moving to Turin or Piedmont

Our February means: Carnival 👯, Valentine's Day 🌹, the Turin Wine Salon (Feb 24- Mar 3) 🍷 approaching together with the Turin Chocolate Festival (Feb 27 - Mar 2) 🍫basically a short but intense month that honestly, this year, has been feeling more like a whole year!

So, if you need something to distract your mind and to help you visualize a different life, this is the post for you! Whether you are thinking about a short break or a trip to Italy, or if the idea of moving over is tickling you, we are going to give you some good points to support your project!

The Weather

Turin boasts a continental / Central European-like climate, even though climate change is a real thing here, you can still enjoy 4-5 distinct seasons, just set on a slightly different calendar compared to the North American one.
Follow us on IG / FB for our daily stories where we always update you about our temperatures and weather conditions. 

Northwest Italy is considered the "Québec and PA" of Italy for good reasons, we may not have heavy snowfalls in town but we sure have a wide range of winter sports and resorts. And in the summer, our mountain peaks are the perfect place for hiking and camping to escape the heatwaves and delve into nature.

We also have many lakes, hills and extensive rice paddies with bicycle paths you can cycle through along our rivers all the while enjoying birds and frogs' concertos.

Keep in mind most Italian apartment buildings have central heating and the mayor sets the heating schedule, so when May is rainy, apartments can be cold and humid and humidity is the protagonist up here.

At the same time, a/c isn't common yet and frankly, during our heatwaves, mornings and evenings are still bearable but clearly this is changing every year and our cultivations have been more and more impacted and consequently, our diets and lifestyle too.

Despite all, remember that priorities are cultural therefore, what you will be saving in food and wine you may spend it electricity.

Most of all: Turin and Piedmont change every month and unless you are spending one or more years here, you won't see twice the same city, area nor you'll eat the same produce.

Housing

Turin has plenty of options: from hotels to aparthotels, mini apartments, regular apartments, the big trick is understanding the area you want to stay in.

Each Turin neighborhood has its own features, especially downtown where you have the university area, Piazza Vittorio, the area around the Porta Nuova train station, the one around the Porta Susa train station, Via Garibaldi, the Porta Palazzo market area, Cit Turin, the park by the Polytechnic University, the areas along the river and up the hill, just to mention a few.

We do have a daily market in each neighborhood, but the area you'll gravitate around does play a major role in how you experience Turin.

Italy is a relatively safe country, but like anywhere else in the world, you have to use some precaution when moving around at night. In general, in Turin we do walk a lot, traffic is hectic, cycling doesn't feel very safe and public transit isn't  always reliable.

We rec you choose a base near a subway stop and in an area where you can walk to most places you intend to visit. Areas with many grocery stores, shops, eateries and gelato shops are really the best, so you can fully savor our Turin lifestyle.

Real Estate

If you are thinking of relocating over Turin or Piedmont, you will see how the real estate market is fairly cheaper compared to other areas and yet, the infrastructures and grid are in better conditions. 

We recommend you don't rush to buy anything - unless it is a major 'love at first sight' kinda opportunity - but rather take your time to select a couple areas and personally visit the properties before buying them. 

Spending a couple weeks in a different area of Turin will give you an idea of what you may like or not in terms of buildings, atmosphere, things to do and how to move around. 

And yes, many old apartment buildings don't have an elevator or a bathroom with a window so, make a list of your non-negotiable and let Turin and Piedmont amaze you!

Remember: this is the right time to buy a property in Turin and Piedmont!

the Roman Lanes of Turin 

Learning Italian and Its Culture 

Should you take Italian classes if you are visiting for less than 1 month? 

No, you can easily get by with English, French, Spanish, written Portuguese and your hand gestures.

However, if you are thinking about taking advantage of the digital nomad opportunities or relocating to Italy, yes, you will definitely need to speak, understand and read Italian and the local culture. Even only to avoid misunderstandings and the risk of being taken advantage of.

Many things you may consider normal or common might be different here or not exist at all; procedures are different, bureaucracy is extremely convoluted and you want to be savvy and enjoy a seamless as possible transition.

Italian is a fun language and it can be taught and learned easily, at least this is how Lucia has been teaching it since 2000!

Allow yourself enough time to learn the basics to survive before moving over to Italy and once you are settled in then, keep taking classes for some months while still getting adjusted , so that you can put into practice what you are learning and rely on us for all your questions and doubts. This is why we also offer cross-cultural sessions as part of our relocation services designed to familiarize you with Italy, its customs and system.

And yes, we also offer intensive Italian classes!

Palazzo Madama and Mole Antonelliana aka Cinema Museum

Schools and Universities

Educationally speaking Turin has a surprising offer of public and private schools, international schools, bilingual kindergartens and one of the best university systems in Italy! No wonder most Italian Nobel Prize winners studied in Turin and no wonder Turin has a large international community of students and professionals. 

Our engineering school is one of the top in the world and it offers a full curriculum in English - but still... you'll need to speak Italian if you are living here for at least one year, because you want to make sure you understand all the fine lines and, at the same time, you want to be understood!

Generally speaking all our 3 and 5 year undergrad classes offer a high level of education, you can enroll in med, vet, law and arch right after high school BUT beware that your general knowledge in many subjects will need to be at a graduate level.

If enrolling in an Italian university sounds appealing, don't hesitate to contact us to learn about the Italian educational system and request our academic consulting services.

For our post about University of Turin click here.

the long and wide Turin arcades

Cost of Living

Priorities in the Mediterranean countries are slightly different compared to other parts of the world. Food is high quality and cheap, especially when you shop at the market; utilities can be pricey; healthcare will still be cheap even when you go to private doctors; formal education is fairly cheap but also somewhat traditional, so you'll have to do your research. Gyms are pricey compared to other countries but in Turin, you'll be walking a lot and workout daily if you do it like the locals do 😉

The optimal situation is living in Italy and working from home being hired from abroad because this will stretch your dollar to  the max allowing you more buying power. Italian salaries are among the lowest in the EU. All in all, life in Turin and Piedmont is fairly cheap compared to the major cities in the world but being hired and regularly paid in Italy is pretty hard.

When you hop over you'll see how technology and some skincare products can be expensive, yet booze and eggs 😮 will be very cheap! 

Museums and events are rather cheap too, and you can get a museum card to enjoy some membership discounts.

lots of traffic free streets and cafés in Turin

Safety Net

More than anywhere else in the world, in Italy you are required to weave a solid social network made up of real friends and trustworthy acquaintances. We recommend you start with your nearest pharmacist who will be able to take care of your minor ailments and in case, direct you to the right doctor. 

If you buy properties, you will need many trustworthy professionals helping you navigate our intricate maze of bureaucracy and avoid scams and fake news... tax professionals, contractors, immigration specialists, somebody who knows the system well! Relying on good friends and family is what Italians do to survive and this is also included in our relocation services, consulting sessions and concierge services.

St John's parade on June 23rd and 24th - our Bridgerton style is Lidia Poët's

No matter how long you are planning to stay, Turin and Piedmont will amaze you and we are here to show you around, help you move and blend in our royal culture!

📧E-mail Lucia: turinepi@gmail.com for further information and bookings.