October 13, 2002: pre-conference workshops
October 14-16, 2002: conference

Venue:
MECC conference & exhibition centre
Maastricht (The Netherlands)

• How to reach Maastricht?
• How to reach the Conference location (MECC)?

The city of Maastricht is located in the south of the Netherlands, in the "heart of Europe". London is only forty minutes flying from Maastricht. Brussels, Dusseldorf and Cologne are no more than an hour's drive away.

In just a few minutes from Maastricht, you can find yourself in two other countries. Liege (Belgium) and Aachen (Germany), two ancient cities of history and culture that are both certainly worth visiting. If you leave your hotel after breakfast, you can have lunch in Luxembourg and dinner in Paris.

Maastricht - situated in the heart of Europe.

Maastricht is easy to reach by car, airplane, or train. Amsterdam airport offers direct flights to 225 destinations worldwide. It only takes 30-60 minutes to arrive to Maastricht from Amsterdam, Milan, London, and Munich. Dusseldorf and Brussels airports are located 1 hour drive from Maastricht (a shuttle service is available for approximaltely $40) . The airport is 15 minutes from the city centre.

Maastricht is very convenient to reach also by train. High-speed trains are easily available, very reliable and convenient.

The "Treaty of Maastricht" a fundamental step towards the consolidation of the European Union (European Monetary Union), was signed in this building.

Maastricht is a congress city of international standing. For example, its annual art and antiques fair, "The European Fine Art Fair" (TEFAF) is world famous. It also has a reputation as a city of culture that unites the ancient past with modern times.

How to reach Maastricht?

By CAR
(a route planner on Website: www.anwb.nl/city/rpe_start.htm or www.alh.nl/alh/index.html )

Maastricht is situated at the motorway junction of the E25/A2 (Amsterdam-Liège) and A79 (Brussels-Köln) and therefore has good connections with all European highways. The congress venue is situated directly off the European highway E25/A2. Take the Randwijck/ MECC/azM exit. The signs will guide you to the parking area.

By AIR
There are four international airports within the vicinity (1,5 hours to 3 hours travelling time) of Maastricht.

1. Brussels Airport (Zaventem, Websites: www.brusselsairport.be and www.sabena.com)

• Train connections to Maastricht (2.5 hours).
  (Website: www.ns.nl/reisplan2a.asp, one way ticket)
  Trains leave every 30 minutes past the hour from Brussels National Airport Zaventem, direction "Quievrain". You have to change trains at "Brussels North", where you should take the train at 1 minute past the hour, direction "Eupen". At Liège you have to change trains into the direction of "Maastricht", this train leaves at nineteen minutes past the hour.
  
  

  Example Schedule
  Station	Departure	Station	Direction
  Brussels Nat. Airport	09:31	Brussels-Noord	Quevy
  Brussels	10.02	Liège-Guillemins	Liège-Guillemins/Eupen
  Liège-Guillemins	11.19	Maastricht Randwyck	Maastricht

  
  

• All Airport Service (1.5 hours).
  (one way ticket € 63,53/ return ticket € 117,98 approximately) If you require a taxi from the airport of Brussels then there is a possibility to use the Airport shuttle service. You can order this in advance.
  
  All Airportservice:
  Tel: +32- (0)13-66.65.50
  Fax: +32- (0)13-66.77.57

2. Schiphol Amsterdam Airport (Websites: www.schiphol.nl and www.klm.nl)

• Scheduled flights to Maastricht (5 times a day Monday-Friday) (3 times during the weekend), 30 minutes.
  
• Train connection to Maastricht (2.5 hours). (Website: www.ns.nl/reisplan2a.asp) (Costs one way ticket first class: € 35,90, second class € 23,80 approximately).
  
  Schiphol Railway Station:
  From platform 3 you take the train which leaves 23 minutes past the hour (Destination: Amersfoort/Groningen). You have to change trains at the second station (Duivendrecht) from Schiphol.
  
  Duivendrecht Railway Station:
  Duivendrecht station is a split levelled station. The train from Schiphol will arrive at the lower level (Platform 1). And the train to Maastricht will depart from the higher level (Platform 8, Destination Utrecht CS/Maastricht).
  
  

  Example Schedule
  Station	Departure	Station	Direction
  Schiphol	09:23	Duivendrecht	Amersfoort/Groningen
  Duivendrecht	09.40	Maastricht	Maastricht
  Maastricht	12.04	Maastricht Randwyck	Maastricht Randwyck

  
  
  
• All Airport Service (2.5 hours).
  (one way ticket € 117,98 / return ticket € 231,43 approximately).
  Should you require a taxi from the airport of Amsterdam then there is a possibility to use the Airport shuttle service. You can order a taxi in advance.

3. Maastricht Aachen Airport (Websites: www.maa.nl and www.klm.nl )
Maastricht/Aachen Airport is located 12 km (8 miles) north of the city centre. It can be reached in approximately 15 minutes by the A2 motor way. From Maastricht/Aachen Airport the congress venue and all hotels can be reached by bus (website: www.9292ov.nl € 5,45 the so-called strippenkaart), taxi (€ 27,23) or by car to rent at the Airport.

A. From Amsterdam: 5 times a day (Monday to Friday and 3 times during weekends.)
B. London Stansted: 4 times a day (Monday to Friday and once during weekends.)
C. From Milan: once a day (Monday to Friday) and no flights during weekends;
D. From Berlin: 4 times a day (Monday to Friday) and twice during weekends;
E. From Munich: 3 times a day (Monday to Friday) and twice during weekends.

4. Düsseldorf Airport (Website: www.duesseldorf-international.de)

• Train connection to Maastricht (3 hours). (Website: www.ns.nl/reisplan2a.asp).
  
• All Airport Service (2 hours).
  (one way ticket € 120,25 / return ticket € 235,97 approximately).
  Should you require a taxi from the airport of Düsseldorf then there is a possibility to use the Airport shuttle service. You can order a taxi in advance.

By TRAIN
Thalys and Eurostar (Website: www.thalys.com and www.eurostar.com)
The Thalys (TGV) from Paris Nord will stop at Liège. From Liège there is a direct connection to Maastricht Central Station (travel time is app. 30 minutes) Participants travelling with the Eurostar (TGV) from and to London will have to change in Brussels Midi and Liège.

Please be aware when travelling by Eurostar in Brussels you have to walk from station Brussels-Midi Eurostar to Brussels Midi.

How to reach the conference location, MECC?

The conference location, MECC conference exhibition centre is 3km from the city centre of Maastricht.

By train
If your hotel is close to the station, you can take a 3 minutes train ride from Maastricht Central Station to “Maastricht Randwijck” . It is 1 stop. From Maastricht Randwijck station the MECC Congress Centre is within 2 minutes walking distance. Every 10-20 minutes there is a train going to the MECC (until midnight). For time schedules you can ask the staff at your hotel, or see http://www.ns.nl/domestic/index.cgi. Several trains arriving from Brussels (Belgium) and other cities stop directly in Randwijck.

By bus
From the city centre there is a public bus service (4 buses per hour) to the MECC Congress Centre. The following busses go directly from Maastricht Central Station to MECC Congress Centre: 1, 9, 11, 56, 58 and 59. You can check at your hotel which bus is the most convenient for you. During the evening shift (19:30 to 0:30, 06:00 to 7:30 and Sundays) you can use line 21, 22, 24 and 28.

By cab
Taxi TCT, tel: (043) 363 33 33, price approximately € 8-10. The reception service of your hotel can also book a cab for you.