Survival Guide
Transportation: Fast and Future
BEST Torino’s Spring Course 2017
May 5th to May 17th
Turin, Italy
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Index
1. Welcome to Torino’s Spring Course 2017………………………………………………………………….3
2. Welcome to Italy……………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
3. Welcome to Torino……………………………………………………………………………………………………9
4. How to reach Torino………….……………………………………………………………………………………..13
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By Plane………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13
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By Train or Bus. ……………………………………………………………….………………………………….17
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By Car or Van.. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….17
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Hitchhiking.. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17
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Spacecrafts.. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….17
- Drones and other Non-Conventional transports………………………………………………….17
5. How to reach the location of your first arrival…..………………………………………………………18
6. In and around Torino……….……………………………………………………………………………………….19
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Currency and prices………………………………………………………………………………….…………19
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Electricity….…………………………………………………………………………………….………………..20
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Alcohol……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20
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Restaurants…….………………………………………………………………………………………………….20
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Shops .. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………21
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Pubs and nightclubs.. …………………………………………………………………………………………21
7. Italian body language.. …………………………………………………………………………………………….22
8. Useful Vocabulary…………………………………………………………………………………………………….23
9. Houston, we have a problem! …… ……………………………………………………………………………27
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Welcome to Torino’s Spring Course 2017
Transportation: Fast&Future
Our dear (future) friend who is reading this,
We are enthusiastically happy to welcome you to this life-changing
experience, Torino’s Spring Course 2017. Congratulations for your
acceptance to this course; you are lucky and we are lucky too to have
you in our beautiful city of Torino, the first capital of Italy, the city of
lovers, the city of passion, the host city of the Olympic Winter Games
2006, the city of automobile industry, the city of wine and Martini, the
city of Baroque, the city of taste, the city of Liberty, the city of
chocolate and Nutella.
If this is your first BEST course, we guarantee you will have an
extraordinarily intense experience you will never forget.
In order to have the greatest fun, we recommend you to carefully read
this Survival Guide to get to know the country and the environment in
which you are going to live for two weeks. ;))
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Welcome to Italy
Italy is a country located in south-central Europe between the Alps
mountain range and the Mediterranean Sea. Rome is its capital and
largest city but other major cities in Italy include Turin, Milan, Naples
and Palermo. Italy is known for its long history, historic architecture and
political, social and economic importance within Europe.
History of Italy
Italy has a very long history that dates back to the 8th and 7th century
B.C.E. when Greeks settled the southern part of the Italian Peninsula. At
the same time the central portion of the peninsula was settled by the
Romans and Etruscans. Following the collapse of the Roman Empire the
region was invaded several times and conflicts developed between the
various foreign powers controlling the area. By the 11th century the
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northern part of the peninsula began to regain stability and during the
Renaissance the identification of a single Italian nationality and culture
developed. By the 16th century however, Italy again began to decline in
power. By the 19th century Italy underwent a period of reunification
and in 1861 Victor Emmanuel II of the House of Savoy became the King
of Italy.
In 1870, Rome was incorporated into Italy and from 1870 to 1922 Italy
was ruled as a constitutional monarchy. In 1922 Benito Mussolini came
to power and Italy's political parties and personal liberties were
eventually eliminated under his dictatorship called the Corporate State.
In 1940 Italy, along with Germany, declared war on the United Kingdom
and France to begin World War II. One year later in 1941 it and the
other Axis powers declared war on the United States and the Soviet
Union. In 1943 the Allies invaded Sicily, Mussolini was dismissed from
power and Marshal Pietro Badoglio was appointed as Premier. Shortly
thereafter the Badoglio government declared war on Germany and in
April 1945 German forces were driven from Italy . A referendum in
1946 ended Italy's monarchy and an election was held to choose a
constituent assembly to aid in creating a new republic.
In 1947 a WWII peace treaty shifted Italy's borders and its eastern
border region was given to Yugoslavia and the area around the city of
Trieste became a free territory. In 1954 however, the area was divided
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between Italy and Yugoslavia. In addition, the WWII treaty also resulted
in Italy giving up its overseas territories and several islands within the
Mediterranean.
In 1957 Italy became a founding member of the European Economic
Community (which later became the European Union). Throughout the
1960s and into the early 1980s Italy was plagued by an economic crisis
which led to severe social instability. By the late 1980s however, Italy's
government began to recover and since then it has become one of the
most important nations in Europe and one of the world's largest
industrial nations.
