Practical information

1. Conference / Information Desk 11. Electricity
2. Lunch 12. Telephones
3. Restaurants 13. Insurance (Disclaimer)
4. Getting around 14. Medical services
5. About Frankfurt 15. Recommended vaccinations
6. Museums in Frankfurt 16. Safety and security precautions
7. Currency 17. Tipping
8. Banking & cash machines  
9. Shopping  
10. Weather

  1. Conference / Information Desk
    A conference registration and information desk will be set up at the conference venues.

    On Sunday, 4th September it will be located in the foyer of the conference rooms K1 and K2 at the Hessischer Rundfunk / Hessian Broadcasting (hr), building K 2nd floor.

    From Monday, 5th September - Thursday, 8th September the desk will be located in front of the Vortragssaal in the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek / German National Library (DNB), 1st floor.

    Delegates can collect their conference bags and other relevant information from the desk.
    Opening hours:
    Sunday to Tuesday (4th to 6th September) and Thursday (8th September):
    8.30 to 16.00 h
    Wednesday, 7th September 2011:
    8.30 to 14.00 h.
    Phone: +49 173 / 32 65 340.

    Please note that all payments at the conference desk must be in cash!

    Please contact the conference and information desk regularly during the conference for changes of the program, individual notes and messages!
     

  2. Lunch
    As the conference will mainly take place in the German National Library your first choice of having lunch might be there. You can buy coupons for lunch at the conference registration desk. There are two dishes to choose from, one of them vegetarian. Each dish costs €4.60, a small salad will cost €1.

    As the meetings scheduled at the weekend (Saturday, 3rd to Sunday 4th September) will take place in the conference rooms at Hessischer Rundfunk / Hessian Broadcasting Station (hr), building K, 2nd floor, we recommend lunch at the restaurant there (on the same floor). Please note that you can only pay cash there.
     

  3. Restaurants
    There are many fine restaurants all over the city of Frankfurt. You can choose between all different international types of cuisine. The local Hessian cuisine is very diverse. Often there are serious savory dishes (home cooking) on the menu. Very typical of Hessia are dishes based on potatoes and bread.
    You will find a list of recommended restaurants around the conference venues and downtown Frankfurt in your conference bag.
    Any other information and suggestions on local restaurants can be obtained from your hotel reception or tourist information brochures available at your hotel.
     
  4. Getting around
    By public transportation:

    Together with your conference bag you will receive a so-called RMV—ticket which allows you to use U-Bahn (Underground), S-Bahn (rapid train), buses and tram within Frankfurt city for free. It includes the ride to Frankfurt airport and is valid from Saturday, 3rd to Friday 9th September 2011.
    If you go outside Frankfurt in the Rhein-Main area, you can use the same transportation possibilities. However, in this case you need to buy a so-called “Anschlussfahrkarte” (connecting ticket), the ticket machine should help you with that (on hand languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Turkish).

  5. About Frankfurt
    "Welcome to the most international city in Germany...". General tourism information can be found here: http://www.frankfurt.de (in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese).
    See also www.iasa-conference.com/invitation.

  6. Museums in Frankfurt
    With an impressive variety of museums and galleries, Frankfurt am Main has earned a national reputation as a city of the arts. Every year more than 2 million people visit the city’s approximately 60 exhibition centres. Galleries also present a comprehensive range of contemporary art from the areas of painting, photography and sculpture.

    A prominent attraction is Frankfurt’s Museum Riverbank, one of the most important locations for museums in Germany and all of Europe. Renowned exhibition centres such as the Städel Museum (Städel Museum), the German Architecture Museum (Deutsches Architekturmuseum), the German Film Museum (Deutsches Filmmuseum), or the Jewish Museum (Jüdisches Museum) can be found along the bank of the Main river.

    In your conference bag you will find the museum card which allows you free entrance to most of the museums in Frankfurt

  7. Currency
    The Euro (€) is the only currency generally accepted in Germany. It is divided into 100 cents. Coins come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and 1 and 2 Euros. Bills come in 5, 10, 20, 50,100 and 200 Euros.

  8. Banking and cash machines
    Cash machines are found everywhere, especially at banks, and of course at the airport and the Hauptbahnhof /main railway station.
    Next to the conference rooms at the Hessischer Rundfunk / Hessian Broadcasting (hr), building K 2nd floor you’ll find the Frankfurter Sparkasse where you can change money (open 10.00 to 14.00 Monday to Friday). There is a cash machine as well.
    Most banks downtown Frankfurt city are open 9.00 to 17.00 Monday to Thursday, until Friday 16.00.

    In shops and most of the restaurants (except the restaurants of the Hessischer Rundfunk / Hessian Broadcasting, hr, and the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek / German National Library, DNB) all major credit cards are accepted.

  9. Shopping
    Frankfurt city is famous for its excellent shopping opportunities. Around the station “Hauptwache” you will find every kind of store you like, small boutiques as well as big department stores. From the Goetheplatz you can enter the famous Goethestraße, one of the most luxurious shopping streets in Germany. Shops open between 9.00 and 10.00 h in the morning and close variably between 19.00 and 22.00 h in the evening. All shops are closed on Sunday.

  10. Weather
    Usually, in September the weather in Frankfurt will be partly cloudy. There can be rainy days as well but when the weather is good we can expect about 5 to 6 hours of sunshine per day. The temperature might range from 20° C to about 10° C.
     
  11. Electricity
    Electric power  is 230 Volts and 50 Hz (cycles).  If you bring any electrical appliance to Germany you may need an adaptor to fit the German mains sockets. You may also need a converter to change the voltage from 110 volts to 230 volts.
    German mains sockets use plugs type 'C' and 'F' shown here: http://users.telenet.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm#plugs
     
  12. Telephones
    Cell telephones and handheld devices are a good medium of communication in Germany. Many wireless networks in Germany are now equipped with GSM technology allowing international travellers with compatible devices to communicate. Your service provider should be able to explain that GSM telephones are classified as dual-band, tri-band, and quad-band. Tri- and quad-band are recommended to provide the best service in Germany. You can purchase pay-as-you-go cell phones for about 20 Euro.
     
  13. Insurance (Disclaimer)
    Please note that the IASA Organising Committee cannot be held responsible for any damages, injuries or losses that might occur during the IASA Conference or your stay in Germany.
     
  14. Medical services
    Please note that each delegate will be responsible for his/her own medical needs and insurance.
    Bring any medications you may need in your original containers, clearly labelled. A signed, dated letter from your physician that describes all medical conditions and medications, including generic names, can be useful at customs clearance.
    For acute illness there is a list of doctors available at the conference and information desk. Please do not hesitate to contact our staff there.

     

  15. Recommended vaccinations
    No special vaccines are required or recommended for travel to Germany. All travellers should be up-to-date on routine immunizations.
     
  16. Safety and security precautions
    Your safety and the security of your personal property are of the utmost concern to us.
    For the traveller, petty theft is the biggest concern, not violent crime. When possible, withdraw money from ATMs during the day or at night only in well-lit, busy areas. When driving, do not pick up hitchhikers, and lock valuables in the trunk of your car (before arriving at your destination).
    In hotels, locking valuables in room or hotel safes is prudent, and do not open your hotel door to a stranger (if suspicious, call the front desk).
     
  17. Tipping

    In principle service is included in German bills. However, it is important to realize that for many professions, particularly waiters and waitresses, taxi drivers, porters and bellhops, tip is not obligatory but welcome. 10% will be great, especially if service was good or the person was friendly. It will always be appreciated.

Enjoy your stay in Frankfurt ;-)

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