Public transport in Turin
Metro, trams and buses: fares, contactless payment and the discounted ticket for Torino Card holders.
Driving, ZTL & parking
Driving to Turin: ZTL, parking and driving bans
Turin's centre is monitored by cameras, and in winter older diesels are banned from driving. Here you'll find out when you can drive into the city centre, where to park and when you're better off leaving the car behind.
- ZTL Centrale closed only Mon–Fri 7:30–10:30
- Bus lanes, pedestrian zones and Valentino park off-limits all day
- Blue zones Mon–Sat 8:00–19:30, payment by app possible
- Park & Ride at the Fermi metro terminus
- Diesel driving bans from mid-September to mid-April
Do you need a car in Turin?
For the city itself: no. Most sights are close together in the centre, between Piazza Castello, Via Po and the Quadrilatero Romano. The metro, trams and buses run by the transport company GTT take care of the rest. A car in the city centre mainly costs you time looking for a parking space and brings the risk of a fine from a ZTL camera.
A car makes sense for getting here and for trips into the surrounding area, for example to the Langhe and Barolo, to Alba or to Lake Maggiore. Our recommendation: leave the car at the hotel or in a car park and get around the city by public transport or on foot.
This page summarises the rules. The information from the City of Turin and GTT is always what counts – it changes from time to time. You'll find links to the official pages in each section.
ZTL in Turin: zones and hours
ZTL stands for Zona a Traffico Limitato, a limited traffic zone. Turin has several of them, with very different hours. The entry points are monitored by cameras (varchi); there are no barriers. If you drive through without a permit, you'll receive the fine by post later – with hire cars, via the rental company.
The large ZTL covers the historic centre. It is closed to vehicles without a permit Monday to Friday from 7:30 to 10:30. There is no restriction on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Its boundary is roughly formed by Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Piazza Carlo Felice, Corso Re Umberto, Corso Matteotti, Via Vittorio Amedeo II, Corso Palestro, Corso Regina Margherita, Piazza della Repubblica, Corso San Maurizio, the riverside roads along the Po and Corso Cairoli. You can drive on these boundary roads themselves.
According to the City of Turin, cameras monitor 27 entry points, plus further checkpoints inside the zone. Motorbikes and mopeds may enter the ZTL Centrale without a permit. Electric cars, on the other hand, need their own permit – they are not automatically exempt.
Details and the map: ZTL Centrale on the City of Turin website.
The streets and lanes reserved for buses and trams (strade e corsie riservate al trasporto pubblico) are closed daily from 7:00 to 20:00, including weekends and public holidays. This is the trap visitors fall into most often: the ZTL Centrale is open in the afternoon, but the bus lanes within it are not.
So look out for “Corsia riservata” signs and “Bus” markings on the road. Even a permit for hotel guests only covers these lanes on the day of arrival and the day of departure (see below).
The ZTL Area Romana is an area in the old town. It is closed to through traffic and parking every day from 21:00 to 7:30, including public holidays.
If you're driving into the centre in the evening for dinner or an aperitivo, leave the car in a car park first.
Pedestrian zones (ZTL Pedonale) are closed around the clock, every day. They include many streets and squares in the centre.
The Parco del Valentino on the Po is also a ZTL of its own and closed to cars around the clock. You can reach the park on foot, by bike or by bus and tram.
ZTL hours at a glance
| Zone | Closed | Days |
|---|---|---|
| ZTL Centrale | 7:30–10:30 | Mon–Fri, not on public holidays |
| Bus lanes and bus-only streets | 7:00–20:00 | daily, including public holidays |
| ZTL Area Romana | 21:00–7:30 | daily, including public holidays |
| Pedestrian zones | 0:00–24:00 | daily |
| ZTL Valentino (park) | 0:00–24:00 | daily |
Source: City of Turin, as of October 2026. In summer the city temporarily suspends the ZTL Centrale and parking charges (2026: 10 to 23 August) – but not the bus lanes, pedestrian zones, Area Romana or Valentino.
Hotel in the ZTL: what applies to guests?
If your hotel is inside the ZTL Centrale, it can apply for a retrospective exemption for you. According to GTT, which handles ZTL permits, it works like this:
- This only applies to hotels registered with the city (“Piattaforma ZTL”). It's best to ask before you arrive whether this applies to yours. The city and GTT do not mention this rule for holiday flats and private accommodation.
- When you check in, you fill in the application at the hotel with your number plate.
- The permit covers journeys on the reserved streets and lanes on the day of arrival and the day of departure. For the days in between, sort out access directly with the hotel.
- Vehicles without valid insurance or roadworthiness test and certain old Euro classes are excluded.
