Travel and Transport
Route description Schiphol Airport - Utrecht city centre / hotels
The nearest major international airport is Schiphol close to Amsterdam (
https://www.schiphol.nl/en/). We arranged a 10% discount for Air France & KLM flights for your booking. There is a direct train service
from Schiphol airport to Utrecht Central Station every 30 minutes; travel time is about 30 minutes (free Wi-Fi on board).
Route description Utrecht city centre - Utrecht University campus
The Utrecht Science Park (‘De Uithof’) can be reached by many bus services; the most frequent ones from downtown Utrecht (Central Station, Janskerkhof, etc.) are line 27/28, which stops
at ‘Botanische Tuinen’ and line 12, which stops at ‘Padualaan’.
SQM 2017 signs will guide you to the Koningsberger building, which is behind the red
Minnaert building.
Bus tickets can be bought on the bus, but if you plan to use the bus throughout the week, you are probably better off getting a chip card (OV-chipkaart, 7,50 Euro one-time fee) at the station,
the service desk of a super market or another sales point. This card can be recharged at the machines at the station. For more details, see
Taxi
Taxis are available at most tourist hubs. Costs are approximately €3 entry fee and €2 per km. Here the contact information of some taxi companies:
Utrechtse Taxi Centrale (UTC)
+31 (0)30 2 300 400
Domstadse Taxis Centrale Utrecht
+31 (0)30 266 13 13
Arrival and Registration
The registration desks will be open on Sunday 9 July from 16:00-18:00 and on Monday 10 July from 08:00-09:00 in the foyer of the
Koningsberger building. Please collect your delegate pack and name badge during this period if possible. If you arrive late, registration will still be possible at the conference desk,
during the coffee and lunch breaks.
Your name badge also acts as your lunch-ticket and admittance to the social events that you have signed up for, so please wear it (or at least keep it with you) all week.
Bike Rental
A good option for transport is renting a bike.
Bikes will be offered to conference delegates by an external company for 8,00 Euro per 24h period (only by pre-reservation).
The bike rental desk will be next to the registration desk (first floor of the Koningsberger building). Bicycle pick-up for those delegates who pre-reserved a bike
is possible during the following days/hours:
- Sunday, 9 July 2017 (16:00 – 18:00)
- Monday, 10 July 2017 (08:00 – 11:00)
Upon pick-up you will be asked to complete and sign an agreement. Payment can be done by credit card onsite.
Bicycle return is possible during the following days/hours:
- Thursday, 13 July 2017 (15:30 – 16:00)
- Friday, 14 July 2017 (10:30 – 11:00)
- Saturday, 15 July 2017 (8:30 – 11:00)
If you are still interested in renting a bicycle, please send an email to
sqm2017@nikhef.nl before
June 29, 2017, indicating:
- Pick-up date
- Return date
- Name of participant
Please note it is not possible to cancel your reservation nor to reserve a bike after that date. Without your notice there won’t be a bike available.
The bicycle ride from downtown Utrecht to the Utrecht Science Park (Uithof) takes 20-30 minutes. Utrecht is a bike-friendly city, but that also means that there are a lot of bicyclists around,
the bike route to the university can be very busy during the morning, so please be careful when riding your bike.
A bike ride is also an excellent way to explore the country-side around Utrecht. Just south of the Uithof, there is a park-like area, Rhijnauwen and Amelisweerd, which is connected by small
roads and bike lanes and also offers access to the old course of the Rhine river (now a narrow stream which you can follow on foot). To the north of Utrecht, you can follow the Vecht river to Maarssen, Breukelen and Loenen (and on to Amsterdam if you have
the stamina), which is lined by a number of old villas and country houses.
WiFi
The eduroam network is available across the university campus. If you do not have credentials to access eduroam, please register for
UU-visitor, which should accept any connection, but requires that you agree to the terms and services any time you reconnect. A pop-up window should appear automatically.
If you have any problems, please come to the conference desk or ask someone form the local organisers, who are wearing a SQM t-shirt.
The Koningsberger Building offers several areas on the ground and first floor
to prepare talks etc.
Lunches and Coffee Breaks
On all conference days lunch and coffee breaks will be served on the first floor of the
Koningsberger building.
Conference Photo
The conference photo will be taken on Wednesday 12 July during the morning coffee break (10:30 – 11:00).
Social Programme
Reception
The welcome reception will take place on Monday
10 July 2017 from 18:20–20:30 in the conservatory (serre) of the Botanical Gardens of the University, which are just across the street from the main entrance of the Koningsberger building. Please
bring your badge, since it serves as entrance ticket to the Gardens. Follow signs “serre” in the Gardens to find the conservatory.
Conference banquet (ticketed)
The conference dinner will take place on Thursday, 13 July 2017 from 19:00–23:00 in the Railway Museum (Spoorwegmuseum), which
is just outside the city center and can easily be reached on foot by taking the Maliebrug (bridge) from Lepelenburg (the small park at the edge of the city). The railway museum is marked as ‘Utrecht Maliebaan’ (the name of the station in which it is housed).
Attendees are requested to make their own way to the
Railway Museum.
Directions:
Het Spoorwegmuseum
Maliebaanstation 1
3581 XW Utrecht
Please book your dinner ticket(s) at online registration (30 Euro).
Participants with special dietary requirements are kindly asked to indicate it in their registration.
