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General Information
Athens City
Athens, a city rich in history and tradition got ready to welcome the world. The birthplace of Socrates and Plato, home of philosophy and cradle of Democracy had the honour and responsibility, for the second time in modern History, to host the Olympic Games. Next to its timeless monuments like the Parthenon, the Agora and the Panathinaiko Stadium, Athenshas built a modern infrastructure of great architectural and technological value. Athens today is a modern city, alive and on the go. Modern, but romantic as well, with busy streets and squares, shop windows a riot of colours, as well as little alleys in quiet, peaceful neighbourhoods such as Plaka and Mets. The Olympic games, has been an important milestone in the city’s history and is al asting legacy for Athens and Greece.Venue and date
The XV Regional Congress of the ISBT,
Europe will take place in Athens, from July 2-6, 2005 at, the “International
Conference Centre, Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall”. This brand new Congress
Hall, is fully equipped with state of theart audiovisual systems, which, along
with the venue’s luxurious environment, will provide delegates with a lifetime
experience. Located in one of Athens’ major attractions, with an excellent
range of Hotels of all categories, Restaurants, Shops, Museums such as the
Byzantine, the Benaki,the Cycladic Art and many other fascinating places. In
session breaks, you may enjoy a relaxing visit to the Eleftherias Park,
adjacent to the congress venueor to the National Gardens, located a few
minutes walk away.The Congress Venue is easily accessible by all
transportation means (metro, bus, trolley). One of the Metro Station is located
directly beneath the conference centre and provides direct access to many
parts of the city.
For more information, or to make a reservation, please contact us on:
Megaron, The Athens Concert Hall
Vassilissis Sofias and Kokkali Street
11521 Athens,
Greece
Telephone: +30 1 72 82 333
Banking service
The official currency in Athens is the EURO. Most hotels and restaurants, as well as many shops, accept all major credit cards. Banks are open from 08.00-14.00 hours (Monday-Thursday) and from 08.00-13.30 hours on Friday. ATM (automatic teller machine) is located in the Congress Centre and at the airport and the railway stations and furthermore in many places throughout Athens.Electricity supply
Electricity in Greece is supplied at 220 / 240 AC / 50 Hz. The plugs have 2 or 3 round pins similar to those in many European countries.Exhibition
A commercial exhibition of pharmaceutical items and technical equipment will be organised during the congress. Interested companies please contact the congress organiser for further information.Eurocongres Conference Management
Jan van Goyenkade 11
1075 HP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 20 679 3411
Fax: +31 20 673 7306
E-mail: isbt.athens@eurocongres.com
Insurance
The XV Regional Congress of the ISBT, Europe, accepts no liability for any personal injury, loss or damage of property belonging or additional expenses incurred to congress participants either during the congress or as result of delays, strikes or any other circumstances. Participants are requested to make their own arrangements with respect to health and travel insurance.Language
The official congress language will be English.Lunch
Lunch will be included in the registration fee. Lunch tickets will be included in the registration package of participants. These tickets are valid on Monday and Tuesday. With these tickets, lunch boxes can be picked up in the different catering areas on the exhibition floors.Programme changes
The organisers cannot assume liability for any changes in the programme due to external or unforeseen circumstances. Changes will be mentioned on message screens throughout the congress center.Registration hours
The registration area in the Athens Concert Hall will be open at the following hours:| Saturday 2 July | 12.00 – 19.00 hours |
| Sunday 3 July | 08.00 – 19.00 hours |
| Monday 4 July | 08.00 – 17.30 hours |
| Tuesday 5 July | 08.00 – 18.00 hours |
| Wednesday 6 July | 08.00 – 14.00 hours |
Shopping in Athens
In Athens the usual opening hours for shops are:- Monday, Wednesday & Saturday from 08.30-14.30 hours
- Tuesday, Thursday & Friday from 08.00-13.30 hours and from 17.30-20.30 hours
These times are not always strictly adhered to. Many shops in tourist resorts are open seven days a week. Department stores and supermarkets are open from 08.00-20.00 hours (Monday-Friday) and from 08.00-15.00 hrs (Saturday) and are closed on Sunday. Post offices are open from 07.30-14:00 hours (Monday-Friday)
Travel and visa
Upon request, the Congress Organiser is willing to send you a letter of invitation. It should be understood that this letter will be sent only to help participants to raise travel funds or to obtain a visa. A letter of invitation is not a commitment on the part of the organisers to provide any financial support. Applications for a letter of invitation should be sent to the Congress Organiser before May 1, 2005. Please note that only registered delegates who paid their Congress fees may apply for a letter ofinvitation. Applications received after May 1, 2005, will not be dealt with.Transportation
Travel by Air
Athens AirportThe Athens International Airport is located in Spata, 27 Kms north-east of Athens and handles all international and domestic flights. For more information please visit the Eleftherios Venizelos website: www.aia.gr
A special feature of this web site is that on the home page you can link to live arrival and departure information by clicking on the link Real Time Flight Information. The Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” is linked to the city center by:
From Airport by Bus:
Three express lines serve the Athens International Airport to Athens City Center on a 24 hours basis.The bus line E95 (Direction Syntagma) serves Athens City center (Syntagma, Constitution SquareThe following timetable is applicable:
| From Airport to Syntagma area: | From Syntagma area to Airport: |
| Every 25’ from 06.30 to 21.20 | Every 25’ from 06.00 to 20.40 |
| Every 25’-35’ from 21.20 to 06.30 | Every 25’-35’ from 20.40 to 06.00 |
Current ticket price for the airport
express line is € 3. It allows for unlimited travel by all transport
modes (bus, trolley and metro) for 24 hours from the time of its validation
during first trip (validates only once). Please refer to the hotel list (page
17) for the closest bus stop to the ISBT Conference Hotels.
From Airport by Taxi
An average journey by taxi from Eleftherios Venizelos
Airport to City Centre should take approximately 40/50 minutes, depending on
the traffic. The cost of the ride should be around € 25-28 per way. A
pre-ordered transfer can be organised for you. You will be met by your driver
and transferred directly to your Hotel. Do not forget to request your transfer
when registering, flight details can be sent at a later date.
From Airport by
Metro
The metro (Lines 2 and 3) runs from about 05.00 am until 02.00 am, every
10 minutes, the trip takes approximately 30 minutes. For further information
contact Attiko Metro or through the Internet www.ametro.gr
Weather
Typically Mediterranean climate. Athens enjoys relatively mild winters and lovely, temperate autumns and springs. The hot summers, while dry, can be oppressive at their heights. The “meltemi”, or summerwinds, can help break the heat. The climate is pleasant, and sunshine is plentiful. The minimum average temperature is 28ºC and the average maximum is around 34ºC.|
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