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GENERAL INFORMATION MAASTRICHT/MECC/THE NETHERLANDS
A city to meet
Situated close to the borders of Belgium and Germany, the Roman city of Maastricht has a cosmopolitan atmosphere. It is the capital of the province ‘Limburg’ in the southern part of the Netherlands. To visit Maastricht is like travelling through time. Walk on Roman cobblestones dating as far back as 150 BC, and visit the halls where the Maastricht Treaty was signed in 1992. Enjoy Maastricht’s skyline of churches spires and towers and its tree lined squares and many terraces. Be sure not to miss ‘In den Ouden Vogelstruys’, the Netherlands’ oldest pub. We guarantee that Maastricht and its people will delight and charm you.
Museums
Maastricht has several interesting museums, like the Bonnefanten (foremost museum of Old Masters and contemporary), a museum on Natural History, Roman finds from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th centuries. There are many old buildings and churches, like the medieval basilica “Onze Lieve Vrouwe” (church of the Holy Mother). Please see the web site http://www.vvvmaastricht.nl/Musea/?lang=en for art galleries, stage and music performances.
Shopping
Maastricht is a town where many people from the region and from even further away come to make a day of shopping. There is a large variety of shops, from very luxury to the usual categories. Maastricht is famous for antiques of first class quality. Consult the shopping chapter of the web site http://www.vvvmaastricht.nl/Simple/index.php3?volgno=25&lang=en for more information.
Restaurants
A lot of restaurants serve food from many parts of the world. The Maastricht cuisine is international, but real Dutch food can be found as well. For a selection of restaurants, see the web site http://www.vvvmaastricht.nl/Restaurants/index.php3?lang=en of the Tourist Information.
Cafés
Maastricht is famous for having as many pubs and café’s as there are days in the year. Many of these have excellent terraces where people enjoy the summer evenings.
Sports
Special activities for visitors of Maastricht are for instance: a walking, scooter or bicycle tour through Maastricht, ballooning, and kayak tours. See the sports and games chapter on tourist information’s web site http://www.vvvmaastricht.nl/Simple/index.php3?volgno=22&lang=en.
Practical info
MECC: Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Center
The conference will be held in the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Center (MECC), Maastricht, The Netherlands. All activities will be held in one building, under one roof.
The congress centre is located close to the city centre, at the southern part of the town. For connections see the travel information.
Travel information to Maastricht
Airports
There are several international airports within the vicinity (1.5 to 3 hours travelling time) of Maastricht.
Maastricht-Aachen Airport is located 12 km ( 8 miles ) north of the city centre. It can be reached in approximately 15 minutes by taxi or 30 minutes by bus. Direct flights to Maastricht are limited: to Amsterdam-Schiphol airport. Most other connections are charter flights. From the airport to Maastricht downtown: Hermes-bus, line 61, (on Sundays: line 51), or Interliner 420 or 421.
Amsterdam Schiphol airport has connections to all parts of the world. All major airlines fly to and from Amsterdam. Trains run every half hour from this airport to Maastricht; in 2006 many of these will be direct trains. The travel takes 2¾ hours.
Eindhoven Airport has some low rate connections within Europe. Take a taxi or a bus from the airport to the railway station and from there the train to Maastricht (1 hour).
Düsseldorf Airport in Germany has connections to many European cities. From this airport there is a regular train connection (3 hours). All Airport Service offers bus connections (2.0 hours).
Niederrhein/Weeze Airport close to Düsseldorf has some low rate connections within Europe. From this airport there is a regular train connection (3 hours).
Brussels Airport in Belgium is a convenient place to arrive. Smaller and less crowded than Amsterdam, Paris or Frankfurt. There are good train connections from this airport to Maastricht (2 h 20 min).
Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt Airport City are amongst the largest airports in Europe and have excellent connections to the rest of the world. From Frankfurt airport it is a 3 – 4 hours train travel to Maastricht, from Paris 4 h 30 min.
Trains, Car, Local transport
Transport in and around The Netherlands and Maastricht.
