General Information
Audio-visual PolicyStandard Audio-visual Set-up in Meeting Rooms
Each meeting room will have one (1) screen, one (1) data projector, a wireless microphone and a Windows PC computer.
Complimentary wireless Internet access will be available throughout the hotel.
Local Area and Barcelona Tourist Information
Climate
The climate in Barcelona is Mediterranean and mild. The average January temperature in Barcelona varies between 45° F (7°C) and 57° F (14°C). Rain is not probable. Remember meeting room temperatures and personal comfort zones vary widely. It is recommended that you bring a sweater or jacket to the sessions.
Mediterranean. Two thousand years of history. Open to every innovation. Welcoming, plural, diverse. A city to live and share.
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia. Its inhabitants are open and welcoming. The people of Barcelona speak Catalan and Spanish. An increasing number of people, especially among the younger, also speak English.
Almost 4.5 million people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. The city enjoys a prime location, bathed by the sea and has excellent transport links with the rest of Europe. The Mediterranean and Europe are the defining characteristics of Catalonia.
Barcelona is a modern, cosmopolitan city, but has inherited many centuries of history. Its geographic location and the open character of its inhabitants are the reasons why the city is being culturally enriched all the time. It has a valuable architectural and monumental heritage, the most splendid examples of which are its Gothic and modernist buildings. Five of its buildings have been designated World Heritage Sites. The entire city guarantees that visitors will enjoy taking a stroll around its streets which are replete with charm.
Gaudí is the city’s most internationally renowned and emblematic architect. His buildings are a must-see attraction which leave everyone who sees them speechless with wonder.
Barcelona is an open-air museum. You can visit it by bus, bicycle or on foot, and enjoy its bustling streets. There are many ways to discover the city and a whole host of things to do, for those interested in culture, for those in search of entertainment or for those thinking about where to do some shopping.
More information: www.barcelonaturisme.com - www.bcn.cat
Get a taste of Barcelona:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knXxurBWKvQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhK922IviZU#action=share
Insurance
The organizers do not accept responsibility for individual medical, travel or personal insurance. Participants are strongly advised to take out their own insurance policies.
Currency and Banking Facilities
The Euro (€) is the currency of the European Union. You can change money at the city's banks as well as at the exchange booths located in the city center and at tourist sites. Cash machines, which accept most bankcards, are located at the airport and throughout the city of Barcelona. Banks open from Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 2.00 pm.
Shopping Hours
Shops in Barcelona open their doors at 09.00 am, and generally close for lunch at 1.30 pm. They open again in the afternoon at 5.00 pm and remain open until 8.00 pm. Nevertheless, it should be noted that many shopping centres and larger establishments do not close at midday. Many shops and all department stores and shopping centres open Saturday afternoons, while all shops close Sundays.
Electricity Supply
The power supply in Barcelona is 220/380 volts at a frequency of 50 MHz. All sockets follow European standards. To use American-type plugs, a 220-volt transformer should be used together with an adapter plug.
Membership
Please visit http://www.siam.org/membership/ for information about joining SIAM.
Poster Session
A poster session will not be held during SODA, ALENEX or ANALCO.
SIAM Books and Journals
SIAM books are available at a discounted price during the conference. Complimentary copies of journals are also available on site. Orders may be placed according to the instructions on the Titles on Display form.
Transportation
PUBLIC TRANSPORTION IN THE CITY
Barcelona has a convenient network of public transportation that includes metro (metropolitan subway), urban train (FGC), buses, tramway and regional train to nearby towns. There are many convenient fares, make sure to check them and choose the one fits better your needs. The most popular among the Barcelonians are the “Integrated travel cards”; for instance, T-10 is a multi-person travel card valid for 10 intermodal journeys (metro, bus, tramway, regional trains, …) for 1 zone (downtown and nearby suburbs, 9.95€) up to 6 zones. In the case of one-zone cards, passengers have 75 minutes between the first and last validation when changing lines or mode of transport. T-10 is not valid for Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2 metro stations on line L9 Sud. For tourists, the “Hola BCN!” travel card for 2 (14€) to 5 (32€) consecutive days is an interesting alternative, you can make unlimited journeys all over Barcelona and the metropolitan area on public transport: metro, Montjuïc funicular and bus, local trains (FGC), tramway and regional train in Barcelona, they are also valid for Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2 metro stations on line L9 Sud, and can be bought on-line.
For further information: http://www.tmb.cat/en/home
TRANSPORTATION FROM THE BARCELONA EL PRAT AIRPORT TO THE PORTA FIRA HOTEL / CITY CENTER
METRO
L9 SUD (South Line)
Stops at Airport Terminal 1 and 2
To the Porta Fira Hotel
Take the metro line L9 SUD towards Zona Universitària, and get off at Europa/Fira station (11 stops).
To the city center
Take the metro line L9 towards Zona Universitària, and get off at Torrassa station (12 stops). Transfer to metro line L1 towards Fondo, get off at Catalunya station (9 stops).
