With the New Year upon us, now is the time to start planning your trip to Italy to ICE/ECE 2012. There will be a large number of people travelling to Florence for the Congress, so please make sure you book your travel and accommodation early. Below we’ve included some information to help you make the most of your visit.
Travel
The city of Florence has good travel connections to the rest of Italy and mainland Europe. Depending upon where you are travelling from, there are a number of travel options available to you.
Flights: The main airport in Florence is the “Amerigo Vespucci” (FLR), which is situated 15 minutes from the centre of Florence. It receives flights from all major Italian airports and 13 European destinations including Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London Gatwick, Madrid and Paris. Alternatively Pisa’s airport “Galileo Galilei” receives flights from 63 national and international destinations. There are regular train and bus services from the airport to Florence, which take approximately 85 minutes.
ICE/ECE 2012 is working with Star Alliance to ensure our delegates get the best possible prices for their air travel. Please visit the Travel Section of the ICE/ECE 2012 Congress website for more information.
Train: Florence’s main train station is Stazione Santa Maria Novella and is situated on the Milan-Rome line, with frequent and rapid connections both ways. The train station is a 10 minute walk to the congress venue.
Bus: Long-distance buses provide an inexpensive service between Florence and other cities in Italy and Europe. The major bus companies offering services include Lazzi Eurolines and SITA.
Car: Florence is serviced by an excellent road network. Please note the centre of Florence is a restricted traffic area. If you plan to drive to the Congress, inform your hotel in advance and they will pass on your vehicle details to the local city police so that you can enter the restricted area without problems.
All delegates must have valid passport to enter Italy. Remember to check well in advance if you will require a visa to enter Italy, as for some countries, visa application procedures can take up to two months.
We would also like to encourage delegates to consider the environmental impact of their travel arrangements and consider offsetting their travel-related carbon impacts associated with the Congress. A list of carbon-offsetting schemes can be found at CarbonCatalog.org.
Accommodation
Florence has a wide range of accommodation options to suit all budgets. ICE/ECE 2012 have reserved a large number of hotel rooms for Congress delegates at preferential rates. To view the hotels available and book your accommodation through our system, visit: http://www.ice-ece2012.com/accommodation.aspx. To be assured of accommodation using this method, you must apply by 16 April 2012. If you would rather find accommodation options for more limited budgets, you may find the following website useful for making reservations: http://www.inyourtuscany.com/
Pre- and post- Congress tours
Why not make the most of your trip to Florence and the beautiful country of Italy by taking advantage of one of our exciting pre- or post-Congress tours? To book any of the tours below, please use our Optional Tours booking system. Places are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment!
There is a pre-Congress tour to Tuscany, which lasts three days and takes in the delights of Chianti, Colle Val D’Elsa and Certaldo. This also includes the opportunity to learn and sample some traditional Italian cooking! There are three post-Congress tours available (all three days long) which will visit Tuscany, Venice or Rome. The post-Congress tour to Tuscany takes a scenic route through Sienna, San Gimignano (an UNESCO World Heritage site) and Pisa. The tour to Venice allows you to experience all the beauty of this famous Italian city, including visits to the picturesque canals, St Mark’s square and a boat trip through the famous Venetian islands to the Murano glass factory. The Rome trip allows you to sample the very best of the Italian capital, with opportunities to visit the Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain.
Specifically designed for accompanying persons, we have also selected a number of half day tours during the Congress itself, ranging from a visit to Pisa to a Medieval Florence Gastronomic tour! Further information can be found at: http://www.ice-ece2012.com/tours/toursDaily.aspx
And…most importantly!
And finally, don’t forget to register for the Congress itself! The early-bird deadline for reduced registration fees is 16 March 2012. Register online at: http://www.ice-ece2012.com/registration.aspx. ESE members can save up to €300 compared to non-member early bird registration rate! Click here to find out how to become an ESE member.