Excursion
Three different excursion options are offered on Wednesday afternoon. The excursions start at 14:00 after lunch (except Option 1: Cultural, which will start at 13:30).
Information about meeting points will be given in the programme book.
Most participants who would like to join an excursion have already indicated so during the online registration.
A reminder of which excursion you signed up for can be found on your badge.
If you would like to change, please do so before 26 June. After that date changes are not possible anymore.
If you have any questions regarding the excursions, please contact the conference desk.
A brief outline of the details for each excursion is given below (see also conference website):
Option 1: Cultural
The cultural tour will visit the Kröller-Möller-Museum, which boasts the 2nd largest Van Gogh collection in the world. Furthermore, you will find masterpieces by modern masters such as Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondriaan.
In the sculpture garden, one of the largest in Europe, you can enjoy both sculptures and nature. Distributed throughout the garden are over 160 sculptures by iconic artists, from Aristide Maillol to Jean Dubuffet, from Marta Pan to Pierre Huyghe. The museum
is embedded in the National Park Hoge Veluwe, were you can take a walk or bike, and relax in a unique landscape. This tour will be a bus tour.
https://www.hogeveluwe.nl/en
http://krollermuller.nl/visit
Option 2: Historical tour
This tour will show you Utrecht as one of the most populous cities in the Netherlands. Although there is some evidence of earlier settlement in the region of Utrecht, dating back to the Stone Age (app. 1800-800 BCE), the founding date of the city is usually
related to the construction of a Roman fortification, probably built in around 50 CE. Utrecht´s ancient city centre features many buildings and structures, some which date back as far as the High Middle Ages. Is has been the religious centre of the Netherlands
since the 8th century and today hosts the largest university of the country. This tour will be a combined boat and walking tour.
Option 3: H2O tour
This tour could be wet! We will explore Utrecht by canoe. Via the “Biltse Grift”, a guide will show us hidden places and history of the city. You will follow small brooks, which can only be reached by boat and will experience a unique silence in the midst of
the city. This tour will be concluded with a picnic.
Tourist Information
The city of Utrecht is located in the geographical centre of the Netherlands and has a rich and long history. Traces of this history can be found everywhere in the
medieval town centre. The city’s many monuments, including the eye-catching Dom tower and the canals with the wharves (unique in the world), are definitely worth paying a visit.
Weather Forecast
The weather in Utrecht in summer can be pleasant, sunny and warm, i.e. 20-28 degrees Celsius. However, nothing is less predictable than the Dutch weather, so it is
very likely that we will have colder, cloudy and rainy days during the summer as well. Therefore, you are well advised to
come prepared for all eventualities.
Time zone
Utrecht, the Netherlands, is in the Central European Time (CET) zone, which is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +1) and six hours ahead of US Eastern Standard
Time (EST +6).
Mains sockets
Electricity in the Netherlands is 230 Volts, 50 Hz (plug types C & F). You will need to bring a voltage converter if you would like to use devices that do
not accept 230 Volts at 50 Hertz.
Bars and Restaurants
There are many restaurants in the city centre of Utrecht. Suggestions for restaurants in the area close to the canal “Oude gracht”. A list of restaurants can be found
with ranking on https://www.thefork.com/restaurant+utrecht.
Shops and Cashpoint
There are many shops and
cashpoint (ATM) machines in the city centre of Utrecht.
On the university campus, you can find a supermarket, bookshop, a kiosk and an ATM.
Emergency Contacts
In case of emergencies: police and ambulance services can be contacted by telephone via 112.
In case of the medical emergency, please contact the local organisers at the conference desk. The university hospital is in the Science Park. Several pharmacies are
in the city centre of Utrecht.
Emergency contacts from among the conference organisers are Andre Mischke (+31(0) 648 158 552) and Paul Kuijer (+31(0) 646 812 070).
Safety and Security
Utrecht is a student city and in general very safe. But as almost anywhere, don’t flash your wallet at markets and have a natural caution for
pickpockets in the city centre. So, please take good care of your belongings, particularly in busy places in the city centre and when traveling.
Unfortunately,
bike thefts are a common nuisance, so if you travel by bike, make sure you have good locks and try to bolt your bike to a lamp post or bridge railing if possible. There are also free bike parking places with surveillance in the city center and
near the train station.
The Science Park is patrolled by unformed security staff. In case of an emergency on campus, or in case trouble is suspected, please dial the
emergency telephone number: +31 (0)30 253 44 44 (extension 4444 from campus telephones). This connects you immediately to the Utrecht University Security Room, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Inform them of the nature of
the emergency, and of its exact location. They will take the appropriate steps.
Disclaimer and Insurance
The Organising Committee of SQM 2017 do not accept any liability for injury or loss incurred by participants, accompanying persons, nor for loss of, or damage to
their luggage and/or personal belongings.
Proceedings
The conference proceedings will be published in a special issue of European Physical Journal Web of Conferences.
All speakers are invited to contribute. The instructions and necessary templates will appear on the conference Indico web page soon.
Acknowledgements
The conference has benefited substantially from the generous sponsorship of NWO, FOM, Utrecht city, Nikhef, GSI, FIAS, EMMI, FAIR, NNV, CERN, JINR and EPJ and further
US laboratories. This has allowed us to offer student support for 40 PhD students and young postdocs.
Have a safe travel and see you soon in Utrecht.
The SQM 2017 organisers