Basic info

Meeting agenda

Meeting agenda is available as a PDF file (the organisers reserve the right to make make minor changes in the program).

Meeting minutes

The discussion and conclusions from the management meeting are described in Minutes.

Meeting photos

Meeting photos shared by Abus Meah (SWLS, UK) are available via Google drive.

Olomouc city

Konvikt Olomouc (approx. 100 thousand inhabitants) is one of the most important cities in the Czech Republic. Due to its rich history, time-honoured university, culture and crafts traditions, but above all its central location in Moravia, Olomouc has always been an attractive location for tourists, merchants, and business people. More details (in English, German, French and Spanish) available at Olomouc-tourism server, some info also in Wikipedia.

Currency

Please note that the Czech republic is NOT in the Eurozone, the official currency used in the Czech Republic is the Czech crown (“Koruna česká” in Czech) which has the international abbreviation CZK. The ratio is about 1€ = 25 CZK (maybe even 27 CZK). Credits cards (Visa, Master) are accepted at many places, it is possible to change at the airport, railway stations or other places, or to use bankomats. There should be no problems to change euros or British pounds, at some (not all) places it is possible to change Romanian new leu. Banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

It is possible to check up-to-date exchange rates for you:

Electricity

Electricity AC in the Czech Republic is 230 volts. Plug and socket sizes are very similar to those in the rest of continental Europe, so German (probably also Romanian) appliances should be compatible without any reductions or adapters.

Important dates

  • Meeting days: Monday July 14, 2014 – Tuesday July 15, 2014
  • Typical travelling days: Sunday July 13, 2014 and Wednesday July 16, 2014
  • Deadline for hotel rooms booking: Monday May 19, 2014

Location

The workshops and most project activities will be held in the historical university building (Univerzitní street No. 3), GPS coordinates: 49°35'41.121"N, 17°15'19.055"E. It is located on the other side of the street than the hotel, right in the historical centre of the city (see map).

Accommodation

Hotel standard

Arigone hotel

The accommodation is reserved in Arigone hotel & pension (GPS 49°35'41.672"N, 17°15'16.272"E, see map), just over the street from the center, where the meeting is held and right in the historical centre, quite close to the main square.Please, arrange your rooms till Monday May 19, 2014, later on the rooms may be released for other guests.

The prices per night negotiated for our meeting participants are:

  • From Sun 13 to Mon 14 July (20 % discount)
    • single room 1592 CZK/≈63€
    • twin room 1832 /≈73€
  • From Mon 14 to Wen 16 July (10 % discount)
    • single room 1791 CZK/≈71€
    • twin room 2061 /≈82€

City transport ticket

How to get to the hotel

From the railway station you can use the trams No. 2, 3, 4 or 6 (use the side of the stop closer to the railway station – standing with the railway station at the back the trams come from left to right) and get off on the fourth stop "Náměstí republiky" (Republic Square), walk straight on along the tram rails and take the first turn on the left to "Univerzitní" street (see the map). The tickets at 14 CZK (≈0,5€) can be bought at the railway station and must be marked after getting on the tram. For more information about city transport you can see tourism server.

The taxis (mostly yellow cars) are waiting in front of the railway station building on the right-hand side.

If you let us know the time of your train arrival, it will be our pleasure to wait for you and help you to get to the hotel!

Hostel standard

Student hostel For those who prefer hostel standard at lower price, we can arrange accommodation in the Palacký University student hostel, about 15 minutes walk through the park from the place, where the meeting is held. The price is about 260,- CZK/≈11€ per a person and a night for a double, 380,- CZK/≈16€ per a person and a night for a single. There is also an option for a breakfast in the students canteen for 50,- CZK/≈2€ per one breakfast. If you prefer this variant, please contact us as soon as possible so that we could arrange this in time. Booked accommodation in the hostel can be cancelled until 5 days before the meeting. Later on we have to charge you for the stay in the hostel even if you decide not to come. See the map how to reach the hostel by car coming from Brno.

