An American in Italy: Why We Chose Torino

When people find out we moved to Italy, the first question is always "why Italy?" The second is always "why Torino?"

Torino doesn't get the same attention as Rome or Florence or the Amalfi Coast. It's not on most Americans' Italy bucket lists. But that's exactly part of why we chose it - and two years in, we'd choose it again without hesitation.

The first thing that surprised us was how affordable it is. Fresh food in Italy is already cheaper than in the US, but in Torino we have a market six days a week just steps from our front door. Produce, cheese, meat, bread - all of it fresh, all of it delicious. We feed a family of 5 for under €100 a week. In the US, that same week of groceries would have cost us double, minimum, and none of it would have been as good.

For our kids, Torino has been a revelation. High schools here are built around career paths, not just academic tracks. There are schools for everything - future doctors, future bakers, future engineers, future artists. Our kids are actually interested in what they're learning, because they chose a school that matches who they are. And university? Tuition is income-based and capped at around €1,500 a year. Torino alone has some of Italy's best universities - the Politecnico di Torino and the Università degli Studi di Torino among them - and our kids can access world-class education without the crushing debt that comes with an American degree.

Then there's the public transport. Within Torino, it's safe, reliable, and cheap. Our teenagers get themselves to school, meet up with friends, and explore the city completely independently. As a parent, that kind of freedom for your kids - and for yourself - is hard to put a price on. We spent years driving them everywhere. That chapter is over.

And then there's where Torino sits on the map. We have trained to France, Switzerland, Venice, Bolzano, and Fano. We hopped a quick flight to London. The Alps are close enough for a ski day. The Ligurian coast is a train ride away for a beach weekend. Living in Torino doesn't feel like living in one city - it feels like having all of Europe at your doorstep.

A quick train ride from Torino - Venice in a weekend is absolutely doable.

We didn't choose Torino because it was the obvious choice. We chose it because when we looked at what actually mattered for our family - affordability, schools, safety, quality of life, and the ability to actually live rather than just work - Torino checked every box. If you're an American considering the same move and Italian citizenship is part of your path, the B1 Cittadinanza exam is one of the first steps - and Ready Set Italia's prep program is what I used to pass mine. Stay tuned for part 3, where I'll share what two years of actually living in Italy has taught me.