Europe > Italy > Turin (TRN)
The city by city Car or no Car advice for Turin can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Turin ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Turin ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Turin?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
Once in the city, Turin works beautifully on foot 🚶♀️. The historic centre is flat and laid out on a rational grid, with long arcaded streets that make walking pleasant in all weather. Major sights such as the Mole Antonelliana, Egyptian Museum, Royal Palaces, and Piazza Castello all sit close together. Traffic restrictions and limited parking mean that driving adds little value inside the city itself.
🕊️ The Turin Shroud and the historic centre
One of Turin’s most significant and controversial attractions is the Turin Shroud 🕊️, housed in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, right in the heart of the historic centre. Whether approached as a religious relic, a historical mystery, or a cultural artefact, its location reinforces the no-car argument. The cathedral sits within easy walking distance of major squares, museums, and cafés, and it is also well served by buses. A rental car offers no advantage here and would only complicate access due to traffic restrictions and limited parking.
🚇 Public transport and rail connections
Turin has a compact but efficient public transport network 🚊, including trams, buses, and a short automated metro line. While the metro is limited in scope, it is modern and reliable. More importantly, Turin excels as a rail hub 🚄.
High-speed trains connect Turin to Milan in under an hour, making day trips effortless. Services also run to Genoa, Bologna, and Florence, while international trains link directly to France, including routes towards Lyon and Paris. This makes Turin an excellent base for wider exploration without needing a car.
🎬 Film connections: The Italian Job and beyond
Turin also has a special place in film history thanks to The Italian Job (1969) 🎬. The original and, in many eyes, far superior version was very much a Turin film.
Key locations, including streets, piazzas, and riverside scenes, are concentrated within the city and are easily explored on foot or by public transport. Visiting these sites does not require a car, but you will need one to explore the apline passes made most famous by the bus cliff-hanger scene at the end of the film.
A later adaptation moved the action elsewhere, notably to Venice, but the classic Mini Cooper chase remains inseparable from Turin’s identity. Today, this makes the city ideal for a self-guided film walk, combining cinema, architecture, and everyday street life without any need to drive.
🏔️ Alpine routes and Switzerland connections
Beyond the city, Turin sits at the gateway to the Alps 🏔️. While rail links into France are strong, access into Switzerland is often more flexible by road, especially when crossing mountain passes. These routes appeal more to travellers interested in scenic driving rather than point-to-point transport. In contrast, for purely urban or cultural visits, Turin remains firmly in the no-car category.
🚗 When renting a car becomes useful
A rental car starts to make sense once you look beyond the city 🌄. The Piedmont region offers vineyards 🍷, alpine valleys, and quieter towns that are harder to reach by public transport. The Alps rise quickly to the west, and scenic mountain roads open up opportunities for hiking, skiing, and countryside stays.
Some travellers choose to rent a car for just part of their trip, collecting it after time in the city and returning it before heading elsewhere by train.
🚗 Conclusion: should you rent a car in Turin?
For the city itself, no ❌ — Turin is walkable, well connected, and rail-friendly. However, if you plan to explore Piedmont’s countryside or alpine landscapes, a short-term rental car can add real flexibility without being essential for the urban experience.