Travelling to Olomouc

Our town is about 250 km away from Prague and Vienna.

Via Prague

Station Praha hl.n. There is a straight train connection from Prague to Olomouc with an average one express train each hour during a day. Therefore we suppose it might be suitable to use public transport. As the motorway takes a longer way than train, we think we cannot save time by arranging a special bus taking you from the airport to Olomouc; if there is a general agreement you would prefer that, we can order a bus. The public transport also gives an opportunity to spend some extra time (or even a night) in Prague to those who might be interested.

The traffic at the airport is organised in the way, that flights from/to the NON-Schengen countries go through the terminal 1, flights from/to Schengen countries through the newer terminal 2. Both terminals are in fact connected and it is possible to walk from one to the other.

From the airport to the railway station

There is a straight bus connection (AIRPORT EXPRESS – AE line) from the airport to the railway station operating every 30 minutes at 60 CZK (≈2.4€), you pay to the driver. The railway station “Praha hlavní nádraží (hl. n.)” (Prague main station) is the final stop of the bus, so it cannot be missed. The bus stops at the airport are outside the arrivals/departures halls.

Alternatively (especially early in the morning or later in the evening) you can take bus No. 119 to its terminal "Dejvická" and then use the underground line A to station "Museum" and underground line "C" to the station "Hlavní nádraží". Then you need a ticket for 32 CZK/≈1.3€.

The prices for a taxi from the airport to the railway station are about 600 CZK/≈24€ (please, always check with the driver).

Olomouc railway station

From Prague to Olomouc by train

There are 3 transport companies providing the train connection ("České dráhy", "Regiojet" and "Leo Express"). The tickets for all of them can be bought in the companies offices situated in the lowest part of the Prague railway station. The details below are valid for the most frequent provider "České dráhy", for the others they are similar. "Regiojet" offers some extra free-of-charge services (like coffee), both "Regiojet" and "Leo Express" have seat reservation included into the ticket.

The basic price of the train is about 220 CZK (≈8.8€) in 2nd class, which is considered as standard (1st class price is about 50% higher), there is a group discount (“Skupinová sleva”) up to 30 persons in the 2nd class, under which one person pays the full price, the second 75 % and all the others about half price. Typical express travel time is 2 h 30 min, with a supercity (SC) train 2 h 11 minutes; there is a supercity extra charge (up to 200 CZK/≈ 8€ which depends on the particular train and maybe also lower) including seat reservation. For other trains the seat reservation cost is 35 CZK (≈1.4€). Please note, that Olomouc is not the terminal station of the trains (mostly the terminal stations are Bohumín or Ostrava for Supercity, Bohumín, Žilina, Havířov, Karviná, Třinec, Luhačovice, Staré Město u Uherského Hradiště, Vsetín, Košice, Zvolen, Veselí nad Moravou, Zlín, Humenné for the other fast trains); Olomouc is listed as among “via” station both on the information panels and near the carriages doors.

Via Vienna

If some partners find a better flight connection to Vienna, we can try to organise the transport for them. In that case please contact us as soon as possible to set the details.

By car

Please note, that in each case the motorway goes through Brno (i.e. you go via Prague, Brno from the west or the north, or via Budapest, Slovak capital Bratislava and Brno from the south).

The motorway can be used with a special stamp (coupon) (“dálniční známka”), the cheapest variant is for 310,- CZK (approx. 12€) valid for 10 days (for the car weight ≤ 3,5 tonnes). It is available (e.g.) at petrol stations and post offices and should be fixed at right bottom corner of the front window (further information). The penalisation (if the police stops you without this coupon) is 5000,- CZK (approx. 200€).

Coupon  Where to put it

Useful links

Weather

triton.jpg Unfortunately, we cannot arrange the weather, and generally in July we can have both hot sunny days as well as rainy periods. Please, check the up-to-date weather forecast on your favourite website. Below there are some possibilities:

Local weather forecast: