Banks are usually open from Monday to Friday (closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) from 8:20 am to 1:15 pm and from 3:00 pm to 4:15 pm, although hours may vary slightly between banks and the other. Before a public holiday, banks usually have reduced opening hours.

The closest banks to the school are Intesa Sanpaolo in Corso Re Umberto 51/53 and Unicredit in Corso Germano Sommeiller, 35. If necessary, it is easy to open a bank account at the Unicredit bank in Via Enrico D'Ovidio ( at the Polytechnic of Turin) because they are used to dealing with international students.

Money can be exchanged at the Forexchange office located in the Porta Nuova railway station. You can also withdraw money at the many ATMs available in all the districts of the city using many types of credit cards.

The closest post office to the school is in Via San Secondo 41 and it is open from Monday to Friday, from 8:20 to 13.35; on Saturdays from 8:20 to 12.35, but the one in Via Sacchi 2 has a longer timetable. In fact, during the week it is open all day until 7:05 pm.

At the post office you can send packages and envelopes, make payments.

If you need a residence permit, it is best to contact the post office in Via Enrico D’Ovidio (at the Polytechnic of Turin) because the special kit for requesting the residence permit is always available here.
If you need an express courier or make particular shipments, we advise you to contact the Mail Boxes Etc center in Via Cristoforo Colombo, 50 / C (quite close to the school) which will always offer you very good treatment.

If you need to receive a package from your country, we recommend that you do NOT use the address of your accommodation but the school one. Remember that it is forbidden to send packages containing food and / or medicines.

In the city center you will find many shops for your shopping, especially in Via Roma, in Via Garibaldi and in Via Lagrange, where the La Rinascente shopping center is also located. The shops in the center are generally open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.00 am to 7.00 pm with continuous hours. They are often closed on Monday mornings. The Shopville Le Gru shopping center in Grugliasco is easily reachable by public transport and it is always open 9:00 am to 9.00 pm continuously. Also, the Torino Outlet Village in Settimo Torinese is open every day from 10:00 am to 8.00 pm with continuous hours. For the Torino Outlet Village there is a free shuttle that leaves from Piazza Carlo Felice.

In Turin there are many supermarkets. The closest to school is Borello in Via Pastrengo 14, it is open from Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 8.30 pm and on Sunday until 1.00 pm. You can always find everything and often at discount prices at the Carrefour in Corso Montecucco, open every day from 7:00 am to 9.00 pm with continuous hours.

Every day, from 7:00 am to 2.00 pm, and on Saturdays all day, the Crocetta Market is active in Via Marco Polo (very close to the school). Here you can get great deals on clothing. Another very popular market for clothing is the one in Piazza Luigi Martini (which the Turineses call Piazza Benefica), which is open from Monday to Saturday from 8:30 am to 2.00 pm.
If you need any kind of sports clothing or accessories, the best solution is Decathlon. There is a shop in via Lagrange 42 (near Porta Nuova station).
Especially for food, because it is really cheap (everything from the farmers' first fruits to spices), the Porta Palazzo Market is worth a visit, because it is the largest open-air market in Europe . Located in Piazza Della Repubblica, it is open every day, from Monday to Saturday, from 7:00 am to 2.00 pm (until 7.00 pm on Saturdays).

One of Turin's specialties is chocolate and if you want to take home an unforgettable memory you can go to one of the artisan shops in the center: Stratta (Piazza San Carlo 141), Baratti & Milano (Piazza Castello, 27), Pfatisch (Via Sacchi, 42) , Gobino (Via Lagrange, 1), Guido Castagna (Via Maria Vittoria, 17) or Giordano (Piazza Carlo Felice 9). Without sacrificing quality, but saving a little, you can go to Monteccone in Via Cesana, 56: the discount for our students is always guaranteed.

Adjacent to Porta Palazzo, between Via Borgo Dora and Via Bernardino Lanino, the Balon (the famous second-hand market) is held every Saturday. The Gran Balon is held every second Sunday of the month, attended by around 250 exhibitors and numerous antique shops in the area. If you are looking for some one-of-a-kind piece to furnish your home or a vintage dress, you should definitely swing by.

In the center there are many bookshops, where you can also find books and newspapers in different foreign languages, such as the FELTRINELLI in Piazza Castello or inside the Porta Nuova railway station or the Luxemburg International Bookshop in Via Cesare Battisti, 7. If you need dictionaries, grammar books or simple reading materials to learn Italian better can also be found in the small bookshop set up inside the school.

