I'm surprised while reviewing rick's Italy 2015 and other guides that Turin is hardly if ever mentioned. It shows up in some maps, but it's like the piedmont area doesn't exist. What's up with that.
I'm looking to land in ilan and maybe go to Turin and then backtrack through to Venice but I don't know.
I'll let the staff at Rick Steves' Europe answer for themselves.
But here's my opinion:
First, it's not "hate."
Someone familiar with Rick's approach realizes that his guidebooks are intended to be selective, not comprehensive.
His omission of an area doesn't mean it's not worthwhile for someone with an interest in that area.
His books appear, to me, to be written mainly toward American tourists on their first or maybe second trip to an area, who have limited time, and a general interest in the area, rather than a "specialized" interest in particular aspects of the the area.
With limited time, these first-time North American travelers want to see the highlights.
Areas that Rick doesn't feel are priorities for this type of traveler are not in his book.
Because it is not all that interesting. Not every city in Europe is a hidden gem. There is no hate. I really dislike it when people use that word.
He doesn't mention Bologna either, and I love it there!
It's pretty prominent in my Frommer's guidebook. It got 3 stars as a city to visit. I wouldn't call that "hate".
Kent is correct.
Rick Steves' guidebooks are not comprehensive guides, they cater to North American audiences who go to a country for the first time, therefore he covers only some of the top sights that can be visited in a couple of weeks. So he makes a selection of those top sights based on what he interprets that could be of interest to a North American. Turin, I guess, doesn't make his cut, not because it's an ugly city, but simply because in the list of top sights that can be covered in 2 or 3 weeks in Italy, there are other sights that should be visited first, at least in his opinion.
I don't know Turin myself, I've only passed through it a couple of times, in spite of having a lot of family in Turin (or maybe that is the reason :). However if you have visited Italy before, and want to venture beyond what RS covers in his guidebooks, in other words if you are an "advanced student" and not just a "beginner student" of Italy, then you should upgrade to parts of Italy that are not covered by his guides. Some of the areas that he totally ignores are, in my opinion, even better than some of what he includes in his guides, so that tells you that we all have different opinions. For example I prefer lake Maggiore and lake Garda to Lake Como, but for some reason RS likes lake Como better, maybe because Varenna is so easily accessible by train from Milan, while lake Garda is better if you have a car.
If you would like to venture into Piedmont, I recommend Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta, and the wine producing regions of Langhe and Monferrato. If you like mountains and ski areas, Limone, Bardonecchia and Sestriere are top locations (the latter two were venues during the 2006 Winter Olympics).
Turin had a somewhat grim industrial image in the Italian mind - you told Turin and to mind immediately came the huge FIAT plants and all the immigrants from the south of Italy that had to move to get a job there. And there was also an hint of arrogance in Turin elites that made them unpopular in the rest of Italy (after all, they were the ones funding the Juventus soccer club that won the championships in most years, frequently with a little help from referees).
In time, the industries have lost importance (mind you, this has been a tragedy for the economy and the workers), but Turin had been more caring of its image. It hosted the winter Olympics, Eataly promoted food from Piedmont, the Lingotto plants were turned into a culture and trade show center. Now Turin is much more popular than it was ten or twenty years ago.
Just a note on Rick Steves guides. When Rick makes a discover - be it Varenna or Cinque Terre or Kastelruth, it looks to me that everybody suddenly wants to go there. There are an hundred of villages as good as Kastelruth, if you look on your own. And going to Cinque Terre off season, maybe coming from Venice and crisscrossing all the north of Italy, maybe just to stay there a day (you risk it to be a rainy one), makes little sense in spite of Rick advising to visit Cinque Terre. Ricks' spirit, find the hidden gems, makes sense. But once Rick finds it, they are no more hidden and in time they may get so crowded to stop being gems. But there are still other gems to be found. Go on on you own.
Ralph, Turin is a very worthwhile place to visit. There are so many great things to see and do there, you'll want to spend at least 3 days. Some of my favorite things in Turin are the beautiful Basilica di Superga, the Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale), the Palazzo Carignano, the Piazza Costello, the Egyptian Museum of Turin (with over 6,000 displays and 26,000 more authentic Egyptian artifacts in storage), the Pietro Micca Museum, and-saving the best for last- the Parco del Valentino which is a gorgeous park with fantastic botanical gardens (such as rose garden and Japanese gardens), a castle with an archaeological museum, rock gardens, bridges, ponds, waterfalls, sculptures (don't miss the street lamp sculptures), boat rides, and a medieval village replica built in 1884 for the Turin International Exhibition.
You won't be bored in Turin with all that there is to see and do (I just mentioned a small sampling). There is also fantastic food (this IS Italy, after all). My favorite place to stay is the Grand Hotel Sitea. You have to see it to believe it. It is truly grand and comfortable, centrally located, and has a staff that can't do enough for you. It is at Via Callo Alberto 35. Their website is www.grandhotelsitea.it/en
It is air conditioned and has nice bathrooms (private, of course), and a buffet breakfast.
There's no hate, only priorities and limitations. Turin has upped it's game in recent years. I enjoyed it myself and might recommend it over Milan, but not over the blockbuster sights of Venice, Florence, Siena, or Rome. For every stop that you add within your limited trip time, you are making a choice not to see something else. Rick's Italy guidebook is now 1275 pages long and the publisher has mandated no more page allowance, which also translates into no "new" cities.
It seems that in the RS guidebooks, there are no backdoors after the first edition goes on sale.
He dropped the emphasis on that slogan a long time ago, Zoe. (does that rhyme?)
I will say that, as a traveler with just a mere half-dozen Europe trips under my belt, anytime I've gone to a place that wasn't on "Rick's Recs", it has always been a little bit 'harder'. Following a Steves guidebook makes for smooth travel!
Also, nice answer Laura! You are a fine addition to this place.
Turin is a very city and it's people is friendly.
The hill area of Turin is very picturesque and feature restaurants which are like little village inns. Revigliasco, la magdelena, the royal palaces of the Savoy, the Langhe where the barolo wine is grown.
If you are interested in Egyptian art, Turin has the largest Egyptian art museum after Cairo.
its modern art museum is beautiful and it is the best place to have an aperitif in one of the cafe storici.
Enjoy Turing and Piedmont region.
Turin is a very city and it's people is friendly.
The hill area of Turin is very picturesque and feature restaurants which are like little village inns. Revigliasco, la magdelena, the royal palaces of the Savoy, the Langhe where the barolo wine is grown.
If you are interested in Egyptian art, Turin has the largest Egyptian art museum after Cairo.
its modern art museum is beautiful and it is the best place to have an aperitif in one of the cafe storici.
Enjoy Turin and Piedmont region.
We visited Turin last May. Agree with Terri Lynn about staying at the Grand Hotel Sitea - it was wonderful! One other very interesting site is the Mole Antonelliana, with the National Cinema Museum and an amazing elevator ride to the observation deck.
Yes the Mole is fantastic as well as the car museum at lingotto.
If you have some time, do visiit the langhe and Alba where you find the best truffles in Italy.
