AOSD 2008 Local Information

The Conference Venue and How to Reach It

Want to know how to get to AOSD2008 from the hotels? Download the reaching AOSD08 from the hotels handout.

Due to its central location in Western Europe and importance as "the Capital of Europe", Brussels is easy to reach for international travellers.

Reaching Brussels and the conference hotels

By Airplane

The Brussels International Airport (http://www.brusselsairport.be/) is located just outside of Brussels. The centre of Brussels can easily be reached by train or taxi.

Taking the train

The train station is located in the basement (level -1) of the terminal building of the airport itself.

Brussels Airport is less than twenty minutes by train from the city centre. From 06:00 till nearly midnight, the Airport City Express links the airport with Brussels Midi, Central and North four times an hour. A one-way ticket costs 2,60EUR second class and 4.10EUR first class.

If you're going to the centre, buy a ticket going to 'Brussels Central Station'. Take any train at the airport going to Brussels, and get of at the station Brussel Centraal: Bruxelles Central.

If you're going to the conference venue, buy a ticket going to Etterbeek. Take any train at the airport going to Brussels, and get of at the station Brussel Centraal Bruxelles Central. Switch trains in Brussels Central and get on a train with destination Louvain La Neuve Univ or destination Jemelle. Get off at the station Etterbeek. From there on walk to the University.

Timetable information for the trains is available on the Belgian Railways (SNCB/NMBS) website (http://www.b-rail.be/main/E/); enter Zaventem Airport as the departure or destination station.

Taking a Taxi

Follow the signs for taxi at the airport. Ask the driver to bring you to your hotel, or to the conference venue at the VUB, pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel. In the latter case, ask the driver to take entrance 6 or 13 of the VUB campus. The fare from the airport to the city centre of Brussels is normally around 35EUR.

By Train

Brussels is easily reached by train from all over Europe.

Paris-Brussels takes 1 hour 20 minutes using the Thalys train
London-Brussels takes about 2 hours 30 minutes using the Eurostar train (which travels beneath the North Sea)
Amsterdam-Brussels takes about 2 hours 40 minutes using the Thalys or local trains
Colonge-Brussels takes 2 hours 20 minutes using the Thalys train

The trains schedules and fares can be consulted on http://www.thalys.com and http://www.nmbs.be.

If arriving in Brussels by train, you will have to get off at 'Brussels South Station' (Brussel Zuid - Bruxelles Midi) or 'Brussels Central Station (Brussel Centraal - Bruxelles Central).

By Car

Please note the parking information page.

Being in the centre of Europe, Brussels is easy to reach by car. Finding your way in Brussels might be bit more difficult though... :-)

Be aware that in the northern part of the country city names are displayed in Dutch, while in the southern part they are displayed in French.

Get into the center of Brussels from the Netherlands (by E19):

Drive towards Brussels along the E19 via Antwerpen and Mechelen.
At the end of the E19, enter the ring, direction "Gent - Oostende - Charleroi".
Exit from the ring at the cloverleaf after exit nr 10 "Asse-Zellik". Follow the signs "BrusselKoekelberg".
After a few minutes, you are heading for a large cathedral (the "Basiliek/Basilique").
Just before the cathedral, enter the tunnel on your right.
To get to your hotel, see below

From Germany (by E40):

Drive towards Brussels along the E40 via Luik/Liège and Leuven.
At the end of the E40, enter the ring, direction "Gent - Oostende - Charleroi".
You will pass several cloverleaves; keep on following the ring.
Exit from the ring at the cloverleaf after exit nr 10 "Asse-Zellik". Follow the signs "BrusselKoekelberg".
After a few minutes, you are heading for a large cathedral (the "Basiliek/Basilique").
Just before the cathedral, enter the tunnel on your right.
To get to your hotel: see below

From France or UK (by E40):

Drive towards Brussels along the E40 via Gent and Aalst.
At the end of the E40, go straight ahead, direction "Brussel - Koekelberg".
After a few minutes, you are heading for a big cathedral (the "Basiliek/Basilique").
Just before the cathedral, enter the tunnel.
To get to your hotel: see below (reaching the hotels by car)

From France (by E19):

Drive towards Brussels along the E19 via Mons or Charleroi.
At the end of the E19, enter the ring, direction "Gent - Oostende".
Exit from the ring at the cloverleaf after exit nr 11 "St Agatha-Berchem/Groot-Bijgaarden". Follow the signs "Brussel-Koekelberg".
After a few minutes, you are heading for a large cathedral (the "Basiliek/Basilique").
Just before the cathedral, enter the tunnel on your right.
To get to your hotel: see below (reaching the hotels by car)

From France or Luxembourg (by E411):

Drive towards Brussels along the E411 via Namur.
At the end of the E411, enter the ring, direction "Gent - Oostende".
You will pass several cloverleaves. Exit from the ring at the cloverleaf after exit nr 10 "AsseZellik". Follow the signs "Brussel-Koekelberg".
After a few minutes, you are heading for a large cathedral (the "Basiliek/Basilique").
Just before the cathedral, enter the tunnel on your right.
To get to your hotel: see below (reaching the hotels by car)

Reaching the hotels by car

Exit the tunnels the first time you come up (this is not the first exit, there is an underground exit before this one). The sign for this exit reads "Centrum/Centre, but it is hard to spot and hardly legible. Do not enter the next tunnel, but continue on the avenue which runs above the tunnel.

To reach the conference hotels, turn right at the third traffic lights after exiting from the tunnel. This is the "Emile Jacqmainlaan/Boulevard Emile Jacqmain". After a while, you will see a square called "Brouckereplein/Place de Brouckere". From here on, consult mappy by typing the address of your conference hotel; they are all located around The Brouckereplein.