Government of Italy
Today Italy's government is a republic. It has an executive branch of
government consisting of a chief of state (the president) and a head of
government (the prime minister). Its legislative branch is made up of a
bicameral Parliament that includes a Senate and a Chamber of
Deputies.
Italy's judicial branch consists of a Constitutional Court and the
Supreme Court of Cassation. Italy is divided into 20 different regions for
local administration.
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Economics and Land Use in Italy
Italy's economy is relatively strong and diversified. The north is highly
industrialized while the south is less developed and more dependent on
agriculture. In general Italy's economy is driven by manufacturing. The
main industries in Italy are tourism, machinery, iron and steel,
chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear
and ceramics. The main agricultural products of Italy are fruits,
vegetables, grapes, potatoes, grain, olives, beef, dairy products and
fish.
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Geography and Climate of Italy
Italy is located in Southern Europe on a peninsula that extends south
from the Alps Mountains into the Mediterranean Sea. Its total area is
116,348 square miles (301,340 sq km). Italy's area consists of the main
Italian Peninsula as well as several islands, including Sicily and Sardinia.
It has a varied topography that is mostly rugged and mountainous.
There are also some areas of plains and some coastal lowlands. The
highest point in Italy is Mont Blanc de Courmayeur at 15,577 feet
(4,748 m).
The climate of Italy is mostly Mediterranean, but the far north is alpine
and the south is hot and dry. For example Palermo, located in the south
on the island of Sicily has an average July high temperature of 83˚F
(28˚C) and a January average low of 47˚F (8˚C). By contrast Turin,
located on the northern part of the Italian Peninsula has an average
July high of 82˚F (27.6˚C) and a January low of 26˚F (-3˚C).
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Welcome to Torino
Turin (Italian: Torino), Italy, the capital of Piedmont region. It lies near
the Alps on the Po River, about 75 miles (120 km) southwest of Milan.
Metropolitan Turin is a major industrial area, Italy's leading producer of
automobiles. Other products include textiles, clothing, processed foods,
and leather goods.
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Turin has wide boulevards, many parks and squares, and notable
17thand 18th-century buildings. Several of these buildings, such as the
Royal Palace, Madama Palace, and Carignano Palace, were residences
of the dukes of Savoy.
Among noted museums are the Egyptian Museum, the Museum of
Antiquities, and the Sabauda Gallery, which displays works of Flemish,
Dutch, and Italian masters. In the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, in St.
John's Cathedral, is the cloth that is said to have wrapped Christ's body.
In ancient times Turin was the center of the Taurini tribe. Later it was a
Roman military colony called Augusta Taurinorum. After the fall of
Rome in the fifth century, it was dominated by Lombards and Franks
and later was the seat of a small feudal state. About 1280 Turin came
under control of the House of Savoy, which made it the chief city of its
Italian possessions.
The French occupied Turin from 1536 to 1562 and again from 1640 to
1706. In 1720 it was made the capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia and,
except for the years of Napoleonic occupation (1800 to 1814),
remained so until the unification of Italy in 1861. Turin was the home of
nationalist leader Count Camillo Cavour and was a major center of the
Risorgimento (unification movement). From 1861 to 1865 it was the
capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
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Turin Attractions
Turin has many museums. Walking around the city with its arcades,
Baroque buildings, and beautiful piazzas can be very enjoyable.
Piazza Castello and Palazzo Reale are at the center of Turin. The square
is a pedestrian area with benches and small fountains, ringed by
beautiful, grand buildings.
Via Po is an interesting walking street with long arcades and many
historic palaces and cafes. It starts at Piazza Castello.
The Mole Antonelliana, a 167-meter-tall tower built between 1798 and
1888, houses an excellent cinema museum. A panoramic lift takes you
to the top of the tower for some expansive views of the city.
Palazzo Carignano is the birthplace of Vittorio Emanuele II in 1820. The
Unification of Italy was proclaimed here in 1861. It now houses the
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Museo del Risorgimento and you can see the royal apartments Royal
Armory, too.
Museo Egizio is the second most important Egyptian museum in the
world (the first is in Cairo). It is housed in a huge baroque palace which
also holds the Galleria Sabauda with a large collection of historic
paintings.
