Torino Warnings Or Dangers

many drivers in italy seem to have no common sense whatsoever.i visited in june and the 2 hour drive i took from turin to imperia was the scariest experience of my life.undertaking,cutting in and excessive speeding seem to be the norm in this part of italy,there was even one driver on the motorway doing ten mph and riding on the rim of one wheel,with sparks flying all over the road.i have not visied the rest of the country but will assume its the same everywhere.be careful when driving on mountain passes,oncoming drivers seem to be completely fearless,even at the edge of a cliff or ravine...

My comments can be taken as general guidelines applicable to most Italian large cities.
In almost any society, symptoms of stress occur when cramming people together as a result of lack of vital room. Like most industrial cities in the north of italy, Torino grew up rapidly and doubled its population in about two decades, the 60s and 70s. The pace had overwhelmed the city authorities and inadequate police control had possibly made the rest. Traffic rules and regulations are something that all of us should be aware of and respect. In my personal experience, it seems that a good portion of drivers in Torino do not apply rules and common sense. The use of cell phones while driving is only allowed through loudspeaker systems but, obviously, such an occurrence belong to a rare specie of drivers and in most cases the omnipresent apparatus can't stay away from the ear. I'm still waiting for sociologists to tell me why some people are driven by a mix of arrogance, stupidity and irrationality. Maybe because the national health care system ranks second in the world? There are much worse places in Italy but if you drive in Torino you can be amazed at seeing cars double or triple parked, and astonished at seeing pilots skipping red lights and yield signs at ease. When approaching a green light, better never take for granted your right of way. More vulnerable vehicles such as motorcycles and bicycles should pay extra attention, not to mention pedestrians.
Bottomline is WATCH OUT!

I visited Torino recently for a congress at the Lingotto centre. On the return trip to the town one evening on the bus, I had my pocket picked and wallet stolen. I cancelled all cards very quickly, but within minutes the toe-rags were trying to access accounts.

At the same congress , 4 other men and 1 woman had wallets and purses stolen. One other woman was chased through the streets and into a cab by a moped driver. That's too high a percentage to be 'normal'.

Please, take care (and/or take a cab!)! It's a horrible thing to have happen and I would not wish it on anyone.

Unlike in other large Italian cities, do not rely on local people to speak English. From my experience, the majority don't in Turin and it can therefore be quite difficult for a visitor to get information. I found the people to be generally kind and friendly but without a common language, things can get tricky.

My advice would be to get very organised before you go. Find as much information as you can on the Internet. A good guide book is essential too, particularly one that contains a 'food section' because restaurant menus are often all in Italian.

The ladies in the Tourist Information Offices speak very good English and are extremely helpful if you need assistance.

I was sitting at a very nice cafe in Piazza San Carlo, surrounded by people at other tables. I had just taken a photograph and was putting my camera away in my bag, when a young man came up behind me and put a piece of paper down on top of my arm, which was on top of my handbag. I don't speak Italian so couldn't read what it said on the paper but I told him to go away. He didn't go so I shouted at him to leave me alone. He walked off and I immediately realised my purse was gone. Somehow he'd managed to get his other hand underneath the piece of paper and remove my purse from the bag without me feeling it. I chased after him but lost him at the corner of the square. The cafe owner and police were extremely helpful and told me that robbers from Morocco and Eastern European countries were an increasing problem in Turin so beware! I come from a country where we are all well used to taking care of our personal belongings and I had my bag in my arms at the time but this robber was extremely skillful.

Attention when you walk in the streets of San Salvario near the railstation Porta Nuova (example:Via Nizza) or in Porta Palazzo, you can meet bad people like pushers, drug addict and prostitutes, especially in the night.

You'd better avoid Porta Palazzo when it gets dark, since you may find some disreputable people. That area is known for housing a large community of immigrants who, in many cases, don't integrate in the Italian society.
I went there one day with my mother at 17, so not very late, and we saw a lot of those people, so we didn't stay there for a long time.

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If you visit the Museo Egizio in winter with warm clothes, beware that the museum doesn't provide a wardrobe, so you will have to hold your coats during the whole visit, since it is very hot inside the museum.