Train
Maastricht has two railway stations. The main station is downtown. From station Maastricht Randwyck (5 min. by train from Maastricht Central Station) there is a 3 minutes walk to the MECC Congress Centre.
Maastricht has excellent train connections, both within The Netherlands and to major European cities.
The main connections are:
- to the North connecting all the Dutch railway stations; typical travel times are: Amsterdam 2½ -hours, Amsterdam Schiphol airport: 2h 30 min, Utrecht: 2 hours, Rotterdam: 2h 15 min, Den Haag (The Hague) 2 h 30 min. Use the travel planner for domestic travels.
- to the south: Liege (30 min), Brussels (1h 45 min), Paris (4 hours), Luxemburg (3h 30 min).
- to the east: Aachen (1 h 15 min), Cologne (2 hours).
European timetables can be found on the Internet in English, German, Dutch, and French. These sites include all connections of the Dutch Railways, so they can be used to find travels within the Netherlands as well.
Car
Maastricht is located centrally in Europe. Consult your local travel planner to find the best route and the web site of the MECC Congress Centre for the local details; the centre has ample parking facilities (Euro 7/day). In Maastricht downtown all parking facilities have a fee; after passing the zone boundary (indicated by signboards), you should not expect to be able to find an unpaid parking place.
From the access roads to the city centre route-boards show the driver the way to the various large parking garages and car parks. The boards also indicate whether there are still parking places available. Parking has to be paid for via parking meters or automatic machines, usually from Monday to Saturday from 8.00 a .m.- 6.00 p.m., on Thursday and other days of late-night shopping until 9.00 p.m. (pay with Euro coins of 10, 20, 50 cent or 1 Euro).
Travel information in Maastricht
MECC Congress Centre is situated within 12 minutes walk from downtown. Registered participants of the ICES Annual Science Conference will receive a free public transport ticket for the five days of the conference upon arrival at the MECC Congress Centre. From the city centre there is a public bus service (a bus 4 times per hour) to the MECC Congress Centre. The following busses go directly from the railway station to the MECC Congress Centre: 1, 9, 56, 58 and 59. The train is an alternative (see above).
Taxis: when paying the bill the amount shown is inclusive of a service charge and VAT. An extra tip can be left for extra attention or service, the amount depending on the bill or the kind of service given. However, this is by no means compulsory or necessary.
For reservations:
Weather
The weather in September can be warm and sunny or rainy and cold. Temperatures will be in the range of 10º - 20º Celsius. As rain has been known to fall, a raincoat and/or umbrella may come in handy.
Money, ATMs
Like most western European countries the unit of currency in the Netherlands is the Euro. Foreign currency and (travellers) cheques can be exchanged throughout the country at banks, and major credit cards are accepted in most stores. Currency converter
ATMs (automated teller machines) can be found in the congress centre, at many places over the city and at all airports and major train stations.
Electricity
Standard voltage in the Netherlands is 230 Volt 50 Hertz. Plugs and sockets differ from US/UK standards; adapters to solve this problem are available in most hotels. It may be better to bring your own adapter for your electric and electronic devices. Many wall plugs have an earth connection; an adapter suitable for that is the best option. Bring also connectors for important cables of laptops, cameras, etc.
What to bring with you?
In Maastricht you can buy anything you may have forgotten.
Don’t forget your personal medicines and it may be handy to take a copy of your prescriptions. The Netherlands have a rather strict regime to sell medicine, which means that you may be asked to see a doctor, even if you show a prescription.
Immigration and customs
All conference participants are admitted to the Netherlands, irrespective of their home country. Normal regulations apply. In most cases a valid passport is sufficient as travel documentation. However, if you do require a visa, it can be obtained at Dutch embassies and consulates throughout the world. You will find additional information about visas on the following link from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands: http://www.minbuza.nl/default.asp?CMS_ITEM=MBZ407783
There are no restrictions on the import and export of Dutch and foreign currency; while normal European Community regulations apply to the import and export of alcohol, tobacco and luxury articles.
Language
The national language in the Netherlands is Dutch. Most Dutch people also speak English. In the Maastricht region many people speak or understand German and often French.
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