PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Travel to and in Leuven - Registration and Welcome Desk - Badges - Internet Room - Technical Equipment - Catering - Dress Code - Signposting and finding your way - Smoking - Medical Matters

Travel to and in Leuven

Leuven can be reached easily from all countries by air, train or car. It is centrally located in Europe.

Download map of Leuven here with indication of congress and social event venues and pedestrian routes. From the Leuven railway station, it takes about 15 minutes walking to reach the congress venue. You can also take a bus (N° 2) from the railway station to the city centre (Fochplein). From there it is about 5 minutes walking via Tiensestraat. The organizers will also leave small maps and directions at each of the congress hotels in Leuven.

Easy access to Belgium by plane
You can reach Brussels National Airport by air directly from all the world's gateways. Brussels National Airport is situated in Zaventem 20 km from Leuven. Travelling to and from the airport is easy.
By train: There is a direct train connection from the airport to Leuven railway station. On weekdays, trains to Leuven go twice an hour and the trip takes 14 minutes. During the weekend there's a train once an hour. Trains ride between 5h37 in the morning and 23h37 at night. Tickets cost 2,90 €. Please note that after 8 PM you need to buy your ticket from a machine. This means that you will need cash Euros or some type of pay card.
If you wish to travel to Brussels from the airport:"The Airport City Express" links the airport with Brussels Midi, Brussels Central and Brussels North four times an hour and there are direct links with the west and south of Belgium.

Schedule information for all trains in Belgium (including international trains) is available on the Belgian Railways (SNCB/NMBS) website; enter Zaventem Airport as the departure or destination station.
The train station is located in the basement (level -1) of the airport terminal building itself.
Taxis are available outside the arrivals hall. The fare between the airport and Leuven is normally around €60. Licensed taxis can be identified by the yellow and blue licence emblem. More information about Brussels Airport can be found online: http://www.brusselsairport.be.

Brussels South Charleroi Airport is located 46 km from Brussels Central station.
A public bus (Line A) links the Brussels South Charleroi Airport to the Charleroi train station. From there you can take the train to Brussels.
There are more than 20 coach shuttles every day between Brussels South Charleroi and Brussels Midi railway station.
Taxis are available outside the terminal building. The taxi fare between the airport and Brussels is about €80.
More information about Brussels South Charleroi Airport is on their website: http://www.charleroi-airport.com.

Easy access to Leuven by train
Leuven is an important hub in the Belgian railway network. From Leuven station , there are connections to every other major Belgian train station.
From the Brussels stations (Leuven - Brussels = 20 minutes of travelling) there are various international connections. You can find practical information, travel formulas, the best connections and itinerary using the Belgian Railways (NMBS) online search engine www.b-rail.be/E/index.php.

Easy access to Leuven by car
Leuven is situated on the important axis Oostende-Brussel-Leuven-Liège-Köln and is located near the junction of two important motorways: E 40 and E 314.

Public transport within Leuven
Although most places are at walking distance, you might consider taking a bus. In Flanders, the bus company is called De Lijn (The Line).
There is a major bus station at Leuven railway station. Most buses drive through a part of the city centre and have a stop at Fochplein (at the back of St-Peters church). From there it's only 5 minutes walking to the congress venue.

Please note that a prepaid ticket is up to 20% cheaper then when you buy your ticket on the bus. Prepaid tickets are being sold in a large number of places (newspaper stands, grocery shops, book shops, ...). A prepaid ticket costs 1,20 € whereas you will pay 1,50 € for the same ticket on the bus (for inner-city rides). It's even more interesting to buy a card (Lijnkaart) which allows you to take several rides. You might also consider buying a 3- or 5-days pass for unlimited bus rides during these days. They cost resp. 10 € and 15 €. These cards need to be inserted in the automate which is located at the entrance of the bus each time you take a ride. Bus passes can also be purchased on the bus.