Piazza San Carlo, known as the "drawing room of Turin", is a beautiful
baroque square with the twin churches of San Carlo and Santa Cristina
as well as the above museum.
Shroud of Turin, or the Holy Shroud, is housed in the Turin Cathedral
but is only put on display every 10 years. The Museum of the Holy
Shroud is open daily.
Il Quadrilatero is an interesting maze of backstreets with sprawling
markets and splendid churches. This is another good place to wander.
Elegant and historic bars and cafes are everywhere in central Turin. Try
a bicerin, a local layered drink made with coffee, chocolate, and cream.
Cafes in Turin also serve other interesting trendy coffee drinks.
Turin, European Capital of Sport 2015
The Italian city of Torino has been nominated recently as European
Capital of Sport 2015. It was a decision of the ACES Europe Evaluation
Committee who designated Turin after visiting the city and evaluating it
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vis-à-vis the other finalist, Krakow. ACES Europe positively valued the
important history of sport in Turin spanning more than one-and-a-half
century of life where the multitude of sport societies, clubs, facilities
and the great legacy left by the Winter Olympics celebrated in 2006
have left the city with excellent credentials.
The city of Turin has therefore designed for the year 2015 a big sporting
calendar with activities that promotes health, welfare and integration.
Winter Olympics 2006
Turin was host for the 2006 Winter Olympics with events in town and in
seven nearby localities. The awards ceremonies took place in Turin's
central piazza, Piazza Castello, integrating Italy's history and piazza
culture with the Olympics.
How to reach Torino
Depending on your departure place and the used transport, you have
various ways to reach Torino.
I.
Plane:
You can either arrive to Torino Caselle airport directly or arrive to
another airport of another close city like Milan, or even Rome (or
any other city) and then reach Torino by bus or train.
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 From Torino Caselle airport
A practical bus can carry you directly to Torino Porta Nuova Station.
Mean of transport: Sadem (bus) http://www.sadem.it
Departure: Torino Caselle airport (arrivals zone)
Arrival: Torino Porta Nuova station
Timetable: every 15' from 07:00 to 19:30, every 30’ from 20:00 to
00:00
Travel duration: 45'
Cost of ticket: 6,50€ (7,50€ if purchased on board)
Where to buy tickets: ticket machines or ticket sellers inside the
airport, or onboard.
 From Milano Malpensa airport
You will have to take a bus to Milano Centrale station, then a train to
Torino Porta Nuova Station. Or you can also take a bus directly to
Torino from the airport.
Mean of transport: Malpensa Shuttle (bus)
(http://www.malpensashuttle.it) or Sadem (bus) for Torino directly.
Departure: Malpensa terminal 1, Malpensa terminal 2 (10’ later)
Arrival: Milano Centrale station or Torino Porta Nuova
Timetable: every 20' from 07:00 to 22:00, plus 22:30 – 23:00 – 23:30
– 00:15
Travel duration: 50’ or around 2 hours for Torino directly.
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Cost of ticket: 10€ (16€ with return) or around 22€ for Torino.
Where to buy tickets: ticket machines inside the airport, ticket office,
or onboard of the bus.
 From Milano Linate airport
You will have to take a bus to Milano Centrale station, then a train or
bus to Torino Porta Nuova Station.
Mean of transport: Air Bus (bus)
Departure: Milano Linate airport (arrivals number 6)
Arrival: Milano Centrale station
Timetable: every 30’ from 6:30 to 23:30
Travel duration: 25'
Cost of ticket: 5€ (9€ with return)
Where to buy tickets: onboard of the bus.
 From Milano (Bergamo) Orio al Serio airport
You will have to take a bus to Milano Centrale station, then a train or
a bus to Torino Porta Nuova Station.
Mean of transport: Orio Shuttle (bus) http://www.orioshuttle.com/
Departure: Milano (Bergamo) Orio al Serio airport
Arrival: Milano Centrale station
Timetable: every 30' from 07:15 to 22:15, plus 23:40
Travel duration: 50'
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Cost of ticket: 5€
Where to buy tickets: ticket office inside the airport.
There are also Flixbus buses from the airport Orio al Serio to Torino
directly. You need to book it online.
 From Milano Centrale station
A practical train can carry you directly to Torino Porta Nuova station.