Our advice: register your number plate at reception as soon as you arrive and ask which entry route you should take. Official information: GTT – hotel guests.
Parking in the blue zones (strisce blu)
Parking spaces marked in blue are paid parking. According to GTT, charges apply Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 19:30, and in some zones near hospitals only until 18:30. In Italy, white lines usually mean free parking (check any additional signs), while yellow lines are reserved for authorised users, such as deliveries or people with disabilities – you can't park there.
The city is divided into four tariff zones:
- Inside the ZTL Centrale: €2.80 per hour
- Ordinaria (standard rate): €1.70 per hour
- Ridotta (reduced): €1.50 per hour
- Smart: €1.20 per hour
The rate that applies is shown on the parking meter. The zones are shown on the GTT map.
How to pay
- Parking meter: coins (no 1- and 2-cent coins), Maestro, Visa or Mastercard. Place the ticket clearly visible behind the windscreen.
- App: with the official GTT – SostAPP app you pay by the minute and can extend your parking time without walking back to the car. Apps from other providers are also accepted.
- Parking card in advance: parking cards are sold at outlets displaying the GTT sticker.
Please note: in the ZTL Centrale the morning access restriction also applies to people parking. A paid parking space inside the zone does not replace a permit.
Car parks in the centre
The most convenient solution for a day in the city centre is a car park. GTT runs more than 20 car parks in Turin. The real-time overview shows free spaces. Two central examples:
- Roma – San Carlo – Castello: between Piazza Castello and Piazza Carlo Felice, with entrances on Piazza Castello (corner of Via Viotti), on Piazza Carlo Felice and on Via Gobetti. 802 spaces, open 24 hours. During the day (8:00–23:00) €2.00 per hour, at night €1.40. Because access is from outside the zone, you don't need to register your number plate for the ZTL here. Note from GTT: the Via Viotti exit has been closed for building work since 28 September 2026.
- Valdo Fusi: between Via Giolitti and Via Cavour, with entry and exit on both streets. 458 spaces, open 24 hours. During the day (7:30–20:00) €2.00 per hour, at night €1.60, day rate €14.00. The car park is inside the ZTL: register your number plate with the staff by 11:00 at the latest on the day you enter, otherwise you risk a fine.
This rule applies to all public car parks inside the ZTL Centrale. According to the city, the only exceptions are the Roma, San Carlo, Vittorio, Re Umberto and Galileo Ferraris car parks, which are accessed from outside. If you drive in after 10:30 or at the weekend, the restriction doesn't affect you anyway.
All GTT car parks with addresses and rates: car parks on the GTT website.
Park & Ride: park on the outskirts, take the metro in
The cheapest way to park is on the outskirts. At several car parks GTT offers a Park&Ride day ticket for €5.50: it includes parking and travel on the entire urban and suburban network for that day. Otherwise parking there costs €0.50 per hour.
- Fermi (Collegno): right at the western terminus of the metro, between Via Fermi and Via De Amicis. 427 spaces, open 24 hours. From here the metro runs without changing via Porta Susa and Porta Nuova into the centre. It takes about 25 minutes to the other terminus, Bengasi. Handy if you're coming from the west, for example from France via the Fréjus.
- Stura: in the north at the junction of Corso Vercelli / Corso Romania / Corso Giulio Cesare, entrance on Corso Romania. 603 spaces, open 24 hours. Lines 4, 20, 50 and 51, among others, stop here. Easy to reach if you're arriving from the direction of Milan or Aosta.
- Caio Mario: in the south (Mirafiori), entrance on Via Pernati di Momo. 430 spaces and a separate area for motorhomes. No metro, but connections to several tram and bus lines.
The metro also stops at Porta Susa and Porta Nuova stations. How to get on from there is on our page about the train stations in Turin.
Low-emission rules and smog driving bans
Independently of the ZTL, driving bans apply in Turin to older vehicles. They cover the city area and are tightened in the winter half of the year, when particulate levels rise. Your car's Euro emissions class is shown in its vehicle registration document. For hire cars, ask the rental company.
The following may not be driven in Turin around the clock, on any day:
- Petrol cars Euro 0, 1 and 2
- Diesel cars Euro 0, 1 and 2
- Cars running on LPG or natural gas (GPL/methane) Euro 0 and 1
During the season from 15 September 2026 to 15 April 2027 the following is added permanently:
- Diesel Euro 3 and 4: driving ban Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 19:00
This is the basic level of the smog traffic light (semaforo antismog, level 0, “green”).
