Location

The conference will be held in Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Toledo is the former capital of Spain and boasts many historic buildings. The conference venue is Hotel Beatriz, which is also one of the conference hotels (see Accommodation).

The following information and links are provided as a courtesy. There exists no relation between these companies and the conference organisation.  

Travel advice

Please check here whether you need a visa for Spain well in advance of your journey. If you need a visa, ask the Spanish Consulate in your country whether you need an invitation letter. If the Consulate requires it (contact the Consulate to check this!), you may request an invitation letter.

Spain's currency is the Euro (check currency conversions).

Weather is usually warm and dry in Toledo in May (see the National Meteorological Institute; weekly forecast for Toledo).

Getting there

The main international airport of the region is Madrid Barajas (Map of Madrid Barajas Airport). Direct flight connections from most major European cities to Madrid are available.

To go from Madrid Barajas Airport to Toledo, first you need to go to the Atocha train station, from where you can take a train to Toledo. There are several ways to get to the Atocha train station (called Atocha Renfe) from the Madrid Barajas Airport:

  1. The simplest and quickest way is to get a taxi at the airport. Cost: around 30 Euros, although prices may vary according to the time of the day, the day of the week, and the amount of luggage; please check the price list that each taxi must display inside the vehicle. Make sure the taxi metre is activated by the driver when you leave the airport, and count your change. Note: do not accept any taxi services offered inside the terminal building, but go to the designated taxi stands for a reliable taxi service.
  2. The cheapest way to get to the Atocha train station is to take the metro. Cost: 2.00 Euro. The metro stops at terminal 2 and terminal 4, which is very convenient for most travellers. It's about a ten minutes' walk from terminal 1 to terminal 2. There is also a free transit bus between terminals. Once on the metro, you have to change over twice, thus this option is not recommended if you carry heavy luggage. Several alternative metro routes are possible. Here is a possibility; you can find other routes using the metro map.
    • Metro line 8 (pink):
      Airport - Nuevos Ministerios
    • Metro line 6 (grey):
      Nuevos Ministerios - Pacífico
    • Metro line 1 (light blue):
      Pacífico - Atocha Renfe
    Note that there is also a train connection (called Cercanías) between Nuevos Ministerios and Atocha Renfe, which reduces the number of change-overs, but this option would require buying an additional ticket.
From Atocha Renfe, you take the train to Toledo. Train tickets can be reserved in advance, or you can simply buy your ticket at the station. You can check tariffs and make reservations at the RENFE web site. This site also provides a timetable. Note that some of the trains between Madrid and Toledo are bullet trains (called Avant or Alta Velocidad) (35 min.).

Airports in Spain
Route planner (by car, Spain only)
Route planner (by car, Europe)
Route planner and timetable (by train, Spain)
Route planner and timetable (by train, international)

Maps

Congress and hotel map
Google map of Toledo
Yellow Pages Map and Route Planner
Mappy Map and Route Planner  

Tourist information

Toledo Tourism Guide
Toledo Tourism (in Spanish)
Tourspain - Official Spanish Tourist Bureau
Going out in Toledo (in Spanish)