Mean of transport: Trenitalia Regional (train)
http://www.trenitalia.com/
Departure: Milano Centrale station
Arrival: Torino Porta Nuova station
Timetable: every 60' from 07:18 to 23:18
Travel duration: 110’
Cost of ticket: 12,20€
Where to buy tickets: ticket machines inside the station, ticket office
or online.
Note that there are other high-speed trains like Italo and Freccia
Bianca that sometimes cost less than the Regional Train. Check it
online.
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II.
Bus or Train:
Torino has a good connection by bus and trains to many European
cities. Milano is connected to almost every major European city by
bus and trains. You can reach Milano and then take another bus
or train to Torino.
Flixbus and Eurolines are two companies who have many
connections with Torino.
III.
Car or Van:
Torino is well-served by highways network. Don’t worry! Just use
Google Maps! ;)
IV.
Hitchhiking:
It’s an unusual method nowadays, only brave hearted students
would do it. You may try your luck on the road. If you do, let me
(Walid) know in advance so I will personally take care of your case
and follow you up! XD
V.
Space crafts:
Garages in Torino have a quite high cost. Unfortunately, we don’t
have our own spacecraft garage yet. This feature will hopefully be
available in the not-so-far future.
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VI.
Drones and other Non-Conventional transports:
Let us know in advance how you intend reaching us and we will
find a tailor-made solution ;)
How to reach the Location of your first arrival
We are planning to start the course with a leisure Weekend Trip in
which participating students will get to know each other, have fun
together, so they will be in the right mood to start the course.
This first weekend trip is planned to be in an Italian region different
from Piedmont, where Turin is located. The location and the city in
which you should arrive for the first time is not specified yet.
Students who will be accepted for the course will be informed in the
next future and sufficiently before the beginning of the course about
the city in which they should arrive. Anyway, we will have an organizer
who will take care of this and make your life easier for arrival and
departure! ;)
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In and around Torino
Currency and Prices
The currency in Italy is EURO (€)
The following tables contain some examples of prices in Italy:
Item
a beer (supermarket - bar - pub)
Price (Euro)
1.50 – 3.50 – 5.50
a pizza
4.00-8.00
a slice of pizza
a packet of cigarettes
2.00
4.10
an ice-cream
a bottle of wine (supermarket - restaurant)
1.50 – 3.00
3.50-8.00
a can of Coke (supermarket - bar - pub)
0.60 – 1.50 – 2.50
a Hamburger/Cheeseburger at McDonald’s
1.50
a McDonald’s Menu
6.50
a Kebab roll
3.50
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a postcard + stamp for EU
1.00
a Bus/Tramway/Metro ticket
1.50
Electricity
In Italy we use "in-line" sockets (they look like this: [o o o]), with 220V,
50Hz AC. Normally, your mobile phone charger should fit in the socket
but you may need an adaptor for devices like hair-dryer or iron (yes,
we’ve had participants who brought irons with them :D). In the modern
buildings European sockets are usually available.
Alcohol
Even if American tourists coming here are always surprised about this,
you might already know that in Italy you can buy alcohol in any
quantity, anywhere, at any age, anytime and in almost all the public
places selling drinks and food.
Italian laws, which are surprisingly liberal in this occasion, don't restrict
the alcoholic consumption unless you are going to drive (or pilot an
aircraft of course). So the only way you can have trouble with police
when drinking is becoming dangerous or aggressive towards other
people.
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Restaurants
Prices can differ a lot from a place to place; when computing prices
remember that at restaurants you have to pay a fixed amount of money
for each person (usually between 1,00 and 2,00 euro) that is listed
somewhere in the menu and in the bill, referred as "Pane e Coperto".
This doesn't apply to restaurants like McDonald's or Kebab in which
there's no table dressing.
Shops
Shops close around 7.30 to 8.00 pm. In the center of Turin, you will
mostly find small shops and little supermarkets; again looking at the
prices is a universal advice, remember that VAT (in Italian called IVA) is
always included in the showed price.
Especially if you are a girl you will want to wander around to see some
clothes and shoes. There are some streets in the center of Turin with a
high concentration of such kind of shops: Via Roma (fashion shops), Via
Garibaldi (shops mostly for young people, with moderate prices) and
Via Po.
Pubs and Night clubs
Torino offers a great variety of pubs, and they are not too expensive (a
beer may cost you from 3,50-5,50€) but again always look for the prices
first. Pubs are quite popular between Italian young people and every
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one of us will be able to suggest you a good one.
