A recent visit to my hometown has highlighted a nightmare scenario for the hundreds of tourists traveling to this tiny gem of northern Italy . After years of living in the shadow of more popular Italian cities like Milan, Rome and Florence, Turin has been experiencing a resurgence of interest from the international crowds. Italy's fourth-largest city was already on the map for many Catholics, thanks to the presence of the infamous Holy Shroud – and music lovers discovered its beauty as it became the host of the 2022 Eurovision Contest.
But while I am usually the first one to praise my hometown for the many amenities and activities it has to offer, I am also quite open to lamenting the abysmal transport network that plagues the city. While never the best – Italy has a well-known issue with public transport regardless of region or city – the situation appears to have grown direr in recent years. Arriving at Turin Airport, one would expect a smooth transition into the city but is immediately faced with a lengthy journey into the city centre.
A trip that would normally take approximately 20 minutes by car takes 50 when picking the bus, thanks to the many stops on route. A new train line connecting Turin Caselle to one of the city's main train stations, Porta Susa, debuted earlier this year and helps save around 20 minutes with two trains per hour. However, the last service from Porta Susa is at 9.
25pm during the week and the last train of the night leaves the airport at 10..