If the environmental agency Arpa Piemonte forecasts high particulate levels for three days in a row, the traffic light switches to level 1 (orange) or level 2 (red). Then the following applies:
- Diesel Euro 3, 4 and 5: driving ban daily from 8:00 to 19:00, including weekends – for cars and vans
The city announces changes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and they apply from the following day. If you're driving a diesel to Turin in winter, check the current level shortly before you set off.
How to check the current driving bans
- City of Turin: all the rules, exemptions and exempted roads are on the Emergenza ambientale page (in Italian).
- Arpa Piemonte: the region's environmental agency shows the current level of the smog traffic light.
- Hire cars: ask about the Euro class when you pick up the car. Newer hire cars are usually not affected by the bans, older diesels are.
The City of Turin's rules only apply there. Other municipalities in Piedmont sometimes have their own rules – if you're planning day trips, it's best to check with the municipality concerned.
Driving to Turin: tolls, vignettes, fuel
- Motorway tolls: Italy has no vignette. The motorways are tolled and charged by distance: you take a ticket when you join the motorway and pay when you leave. At the toll booth, make sure you're in the right lane – there are separate lanes for cash, cards and Telepass.
- Transit countries: if you drive through Austria or Switzerland, you need a vignette there. A separate toll is charged for the Alpine tunnels such as the Fréjus or Mont Blanc.
- Fuel: Italian petrol stations often have two prices: fai da te (self-service, usually cheaper) and servito (attended service). Outside opening hours there are often only self-service machines.
- Electric cars: there are charging points in the city and along the motorways. Electric cars also need a permit for the ZTL Centrale – they are not automatically exempt.
Getting around Turin without a car
You can easily get from the airport and the station to the centre without a hire car, and in the city the metro, trams and buses are faster than driving.
From the airport to the city
Bus, train and taxi from Turin-Caselle airport into the city compared.
Train stations in Turin
Porta Nuova, Porta Susa and Lingotto: which station for what, and how to get on from there.
Tip: Torino Card and transport ticket
If you leave the car behind and want to visit lots of museums, the Torino + Piemonte Card is a good choice: it includes free admission to the major museums and royal residences. Cardholders can also get a discounted GTT ticket for 48 or 72 hours at the tourist information office.
Driving, ZTL and parking in Turin: frequently asked questions
The large ZTL Centrale is closed Monday to Friday from 7:30 to 10:30, not on Saturdays or public holidays. Bus lanes are closed daily from 7:00 to 20:00, the ZTL Area Romana daily from 21:00 to 7:30, and pedestrian zones and Valentino park around the clock.
Into the ZTL Centrale, yes – it is not closed at weekends. But bus lanes, pedestrian zones, Valentino park and, at night, the Area Romana remain off-limits at weekends too.
The entry points are marked with “Zona a Traffico Limitato” signs and the restricted hours, and the cameras stand right at the entry points. There are no barriers. Don't rely on your satnav alone – read the signs.
For hotels registered with the city, yes: you give your number plate at check-in, and the hotel applies for the exemption retrospectively. It covers the reserved streets and lanes on the day of arrival and the day of departure. Ask before you arrive whether your hotel takes part.
In the blue zones €1.20 to €2.80 per hour depending on the tariff zone, payable Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 19:30. In the Roma – San Carlo – Castello car park you pay €2.00 per hour during the day. Park & Ride is the cheapest option: €5.50 per day including travel by bus, tram and metro.
The official app is called GTT – SostAPP. With it you pay by the minute in the blue zones. Apps from other providers are also accepted, as are the parking meters with coins or card.
For the centre, the Roma – San Carlo – Castello car park between Piazza Castello and Piazza Carlo Felice is a good choice, as you don't have to register your number plate for the ZTL there. The Fermi Park&Ride car park at the metro terminus is cheaper; from there you take the metro into the city.
Yes – at public car parks inside the ZTL Centrale you must give your number plate to the operator by 11:00 on the day you enter, if you drive in during the restricted hours. The Roma, San Carlo, Vittorio, Re Umberto and Galileo Ferraris car parks are exempt.
That depends on its Euro class. From 15 September 2026 to 15 April 2027, Euro 3 and 4 diesels may not be driven Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 19:00. During a smog alert (orange or red level) this applies every day and also to Euro 5. Diesels up to Euro 2 are banned all year round.
No. Italian motorways charge tolls by distance travelled, paid at the exit in cash, by card or via Telepass. You only need a vignette if you drive through Austria or Switzerland.
Yes. Fully electric cars also need a permit for the ZTL Centrale, which you apply for online from the city. Motorbikes and mopeds, on the other hand, may enter without a permit.
Not for the city itself – you explore the centre on foot and by public transport. For trips to the Langhe, Alba or Lake Maggiore, however, a car is handy.