Car Parking
A large number of hotels have parking facilities. An underground paying parking is located next to the congress venue (payment by credit card is possible). There are also a few other paying underground parking lots (a.o. at the railway station). Please note that free parking in the streets of the city is not possible. There are a few parking places in streets and squares but users are requested to buy tickets from the parking meters. Moreover, parking in the streets is limited in time (up to 2 hours maximum during business hours). Please note that traffic police is very strict and that parking tickets are checked quite frequently!
There is one free car parking available located just outside the ringroad: Parking Bodart. From there (stop Redingenhof), you can catch the bus n° 9 heading for the centre of the city and the railway station. This bus goes every 15 minutes. Ask assistance from the driver to know where you have to get off.

Download a map of Leuven here with Car Parkings.

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Registration and Welcome Desk
The Registration and Welcome Desk, where participants may collect their conference material (badge, programme tickets, invoice and certificate of attendance and wallet containing the final programme and abstract book) and eventually register on-site, will be operating at the main entrance of the conference building (Oude Valk). Assistance and general information can also be obtained at this desk. Messages and Daily notices will also be displayed on the notice board close to the Registration and Welcome Desk area.

Opening hours:
6th August, Sunday 12h00-19h00
7th August, Monday 07h30-18h00
8th August, Tuesday 08h00-18h00
9th August, Wednesday 08h00-18h00
10th August, Thursday 08h00-18h00
11th August, Friday 08h00-18h00

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Badges
Participants and registered accompanying guests will receive a name badge upon registration. Admission to the Meeting and Exhibition area is possible only with a valid badge. In addition badges must be worn throughout the congress and at the social activities.
Exhibitors badges will be ensured for the staff of the exhibition stands.
Remember: no badge - no entry!

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Internet Room
An internet room has been arranged for participants free of charge. It is situated on the 1st floor. It is open from 7th August up to 11th August between 08h30 and 18h00. There are 25 PC's with the Windows XP operating system for using the internet and checking e-mails. In addition participants will also be able to plug in their laptops to the internet, provided they have an Ethernet card. A hotspot will also be installed on the congress site for wireless internet use.

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Technical Equipment
Speakers are requested to hand over their presentation on memory key or CD-Rom in the Slide Center (1st floor Building Nieuwe Valk). It will be immediately tested and installed on the network system from where it will be available in the lecture halls. Speakers are kindly requested to do this upon their arrival in Leuven and at least 2 hours in advance of the start of their session.
In every lecture hall a PC is at the disposal of the speakers. They are all equipped with "PowerPoint" for the presentations. It is not allowed to connect your own laptop to the projector. A technician will be available in every lecture hall to assist speakers and chairs with the presentations.

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Catering
Coffee, tea and fruit-juice is freely available for the registered participants during the morning coffee breaks. These will be held within the conference area (in the income hall of the Oude Valk and in the main Exhibitor Hall).

Lunch in the lunch break is at the own account of the participants. Between 12 o'clock and 2 PM, sandwiches and drinks will be sold for the participants of the congress in the small tent located near the Exhibitor Hall. Please note that supply of sandwiches is limited. As the congress venue is located in the centre of the city, a large number of restaurants and bistros are situated in the immediate vicinity of Falcon College.

During the afternoon poster sessions (15h30 - 17h00) a beverage break is scheduled where Belgian beers and other refreshments will be served. Each participant will receive 2 beverage tickets per day.

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Dress Code
You are advised to dress "informally" for all official activities.

Signposting and finding your way
The buildings where Congress sessions take place will be clearly indicated by signs between and around buildings.
For easy finding of session rooms within each building, rooms have been named after famous Belgian artists* for easier identification. Please consult the 'Schedule by day' to find the name of the session room. Maps of the buildings and floors have been added in the back of this volume. Pedestrian routes have been indicated by a dotted line.
If you really get lost in the maze of KULeuven, do not hesitate to ask assistance from the staff at the information desk or from one of the student helpers. They will be around to help manage the Congress and will be recognizable by their Congress T-shirt.

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Smoking
Smoking is NOT allowed inside the congress venue or at other venues for the social functions. Smokers are required to smoke outdoors.

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Medical matters
If you need to consult a doctor during your stay, contact the Information desk to help you make an appointment. Most doctors speak English.
Leuven has two important hospitals, one of them is the University Hospital Gasthuisberg. Contact the Information desk for assistance if needed.
During the weekend, special arrangements apply for pharmacies. The name and address of the nearest pharmacist on weekend standby duty is on display at any pharmacy.

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