I'm planning to base myself in Torino for 5-nights in late April and travel out of the city by bus or train. Are Asti and Alba doable combined in one day or should I plan a day for each.

Also -- how easy is it to get from Lingotto to historic center of Torino by by bus, tram, or train?

Asti and Alba are each worth a day apiece, at the minimum.

The Torino public transport webpage (which has a good journey planner) is here.

Don't try to do them both in one day. The easier one to do by train is Asti, since it's cloer. And I love Asti. Cool place. Others here can give you more details, but ... Tacabanda for lunch! Cheap and goooood. Wednesday and Saturday are market days.

You would have a devil of a time trying to combine them because of the train schedules alone.

They are both worth far more than a day a piece, and on outskirts of each you will be looking out the window at some of the ancient hill towns which still, after five years of living here, stir my soul.

The two cities are in two completely different regions with two completely different feelings- the Langhe and the Monferrato.

If you have the inclination, you could take a short bus ride out of Alba and visit one or two of those villages -- and the same with Asti. That being said, the one day in each will allow you very little time for side trips.

I would probably do it a little differently. I would think about basing in the Langhe or Monferrato and then doing a day trip to Torino and then a day trip in the other region.

Getting from Lingotto to the historic center of Torino is very easy - by all three modes of transportation.

Thanks for the advice. This is a first trip to the Piemonte region, really to see Torino and look at what I'd like to explore on another trip with a car.

Another option to consider is to rent a car in Torino for one day....drive to Asti in the morning and to Alba in the afternoon (or vice-versa). Have lunch in one or the other (or somewhere in-between) and be back in Torino for dinner.

I personally don't think that a full day is necessary to "get acquainted" with either town if you are making a day trip. Both are worth more time if you were using them as a base and were planning to explore the countryside.

We had a wonderful lunch in Alba last week at La Piola on the Duomo square but, truth be told, we much prefer Asti as a destination.

In Torino, a visit to Eataly is a "requirement" if you are at all interested in food. Plan to have lunch there. If you are at all interested in movies, the Museum of the Cinema should not be missed.

Enjoy Torino....

I am not sure that I would not base in Asti and day trip from there. The train connections to Torino are excelent and we even day tripped to genoa from there---very easy.

CVH
Your original questions have been answered, so apart from agreeing with them, I'll just add that Asti is 30mins by Eurostar, so is an easy day trip. Alba requires more time and planning (though I prefer it to Asti).

Happy to answer other questions on Torino though - I think it's a fine city that has understated charm.

regards

Ian

quote:

I am not sure that I would not base in Asti and day trip from there.

Asti as a base for day trips would require a car to be practical.....

Have you written to the Torino tourist office? They will send you some nice brochures and maps for both the city and the surrounding area. In fact, I seem to have gotten on their mailing list, since I received a packet before our trip in September, and now today I just got another one!

I don't have their web site handy, but it should be easy to find if you google it. You can fill out the request form there.

- Roz

I have this Torino tourist site bookmarked... perhaps it's the site Roz is speaking of. There is a place to request brochures. Torino is a great city... definitely underappreciated. I plan to spend more time there on my next trip.

http://www.turismotorino.org/index.php?id=512&navCmd=reset

Thanks for the links --brochures have been requested. I'm sure that I will love Torino and plan to savor both the food and the city. While I've been to Italy over 10 times, this is the first foray into Piemonte. I scored a $745 RT from Washington to Malpensa on Lufthansa for late April. If I arrive early enough, I take the bus to Torino from the airport, if not then the train from Centrale. Torino seems a perfect city for me. Enough museums and art to keep you busy, but not so much as to get in the way of the essential eating, shopping, and people watching. I'm the type of traveller who can spend an afternoon in a hardware store, a housewares department, or simply sitting with coffee or wine and pretending to be Italian, not Italian-American.

CVH
On the subject of housewares...
Two places extracted from my notes used on previous visits:
Kitchenware De Carlo – via cesare Battisti5 (closed Sundays)
Kitchenware Lizzy Kitchen Di Ogun Roseline- Via Principe Tommaso, 26

Also Rinascente Dept store just off via Roma

For winebars, here are three possibilities:
[LIST]

ROSSORUBINO ENOTECA - v. Mad. Cristina 21 (a short walk south from Stazione Porta Nuova)

Taberna libraria - Via Bogino 5 (wine bar, plus a small shop with food books, kitchenware & preserves/chocs, just off via Po)

Antica enoteca del borgo - Via Monferrato 4 (I think this is the right one of two - at the Gran Madre church end of via Monferrato. Our favourite wine bar in Torino)

I hope this is of use

regards

Ian

Drink coffee, do stupid things faster

CVH,

enough words of advice have been posted to you, so I don't want to add much. It seems that you are content to spend most of your time in Turin and not bother with renting a car and why not? There is a lot to do and see in Torino.For a one day side trip, if you want to use the train either consider Asti or Alba, but not both for reasons pointed out. Both are charming medieval cities, I favour Asti as I live here, but Alba is smaller and more compact. Bear in mind that these are in fact cities in the wine area, and if you want to do wine touring, you would really need a car to take in all the little hill top towns and villages, but then you would need a good few days. I might also suggest that you also go on market day to either town (Asti Wednesday and Saturday; Alba Monday), however Turin has a big selection of daily markets as well.

Enjoy