Torino Parking Safety

[jan]

We will be picking up friends at the Torino Porta Nuova train station which has a garage under it. Our plan is to meet their train and put their bags into our rental car while we walk around Torino and have lunch. Do you all think this is a safe plan for their luggage? Are there car robberies in underground parking garrages?

 

[Ian Sutton]

Hi Jan
I don't know, as we've never parked or even driven in the centre.

In times gone by the area around Stazione Porta Nuova was somewhat seedy, but I've seen that change in the last decade or so. It seems tied in to a conscious facelift to the area / addressing some of the social issues.

As this is effectively a multi-storey car park, I'd be more confident than say isolated free parking on waste/rough ground. CCTV and staff would help discourage. That said, ensuring nothing obviously expensive wass visible, plus ideally covering the cases, would be a sensible precaution anywhere.

Finally, do plan the route carefully in advance, so you know where you are going. Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is a very busy road, with coaches pulling in, trams turning or needing to be given space, scooters zipping around, just dropped off tourists a little unaware and lots of people needing to change lanes. In addition, anywhere north of this road in this area is ZTL so do avoid driving inside that huge block from Staz. Porta Susa to the Po, Corso Vitt Em. II to Corso Regina Margherita.... with from memory that car park being the narrow exception, as entry and exit are within the block, but not the ZTL.

FWIW It sounds like the best option

Regards
Ian

 

[joe]

As a general practice, we try as much as possible to never leave anything of value in a rental car. We prefer to drop off luggage at the accommodation, and adapt accordingly.

But sometimes, like in your case, there is no alternative, and you have to take the chance and leave luggage in the car. We do this if we are in transit between two accommodations, and are interested in stopping along the way to visit something. In this case I never leave anything very valuable in the car. There is always the option of getting insurance for theft of belongings from a car.

The Porta Nuova Station is a modern train station that has gone through a massive renovation in recent years. I suppose that this makes it as safe as could be - although no parking facility ever takes responsibility for belongings left in a car, as far as I know.

 

[jan]

Thanks, Joe and Ian,
I am thinking it may be better for them to use the train station luggage storage instead. As far as the ZTL, I will keep my fingers crossed and really study the maps before we go.