REGISTRATION | ABSTRACT SUBMISSION | PARTICIPANTS | PROGRAM | INFORMATION FOR SPEAKERS
LOFT SIMULATOR AND RESPONSE FILES | VENUE | ACCOMMODATION | PHOTO GROUP
VENUE
The LOFT Science Meeting will be held in:
Science Park, Amsterdam (NL)
NIKHEF building
on 26-28 October 2011
Workshop Location
To get off at Amsterdam Science Park from the hotel, take the tram 14 in the direction Flevopark from the stop Rembrandtplein Exit at Molukkenstraat (Insulindeweg) take the bus 40 in the direction Amstelstation. For the workshop venue at NIKHEF, get off at Amsterdam Science Park. Alternatively, you can take the tram 9 in the direction Diemen (Sniep) to the stop Kruislaan. From there, cross the street to the bus stop and take the bus 40 in the direction Muiderpoortstation and alight at Amsterdam Science Park. In either case, follow the walking instructions below to reach NIKHEF, where the workshop will take place. To get to the institute or the workshop venue from Amsterdam Central Station, take the Stoptrein in the direction of Almere, and get off at the railway station Science Park Coming down the stairs, follow the street in the direction of the Science Park (it's the side that does not look residential). You should be able to see the two domes with telescopes on top of the university building. This is the building where the Astronomical Institute is located. NIKHEF, the Dutch National Institute for subatomic physics, is located in the brown brick buildings to your left. Enter the NIKHEF property through the big main gate and walk past the rst cluster of buildings. Right before the bridge, turn right and enter building Science Park 125.
From Amsterdam Centraal to the Eden Hotel/ Eden
Rembrandt Square Hotel
At Amsterdam Central Station, you will need to change to the Amsterdam Public Transport (GVB), leaving in front of Central Station (follow the exit towards the centre, not the one that says North. If you leave the station and see a broad river, you're on the wrong side). You can buy a ticket from the tram conductor (if you have coins) or from the GVB Tickets & Information Office in front of Central Station. The hotels are most conveniently reached by the metro, which leaves right outside Central Station (take the escalator down to the metro station). You can take the metros 51 (direction Westwijk), 53 (direction Gaasperplas) or 54 (direction Gein), and alight two stops later at Waterlooplein. Walk along the big red brick building (this belongs to the Amsterdam Opera and Music Theatre) towards the water, and continue on until you reach a bridge. Cross the bridge, and turn right immediately afterwards. Careful: the path along the water is a cycle path! The sidewalk is on the other side of the street. Follow the street along the riverside, until you see the Eden Hotel Amsterdam on the left. The Eden Rembrandt Square Hotel is right next to it. See the map below for details.
Amsterdam Transport Information
General Notes On Getting Around in The Netherlands
Amsterdam can be reached easily via train. From outside the Netherlands, it can be reached with the Dutch high-speed train Fyra, the Belgian Thalys, the French TGV and the German Deutsche Bahn. The Dutch website for high-speed connections outside the Netherlands is http://www.nshispeed.nl/en, tickets can be ordered on that website directly. There is an extensive railway network within the Netherlands, and it is the easiest way to travel between cities. Connections can be found on http://www.ns.nl/en/, including prices. Tickets can be bought at the railway station directly. Note that buying a day-return ticket is cheaper than buying two single tickets.
How to get to Amsterdam from the airport
When leaving the baggage claim area at Schiphol airport, follow the signs for trains. The airport railway station is beneath the airport's central hall, Schiphol Plaza. Note that you have to buy a ticket before you board the train. There are multiple ticket machines around, but be aware that only some of them accept credit cards, and for most you will need a maestro/debit card. About half of them also accept coins. Tickets are also available from the ticket offices, which are situated close to the red/white checked cube at Schiphol Plaza.Trains to Amsterdam Centraal (= Amsterdam Central Station) run every few minutes, check the blue notice board for up-to-date information. Note: take care not to pick the high-speed train Fyra, because you need to pay extra to ride those. The trip to Central Station takes about 20 minutes.
Public transport in Amsterdam
There are several ways to get around in Amsterdam: the train (via NS), the tram, the metro and buses (via GVB, Amsterdam's public transport organisation). The whole of the Netherlands is currently in the process of moving to an electronic ticketing system, the OV chipkaart (Public Transport smart card). For short-time visitors, several types of disposable OV-chipkaarts are available: 1-hour-tickets (2,60 Euro) and 24-hour tickets (7 Euro) can be bought from bus and tram conductors directly. There are tickets for longer periods of time: 48 hours (11.50 Euro), 72 hours (15.50 Euro), 96 hours (19.50 Euro), 120 hours (23.00 Euro), 144 hours (26.00 Euro) and 1 week (29.00 Euro). These have to be bought from the GVB Tickets & Info Stationsplein office opposite Central Station, or GVB Tickets & Info offices at other railway station in and around Amsterdam (Metrostation Centraal, Bijlmer ArenA station, Lelylaan Station, Metrostation Weesp, Zuid Station, Arlandaweg 100). For those arriving at Amsterdam Centraal, the easiest solution will be to buy them from the GVB Tickets & Information Office in front of Central Station. Additionally, most Albert Heijn Supermarkets and tobacconists in Amsterdam sell public transport tickets. All of these tickets allow unlimited transport on bus, metro and tram within Amsterdam for the prescribed period of time. You have to check in every time you enter a tram, bus or metro by sweeping your card against the machine depicted below, and waiting for a green light. You also have to check out again in the same way when you leave the vehicle, even if you are going to change to another bus or tram. This is very important, as failure to check out may void your ticket! Note that you have to enter a bus at the front door where the conductor sits. Trams have two locations where you can enter: one at the front and one near the middle. Both have conductors making sure that everybody checks in, and you can also buy one-hour or 24-hour tickets from them. In the metro you need to swipe your card when going through the blocking doors at the beginning of each station. Note that they are also present at Amsterdam Centraal (but always open): do not use them there, unless you have an OV chipkaart that enables you to take the NS trains and are going to travel with the train.
For those coming to Amsterdam more often, or for an extended period of time, it may be worth buying an anonymous OV chipkaart. These are available at the Ticket & Information Offices listed above, as well as many ticket vending machines. An anonymous OV chipkaart costs 7.50 Euros. They can be charged at any ticket vending machine. Similarly to the disposable tickets, they need to be checked in or out every time one enters or leaves a public transport vehicle. Prices are deducted by kilometers travelled. Information on the different bus, tram and metro lines, including maps, can be found at http://www.gvb.nl/ (also in English). A useful website to check how to get from one point to another via public transport is http://www.9292ov.nl/. Additionally, google maps recently introduced fairly accurate public transport information (only reliable within Amsterdam).