If you are going to seek a good disco in Turin, you may consider them
quite expensive, compared with the other prices. You should expect to
spend 10,00€ to enter, but sometimes entry prices rise up to 25€ and
over. Usually the ticket includes the first drink.
Italian body language
Have you ever meet an Italian? I mean, a real Italian? If you do, well,
you know we don’t need to speak to communicate. We just need our
hands. You can see in this paragraph a very small and incomplete list of
our body dictionary. Wanna know the meaning of every gestures? Just
come to Italy and ask to random people!
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Useful Vocabulary
ENGLISH
ITALIAN
BASICS
Hello / Bye
Good morning
Good evening
Good night
Good bye
How are you?
My name is....
Nice to meet you
Thank you
See you tomorrow
Yes / No / Perhaps
It depends...
Never mind
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Ciao
Buongiorno
Buonasera
Buonanotte
Arrivederci
Come stai?
Mi chiamo..
Piacere di conoscerti
Grazie
Ci vediamo domani
Si / No / Forse
Dipende..
Non fa niente
NUMBERS
Zero
Uno
Due
Tre
Quattro
Cinque
Sei
Sette
Otto
24
9
10
100
1000
Nove
Dieci
Cento
Mille
ON THE ROAD
What's the time?
I don't speak Italian
Street/Square
I don't understand
Where is / are....
Where is the toilet?
Please
Cheers
Exit
Train / Bus / Taxi
Che ore sono?
Io non parlo Italiano
Via/Piazza
Non capisco
Dov'è / Dove sono…?
Dove è il bagno?
Per favore
Salute
Uscita
Treno / Autobus / Taxi
IN A SHOP
How much is it?
What is this?
My size is...
I want this
Exchange Office / Mo
Wine / Beer / Water
Mineral Water
Coffee / Milk /Tea
Sugar / Salt / Pepper
May I have the menu / bill, please?
Quanto costa?
Che cosa è questo?
La mia taglia è...
Voglio questo
Cambio / Denaro
Vino / Birra / Acqua
Acqua Minerale
Caffe' / Latte / Te'
Zucchero / Sale / Pepe
Mi può portare il menu / conto, per
favore?
APPROACH TECHNIQUES
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I like you
Love
I love you
Honey
Kiss
Do you like me?
Lips
Kiss me
You have so beautiful eyes
I don't like you
You are handsome
You are pretty
Are you enjoying yourself?
Do you want to dance with me?
Don't even think about it
It's very hot in here, don't you think?
Yes, it is. Let's get out and have some
fresh air!
I can give you a lift home if you want!
May I show you my butterfly
collection?
Oh, help me to get rid of that man
(woman) please
He is boring!
He is amazing!
I’m already taken!
Mi piaci
Amore
Ti amo
Tesoro (literally Treasure)
Bacio
Ti piaccio?
Labbra
Baciami
Hai degli occhi bellissimi
Non mi piaci
Sei bello / Sei un figo
Sei bella / Sei figa
Ti stai divertendo?
Vuoi ballare con me?
Te lo puoi scordare
Fa caldo qui, non credi?
Sì. Andiamo a prendere un po'
d'aria fuori!
Posso accompagnarti a casa, se
vuoi!
Vuoi vedere la mia collezione di
farfalle?
Oh, levami quest'uomo / questa
donna di torno per favore
Mi annoia!
Lui è un bomber!
Sono già situazionato/a!
SENTENCES WE HOPE YOU WILL NEVER USE
We are in Italy, aren't we?
I was needing a toilet, but it's too late
Siamo in Italia, vero?
Dovevo andare al bagno ma è
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Wasn't it a toilet?
I want to smoke a last cigarette
Kill me gently please
troppo tardi
Non era un bagno?
Voglio l'ultima sigaretta
Mi ammazzi con cortesia, la prego
Houston, we have a problem!
If you ever have any question, or if you get lost on your way, or if you
get arrested by Police, don’t worry, just contact us, Main Organizers;)
Walid G. H. Saad
[email protected]
+393248971874
Anna Perazzo
[email protected]
+393452401592
NB: This version of Survival Guide was created by Wall-e. Some parts were partially or
entirely reported from previous versions created by heros of BESTorino (like Petra) and
other unknown contributors. Thanks to all of you, may God’s blessings be on you!
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