Symposium venue
The congress will be held in Lisbon at Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, a Portuguese private institution of public utility dedicated to activities in the fields of arts, science, education and charity. The symposium venue is inside a multidiciplinary building located within the beautiful Gulbenkian Park, which hosts the Art Library and the Modern Art Center. Its location is:
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
Av. de Berna, 45A
1067-001 Lisboa
How to get there:
Metro  (Underground) -> S. Sebastião (Blue or Red line)[see map here]
Buses  -> 716, 718, 726, 742, 746, 756
Map:
See big map
Click here to see more pictures from the beautiful Calouste Gulbenkian gardens.
Attendance certificate: All participants will receive an attendance certificate which will be included with the Symposium documents, supplied at the moment of registration at the congress reception.
Badges: You will receive a personalized badge when collecting your registration documents. During the Symposium this badge must be clearly visible all time, in order to grant you access to the venue, scientific sessions and catering areas.
Official Symposium language: The official language of the ISMEC2012 is the English, for all matters within its scope.
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Flying to Lisbon
The Lisbon International Airport (Portela) is served everyday by hundreds of flights to and from the main capitals in Europe and many other cities all over the world. Most of these flights are operated by the Portuguese airline company TAP, which is the official carrier of ISMEC2012.
If you book your flight through TAP you will get a 20% discount in business class and 10% discount in economy class. Please click here for details on the procedure.
Arriving in town
Lisbon International Airport is located close to the city centre (7 km), only at about 15-20 minutes distance from most of the centrally located hotels. The Airport is served by daily direct flights operated by the main air lines as well as by many of the low cost companies operating in Europe.
The Lisbon Airport is not yet connected to the underground system. Several bus lines (22, 44, 83, 705, and 745) connect the airport with the city centre for 1.75 €, but they only allow luggage with maximum dimensions of 50×40×20 cm. The Airport shuttle bus (AeroBus, for 3.50 €), or the taxi service (from 8 to 15 €), may be used as faster and more comfortable alternatives.
It is also possible to arrive to Portugal through the International Airports of Oporto or Faro. If you arrive at Oporto (Francisco Sá Carneiro airport), you can easily travel by metro to the Train Station of Porto-Campanhã, and there catch the train to Lisbon (Lisboa-Oriente or Lisboa-Santa Apolónia; check here for the train schedules).
If you arrived to Faro Airport, you can easily take a bus to the city center, and there you may catch a train (check here) or bus (check here) to take you to Lisbon.
Tourism in Lisbon
Many are the points of interest in this multicultural city, where the ancient and the modern are found together in a unique atmosphere.
A recent UK study has shown that Lisbon ranks on the top of a list of favorite city destinations in terms of key travel criteria, weighing the 10 most important factors at the time of choosing a holiday destination. These include aspects such as destination price levels, accommodation and flight costs, climate, quality of food, tourist attractions, exchange rates, security and easy access.
Fado music recently became a new item of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (see here and here), and so there is one more reason to travel to Lisbon: come and enjoy the beauty of listening to it!
In Lisbon, June is the month of celebrating the Saints with great festivities called Santos Populares. The most important day in Lisbon is June 13th, the city holiday, celebrating its Patron, Santo António. But the parties go all month, with many events such as street parties, fado, traditional dancing, fireworks, bonfires and of course, the scent of sardines. If you have the opportunity, do not miss some of the events happening in town. Click here (or here) to check what is going on during your stay. You will not regret it!
In the following websites you may find out what not to miss when you visit Lisbon, as well as complementary information:
http://www.strawberryworld-lisbon.com/lisbon/index.html
http://www.visitlisboa.com/Home_UK.aspx?lang=en-GB
You may also find several Pocket Guides for Lisbon, available to download free of charge: click here or here.
Moving around
To move around Lisbon, you can easily buy tickets at any metro station ("viva viagem" or "7 colinas" cards). If you choose the "Zapping" option (chargeable with 5 - 15 € each time), it is valid in most urban transportations, such as metro (1 trip per 1.15 €, instead of 1.25 € for the normal ticket), bus and tram (1 hour per 1.15 €, instead of 1.25 € for the normal ticket) as well as some elevators, train and boats. The trip cost will be discounted from the card on each validation of the "Zapping" ticket. Another option is the 24 h ticket (5 €), valid for unlimited trips in the former transportations within Lisbon city, during 24 hours. Each ticket is rechargeable and costs 0.50 €, so you'd better re-use them!
If you wish, you also can purchase a single trip ticket at any bus or tram. But in this case, the cost is higher than if you have a pre-payed ticket (1.75 € for bus or 2.85 € for trams).
Click here for downloading the metro network map and here for the bus network.
If you wish to visit Sintra (UNESCO Cultural Landscape, see here), you can catch the train at Rossio train station (connected with Restauradores metro station, blue line), which takes around 40 min to arrive to Sintra. From Entrecampos station you can also get to Sintra, by catching some direct trains or upon change, within almost the same time. The trip costs 2.05 € each way, or 1.80 € if you use a "Zapping" ticket.
Travelling to the beautiful coastal towns of Estoril and Cascais is also very easy by catching the train at Cais do Sodré train station (connected to Cais do Sodré metro station, green line). This nice trip by the shore takes around 40 min and costs 2.05 € each way, or 1.80 € if you use a "Zapping" ticket.
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More USEFUL information
Language: The official language in Portugal is the Portuguese. However, most people in the urban centers speak English language at a reasonably good level. Spanish and French are frequently well understood and spoken.
Currency, exchanging and paying: The currency in Portugal is the EURO (€). All major international credit cards are usually accepted for paying at restaurants, hotels and shops. ATM machines accept major international debit and credit cards. It is possible to exchange foreign currency into Euros in the main city hotels and exchange bureaus located in the city centre.
Climate: Lisbon offers a mild and temperate climate, with short winters and long hot summers with a maximum temperature of approximately 28 ºC (84 ºF). In June the temperatures oscilate between 25 ºC (75 ºF) and 16 ºC (61 ºF). However, due to Lisbon's proximity to the sea, the resulting breezes can sometimes make the temperature feel a little cooler by night, and you may feel cozier wearing a light sweater.
Insurance: Attendees of ISMEC2012 are recommended to arrange health and accident insurance prior to travelling to Lisbon. The congress organization will not assume any responsibility for accidents, losses or damages, as well as for delays or modifications in the programme caused by unforeseen circumstances. No claims for indemnification from the organizers shall arise for contractors or participants in case of cancellation, for any reason, for the entire Symposium. However, EU citizens can obtain a refund of most medical costs by using the European Health Insurance Card, which is available from the local health authority of your country.
National Emergency Number: 112. It connects you to fire, police and ambulance services.
Taxes (VAT): There is a variable value added tax (VAT) of between 6 to 23% applied to most items and services, but usually the prices you see already include it. When it is not included, this should be clearly indicated.
Tipping: Service is generally included in restaurant bills. Tips, however, may be given to show appreciation of a good meal or special service.
Visa requirements: Visitors from other EU member countries may enter Portugal using either a passport or a national identity document. Visitors from other countries must have a valid passport and a visa, if required. Inquiries regarding visas can be directed to Portuguese diplomatic representatives in your country. On request, the Symposium Secretariat will be pleased to send an invitation letter to individual scientists. Invitations of this kind are intended to assist potential delegates with raising their travel funds or obtain visas. They do not imply any commitment or responsibility on behalf of the Symposium to provide financial support. Delegates requesting an invitation letter must pay through bank transfer, no credit card payment will be accepted.
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