The workshop will take place at the Grand Hôtel des Rasses, near Ste Croix in the Swiss Jura from Monday 10th of June (arrival pm) to Thursday 13th of June 2019 (departure pm).
Workshop Support: The workshop is funded by the SNF HORNET project (PI Basil Davis). Economy travel to the workshop and all meals and accommodation at the event will be covered for all invited scientists.
Independent participants: There will be a small number of workshop places open to self-funded participants. Please contact Basil Davis for more information about the costs and options.
Logistics: You should plan to arrive in Ste Croix in the late afternoon or early evening on the 10th of June, and plan to leave after midday on the 13th. If you have difficulty in scheduling a departure on the last day it will also be possible to stay an extra night and depart on the 14th. We would prefer this to an early departure before the workshop has finished. Some of the organisers will also stay an extra night.
The nearest airport is Geneva, but other alternatives include Zurich and Basel-Mulhouse. Please check flights to these other airports as it may provide savings in flight costs or flight times.
You will need to travel from the airport by train. Trains from Geneva and Zurich leave direct from the airport, but from Basel-Mulhouse you need to make a short journey (~15 mins) from the airport to the main train station on the shuttle bus. Tickets and timetable details are available from the Swiss Railways website www.sbb.ch. Please note the time of the last connecting train to Ste Croix in the evening from each of these airports. Times below are given for guidance only, please check on the sbb website as timetables can change.
Geneva Airport to Ste Croix, journey time ~2hrs (1)
Basel-Mulhouse Airport to Ste Croix, journey time ~3hrs (2)
Zurich Airport to Ste Croix, journey time ~3hrs (3)
- Last connecting train is 22.11 from Geneva Airport (arrive 00.16 Ste Croix)
- Last connecting train(bus) is 21.07 from Basel Aiport (arrive 00.16 Ste Croix)
- Last connecting train is 21.09 from Zurich Airport (arrive 00.16 Ste Croix)
Note: If you miss the last connecting train to Ste Croix, please take the next train to Yverdon-les-Bains. If necessary, we will try and send a minibus down the mountain to meet the last train to Yverdon.
Travel claims: You will need to book and pay for your travel in advance and claim these costs back after the event. You will need to submit all of the original receipts including evidence of payment and tickets/boarding cards. Please keep a copy (picture from phone is fine) in case the administration lose your receipts (it has happened).
Please note that only economy travel by the most reasonable route and mode of transport is refundable, and that the administration of the University of Lausanne reserves the right to refuse payment for all or part of any claim. If in doubt, please contact Basil Davis (basil.davis@unil.ch) in advance to avoid any problems. If your flights are greater than 500 USD for travel within Europe to Switzerland, or 1500 USD for travel outside Europe into Switzerland, then please clear this with me in advance.
If you are able to cover some of your own costs, particularly travel, then this would be very welcome as it frees funds to help support others. Please book your flights as soon as possible to ensure a good price. Most guests will have their own room at the main venue, although some junior scientists may have to share a room. Please note that if you decide to stay an extra night on the 13th, accommodation will probably be more basic, with shared room and facilities.
Insurance (IMPORTANT!): Please make sure that you have comprehensive health, travel, accident, third party and possessions insurance. This is not provided by the organisers and any additional expense incurred will not be refunded. For instance, travel costs cannot be reimbursed for missed or cancelled flights, or in the case of non-attendance, whatever the reason.
Other information: The venue is in the French speaking part of Switzerland, although most people you meet will also probably speak/understand some German and English (the conductor on the train will be multi-lingual). The venue is in an isolated location with no immediate access to shops, pharmacy or other amenities, so you should therefore plan accordingly. The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss franc (not Euro) but most places including the hotel will accept most major credit and debit cards. You will be picked up from the train station in Ste Croix and taken to the venue by minibus. You will be staying at 1200m altitude in the Swiss Jura mountains in June, it may be cold and it will probably be wet, but it may also be hot. Please bring sensible shoes, some warm clothes and a waterproof jacket. We plan to have a short hike to the top of Le Chasseron mountain if time permits. The hotel also has a swimming pool.