ Geneva               

                             (via Chamonix)

                             Torino / Chamonix            3:00 pm – 5 pm (2 hrs)

                             Chamonix / Geneva           7:00pm – 8:00 pm

Travel Arrangements

1.                 Travel by land via Chamonix and Aosta

2.                 There is a big Carrefour Enterprise past Aosta where you can get your snacks and food items.

3.                 Tolls:

Geneva to Chamonix                   Euro 3.70 plus 1.70

Mont Blanc Tunnel                      Euro 42 for round trip

(Note: take roundtrip toll ticket as it is cheaper)

NO other tolls until Torino

                  

Hotel Arrangements

1.     Done through the internet --- booking.com

·        Make sure you identify the location where you want to be

·        Check on the “guest feedback”

·        Check on parking facilities if you need one and make the needed reservation with the hotel

2.     Hotel Principi D’ Acaja

Va Principi D’Acaja, 8, San Donato – Vittoria

Turin, 10143, Italy

Tel. + 390114338348

Fax + 390114304610

Email: info@hotelprincipidacaja.com

·        Triple room is Euro 150 per night inclusive of breakfast

o       Has wide beds

o       TV, Ref. aircon,

o       Large toilet and bath (no tub)

o       Try taking room 106 as it has a direct strairway to the parking area behind the room

o       Breakfast is nice --- continental

·        Parking is additional Euro 7 per day (Parking is inside the hotel compound but is limited to 5-7 spaces only.

·        Hotel is very nice and has clear and very presentable facilities

·        You need to present your passport upon check-in

·        Payment is done upon check out. Credit cards acceptable

·        Breakfast is continental and served between 7:00 to 9:30 am

·        Hotel is family run – Antonio is owner; Fernand is the son manning the front desk.

·        There is a metro station near the hotel; bus stop is a block away and five stops to Palazzo Reale (where the main square and shopping are); Use bus 13 or 73. Bus rate is Euro 1 good for one metro ride and 70 minutes in the bus; buy your bus tickets in the nearest Tabac); there is bus till past midnight

·        Hotel say Main Plaza is 20 minute walk

·        There is no business center; no telephone in the rooms

·        Free wireless connection is available at the lobby and breakfast area

·        Hotel can recommend a few nearby eateries which we did not try

3.     If you want a nearer hotel to the Plaza, try Hotel Urbano. We tried this hotel one time and it was very nice and presentable  and about 5-10 minutes walk to the Center. Hotel serves breakfast but has only street parking. Hotel has local restaurants just beside it.  Try booking through the internet and check on its rates which changes depending on the season.

4. Update (November 2013):  International Training Center of the ILO, Viale Maestri del Labovoro, 10-10127 Torino, Italia; Tel. +39 011 693 6111; Fax +39 011 663 8842; email: communications@itcilo.org

Restaurants

1. At the main Plaza near McDonals, try Ristorante-Pizzeria LA FILA at via Principe Amedeo, 3 (Piazza Cargnano), 10123 Torino, Tel 011. 53.06.34 where we took our late evening dinner.  Dinner for three costs about Euro 65 (drinks, main course and dessert plus coffee); food is good but place tends to be crowded as it is in the tourist area.

2. The next day for lunch, we traveled 30 minutes away (17 kms) from Torino to (Chieri) Pecetto in Torinese.  Place is a small Italian town on top of a mountain. We looked for Trattoria del San Pietro at Strada Virana 4, Pecetto Torinese (tel 011.8156641; cel 393 4381278) for lunch but place was closed and will open only for dinner.  Restaurant is small and family-run. Placeislike a house. Owner does not speak English. There is parking in front and beside the restaurant.

We haven’t tried by it was suggested that you order “bagna cauda” which is a vegetable dish mixed with anchovies and lots of garlic.

3. For good Italian ice cream (gelato) try GROM which you will pass walking  on your way to La Fila.  Place is crowded with long lines during evening. Cone of ice cream with two selection flavors you like is Euro 2.00

4. We ended up taking lunch  in the same town at Restorante “I Sibilla” located at via Umberto 1, 11  , 10020 Pecetto Torinese (tel 011.860.94.42; web www.isibilla.it; email i.sibilia@libero.it .  Restaurant is small but good. It serves authentic Italian food. Lunch for three costs Euro 85 (drinks, main course, coffee). Restaurant makes its own types of spaghetti noodles and penne. Parking is at the streets of the town.

 

Others

1. Torino Metro Train is new. It is clean and not very crowded. Metro ticket is one (1) Euro for each ride. You can buy tickets through the machines at the metro station.

2. Note that cable cars at Aguille du Midi in Chamonix closes from 5 pm. Cable car tickets at Euro 40 per head including children.

3. Other places in Turin which were suggested but which we weren’t able to visit for lack of time : Basilica Superga (1706) and Cathedral in Oriedo.

Updates

In November 2013, I attended a meeting at the International Training Center of the ILO in Turin.  A dinner was hosted for us at:

Risorante Del Circolo dei Lettori
Vis Bogino, 9 - Torino
Pianno ammezzato
011 432 6828/ 348 241 6367
ristorante@circulolettori.it

• very good restaurant at the center of the downtown shopping district in Turin
• restaurant is part of a private reading library
• authentic Italian cuisine