Barcelona metro operating hours: Monday to Thursday, Sunday and public holidays: 5.00 am until midnight. Friday and evenings before public holidays: 5.00 am to 2.00 am. Saturday: from 5.00 am and runs all night.
Metro Airport ticket
This is a single ticket for the metro. It entitles you to go from the airport to any metro station or from any metro station to the airport.
Points of sale: Metro ticket vending machines.
Price: 4.50€ single ticket.
For further information: http://www.tmb.cat/en/home
BUS
Number 46
To the Porta Fira hotel
Take the bus number 46 until Plaza Europa stop.
Frequency: Every 15 minutes. From 4.50 am to 11.50 pm
Approximate journey time: 15 minutes
Ticket price: 2.15 € (single). Tickets may be purchased from the driver.
For further information: http://www.tmb.cat/en/home
AEROBÚS
Stops at Airport Terminal 1 and 2
To the city center
Take the Aerobus, and get off at Pl. Catalunya stop (35 minutes).
Daily service between Plaça de Catalunya and Barcelona Airport.
Frequency: every 5-10 minutes. Departures from Pl. de Catalunya, from 5.30 am to 12.30 am - Departures from Barcelona Airport, from 6.00 am to 1.00 am
Ticket price: 5.90 € (single); 10.20 € (return). Tickets are available from ticket machines or may be purchased from the driver.
For further information: www.aerobusbcn.com
TRAIN (RENFE)
Line R2 Nord Aeroport - Sant Celoni / Maçanet Massanes
To the city center
The airport station is situated opposite Terminal 2, and is connected to this terminal via an airbridge. There is also a Bustransit service between the Renfe station and Terminal 1.
Take the train towards Sant Celoni / Maçanet Massanes, and get off at Passeig de Gràcia station (4 stops).
Frequency: every 30 min. Daily 5.42 am to 11.38 pm.
Approximate journey time: 25 minutes.
Points of sale: Train ticket vending machines.
Ticket price: 4.10 € single ticket.
For further information: www20.gencat.cat/portal/site/rodalies
CAR
To the Porta Fira hotel
Exit from the airport towards the indication Barcelona / Gran Vía / Ciutat Vella.
Take the highway C-31 towards 'Barcelona /Gran Vía'.
Exit at 'Salida 4B L´Hospitalet / Ciutat Sanitaria'.
At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit, at next one take the 1st exit onto Av. Joan Carles I. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Carrer de les Ciències and turn right onto Plaza Europa.
TAXI
Taxis can be easily identified by their yellow and black livery. A green light on top of the taxi indicates its availability. The transfer by taxi from El Prat Airport to the hotel takes approximately 10 minutes depending on traffic. It costs between 25 € and 30 € depending on the time of day.
VENUE
Porta Fira Hotel
Plaza Europa, 45
08908 Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona)
Visa Information
Citizens from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK, the European Union, USA and most countries in Latin America do not need a visa for short stays (< 90 days). Israel, Japan and South Korea are also exempt. Russia, former Republics of the USSR, many countries in Asia (including Middle East) and in Africa will need a visa.
Below is the list of countries that require a visa to enter Spain (in fact to enter any other member country of the Schengen treaty) as of March 2016: Afghanistan, Angola, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Burma / Myanmar, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Rep., Chad, China, Comoros , Congo, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Rep., Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria , Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Syria, Somalia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Thailand, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
A visa is also required from citizens not owning a bio-metric passport from the following countries: Albania, Rep. Macedonia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and from citizens of Taiwan who do not own a passport that includes their ID number. Citizens from Hong-Kong and Macao need also visa unless they have a passport issued by their respective "Special Administrative Region" authorities.
Additional information can be found at http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/en/ServiciosAlCiudadano/InformacionParaExtranjeros/Paginas/RequisitosDeEntrada.aspx and http://www.spain.info/.
Letter of Invitation
If you require a letter of invitation from SIAM, please follow the instructions below. However, if you require a Letter of Invitation from the host organization, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, please contact Conrado Martinez ([email protected]).
Confirmed authors in need of a Letter of Invitation from SIAM to assist in the visa application process, please fill out the Letter of Invitation Request Form. Please allow three to four weeks for processing and delivery.
If you are not planning to present at the conference or are not yet an accepted author and need a letter of invitation before acceptance notifications are sent, please fill out the form AND provide the following information to [email protected]:
- Brief curriculum vita (including your date of birth and a list of publications over the past 3 years.)
- Brief statement why attending this conference would help your research and career.
- Letter of recommendation. Have a senior person (e.g. Ph.D. advisor, head of department, president of a mathematical society) write a brief letter of recommendation on appropriate letterhead. This letter is not needed if you have a minimum of twelve entries in MathSciNet. If this is the case please state so and include your “MR Author ID” in your message to [email protected].