Winter Olympics Basic Facts
- Dates: February 10-26; Opening Ceremony, Friday February 10, 8 PM (Italian time) at the newly built Olympic Stadium (Stadio Olimpico) in Turin.
- Location: Events will take place at 14 competition sites, both in Turin and in six villages in the mountains of the Piedmont Region.
- Medals Presentation: Medals will be presented in Turin's central square, Piazza Castello, in a ceremony starting at 8PM (Italian time) each evening. 84 Gold Medals will be presented.
- Sports: Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Bobsled, Cross-country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Luge, Nordic Combined, Short Track, Skeleton, Ski Jumping, Snowboard, Speed Skating
- Number of Athletes: Approximately 2500 athletes from 85 countries will compete.
- History: This is the 20th Winter Olympics to be held. The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France, not far from Turin.
General Olympics Information and News
These web sites have useful information for anyone intested in the Winter Olympics, whether you are going to Turin or watching on your TV at home:
About's Olympic Blog and Coverage
NBC: NBC Winter Olympics coverage.
Torino 2006: Comprehensive Website with information about all aspects of the Torino Olympics and news updates.
Torino 2006 Blog: Interesting blogs about the Torino Olympics.
US Olympic Team: Website of the US Olympic Team.
US Embassy: Information about the Turin Olympics for US citizens.
Olympic Games: UK Website about Turin Olympics and past Olympic Games.
Olympics Transportation
Buses, trams, trains, and shuttles will take spectators to the sports venues. Public transport for getting around the city of Turin has been updgraded and special bus lines have been added for the Olympics. It will not be possible to reach the competition venues by private car - all cars must be left at the park and ride terminals linked to the public transport network. There will be free shuttles to all mountain sites running 24 hours a day. It will be forbidden to travel on the Olympic routes and some city roads will be closed to traffic except for Olympic transport.
Transportation Links:
Turin Airport: Information for getting into Turin from Caselle Aeroporto Internazionale di Torino and Milan's Malpensa Airport.
GTT - Gruppo Toriinese Trasporti: Website of public transport in Turin.
Trenitalia: Web site of the Italian trains for information on getting to Turin by train.
Olympic Transportation: Information about transportation during the Olympics from Cosport.
Buying Olympic Tickets
Cosport: Tickets, accommodations, and packages.
Torino 2006 Tickets: Tickets, accommodations, and list of ticket agencies for residents of the EU.
Torino Card Cultural Olympiad
Turismo Torino Information Points will sell a special Torino card good for 48 hours (16 euros), 72 hours (18 euros), or 5 days (30 euros). The card gives you:
- Free admission to more than 140 sites in Turin and Piedmont, including museums, castles, and exhibitions.
- Free travel on all public transport, Olympic shuttle buses in Turin, the TurismoBus Torino, and boats on the River Po.
- Discounts on theater and concert tickets for the Cultural Olympiad program, guided tours, ice skate rentals, and more.
Information points are: Atrium Torino - Piazza Solferino, Porta Nuova Railway Station, and Turin Caselle Airport.
The Cultural Olympiads
Besides the Olympic games, there will be cultural programs during February in Turin.