In the center, but also close to the school, you will find many bars for your breakfast or a quick lunch. The prices for the diner service are usually cheap. Of course there are also many restaurants and pizzerias for all tastes and budgets. Near the school you can go to President Cafè in via Pastrengo 19 or to Le Passage Cafè in Via Lamarmora 22, where you can eat well and at a reasonable price. If you want to try Piedmontese cuisine you can go to Trattoria Cerere in via Legnano 17: you can eat well and a lot, with ultra-cheap prices even for dinner. If after school you feel like a pizza, you can go to Krabon in Corso Einaudi, 25: the pizza is very good and they also do home delivery (if in the area). If you want to try the famous Bagna caoda, instead, you have to go to Pautasso in Piazzetta Emanuele Filiberto 4 because they do it every day and they also have the light version without garlic.

In Italy, and in Turin, restaurants are usually open from 12:30 am to 3:00 for lunch pm and from 7:30 pm to 11.00 pm for dinner. It is advisable to make a reservation to go for dinner on the weekend . On the menus outside the restaurants you will see the dishes available and their prices, but be aware that the "cover charge" (for plates, cutlery, glasses and bread) is always to be paid. Tipping is not mandatory, but appreciated.

In the center you will find some laundries for your clothes or if you prefer to wash them yourself, also self-service laundries that are generally open all day, such as the one in via Massena, near the school, also open on holidays from 8am to 11 pm.

In Turin you can easily rent a car, a bike or a scooter to better visit the surroundings of our city. You just need an identity document and a credit card and a deposit is usually required for the reservation. You must be at least 21 years old and have had a driving license for one year to rent a car or a scooter. In Italy cars have usually a manual gearbox but for a small fee you can always get a car with an automatic gearbox.

The most reliable car rental services are:

• AVIS, in Corso Filippo Turati
• Maggiore Car Hire and Sixt Car Hire, at the Porta Nuova Station
• Hertz, at the Porta Susa station

A convenient bicycle rental service is called TOBIKE and is made available by the Municipality of Turin:http://www.tobike.it/default.aspx

If you are going to spend a long enough period in Turin, it is better to buy a mobile phone with an Italian card, because it is the most convenient way to call and send SMS to other Italian numbers. The most convenient place to buy a telephone is the Unieuro inside the Porta Nuova railway station. Once you have purchased the Italian SIM, you can buy the phone cards directly from the tobacconist or at the supermarket.

Turin, despite being a metropolitan city, is normally a safe and quiet place. The historic center is for the most part pedestrianized so that you can enjoy relaxing walks, without car traffic. The most pleasant thing is to walk under the arcades, they offer shelter from the rain and the sun: and total 18 km long. Anyway, it is recommended, as in any other part of the world, to be careful and not to carry many valuables and / or a lot of money. It is also advisable to make photocopies of your documents and credit card and keep them separate from the originals.

Separate collection is carried out in Turin, but the system is not unique throughout the city. In some neighborhoods the garbage must be thrown into the appropriate bins located in the condominium courtyards in other areas the bins are in the street. It is a good idea to check the waste collection schedule in your neighborhood with the owners of the accommodation.

In Turin the water is drinkable, although sometimes you may experience a not too pleasant taste. Warning: if you read ACQUA NON POTABILE (non-drinking water) you must not drink. You will find very often the famous Torèt, small green fountains from which water flows from the head of a bull. The water of the Torét is always drinkable.
In Turin, there are also the water points designed to support the consumption of tap water for food purposes and allow the supply of "zero kilometers", natural, sparkling water at room temperature or chilled. Preferably located in gardens, squares and places of popular gatherings, they also represent an opportunity for the repurposing of the spaces where they are located.

At school we can help you find a doctor or dentist if necessary. In case of emergencies the best thing to do is to go to the emergency room. In Turin there are many excellent hospitals, including the Mauriziano Hospital (in Largo Filippo Turati, 62) and the Molinette Hospital (in Corso Bramante) which are the closest to the school and can be easily reached by bus. The number to call for immediate medical assistance is 118.

From Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 7.30 pm you can also go to one of the many pharmacies in Turin, where you will find not only drugs but also medical advice for minor ailments. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only the "on duty" pharmacies will be open. If you need to take medicines, bring the medical prescriptions with you to be able to buy them also in Turin. The pharmacy inside the Porta Nuova station is open every day from 7:00 am to 7.30 pm, while the Pharmacy Comunale 42 (in via XX Settembre, 5), the Pharmacy in Piazza Massaua are also open at night.

Emergency number of the school, for the Sunday of arrival: + 39 349 88.50.223
Police: 113
Carabinieri: 112
Fire Brigade: 115
Medical assistance: 118
Municipal Police: 011 011 1
Lost property office: 011.011.30753 - 011.011.30624, to contact to make an appointment at the counter in Via Meucci, 4

In Turin the climate is moderately continental, with cold winters where you can warm up with a nice hot chocolate in the beautiful historic cafes in the city center and hot summers where you can take advantage of the arcades to walk sheltered from the sun and enjoy the fabulous parks in the city and the surrounding hills. The best times to visit Turin are spring and early summer, especially from mid-April to mid-June. September and October are also excellent months, but some rainy days must still be taken into account in both periods. In winter it is cold and sometimes it snows.