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General Visa To Dublin From/to Airport in Dublin Safety & Security Communication Shopping Medical Emergencies

[ General Information about Ireland & Dublin ] Ca. 486km long and ca. 275km wide island in the north west of Europe the Republic of Ireland occupies ¾ of the island Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland overall population of Ireland is ca. 4.5 million, with ca. 1.5 million living in Dublin (city+county) Languages: English and Irish (Gaelic). English is spoken throughout the island, Irish mostly in the west of the island. Places and names are usually given in both languages Time zone: GMT (daylight saving time applies from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October, GMT+1) Country code: +353 Climate: mild and changeable (please come prepared for all seasons), summer temperatures average is between 15° – 20°C (59° – 70°F), winter 7°C (44°F). Weights and Measures: mostly based on metric system (speed limits, distances), but the imperial system is still widely used (old/white road signs, beer is sold as pint (580ml) and glass (240ml)) Currency: € (EUR), see European Central Bank for more information VAT: 21% (cash back for visitors from outside Europe available) Voltage: 230 V / 50Hz (you may need an UK/Irish plug adaptor) Credit Cards: all major credit cards are widely accepted Opening hours: shops usually Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm (Thursdays until 8pm), Sundays from 12noon to 6pm Service charge: some hotels and restaurants add a service charge of 10-15% to your bill Tipping: small tip is appreciated for good service, but very unusal in pubs and bars. Tip taxis 10% and porters 65 Euro cent per bag Smoking Policy: Smoking ban in all enclosed places of work in Ireland. This includes office blocks, various buildings, public houses/bars, restaurants and company vehicles (cars and vans). For more information on Ireland please click here go to top

[ Visa and Passport Requirements ] Visitors from the E.U., Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and the U.S. require a valid passport but NO visa to enter the Republic of Ireland. Do I need a visa to come to Ireland? - please consult the Department of Foreign Affairs or your local Irish embassy for details more information about travel visa can be found here go to top

[ Travel to Dublin ] Ireland and especially Dublin is well connected to America and Europe via Dublin international airport. All major European hubs are less then two hours flying time from Dublin, thereby connecting it conveniently to all continents. For a comprehensive list of airlines and links, including low cost options, please click here The following airlines and alliances operate direct flights from/to Dublin: Aer Lingus / British Airways / One World (London, every major European city, USA east and west coast, Dubai) British Midlands / Lufthansa / Star Alliance (Frankfurt / Copenhagen, European destinations) KLM / Air France (Paris, European Destinations) Iberia / Aer Lingus (Madrid, European destinations) Ryan Air (European destinations) Within at most 2 1/2 hours flight time, every major European hub can be reached from Dublin: London, UK (50min, One World / Star Alliance from/to Europe, America, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Africa) Paris, France (1h 30min, KLM/Air France from/to Europe, America, Asia, Middle East, Africa) Madrid, Spain (2h 30min, from/to Europe, North & South America) Frankfurt, Germany (1h 45min, Star Alliance from/to Europe, America, Asia) Other large European airports, such as Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Zurich, Vienna and Brussels are within the 2 hours flight distance as well, providing convenient access to many international locations with all major alliances. go to top

[ Travel from/to the airport in Dublin ] Dublin airport is located ca. 6 miles north of the city center (map). Traveling from and to the airport can be done by bus or coach or by taxi. There is no rail, tram or metro access to the airport. Alternatively, you can rent a car at dublin airport. To go to the Herbert Park Hotel, you have the following choices: Aircoach offers service from city centre (and the Manweek 2006 venue - the Herbert Park Hotel) and south Dublin city to the airport. Their service runs 24 hours, every day. Tickets can be purchased from the Bus Driver and cost approximately €7 (one-way) or €12 (return). This service stops at most of the major hotels around Dublin City, including the Herbert Park Hotel. Dublin Bus offers many routes throughout Dublin to the airport, including an AirLink express bus from Heuston and Connolly Rail Stations. For the latest route details and timetable information click the following www.dublinbus.ie. Urbus offers service between Castleknock-Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and the Airport. Service is every half-hour at peak. You can get a taxi from the airport to most areas in Dublin. An average day fare from city centre is €15-20. Ask the taxi driver to estimate the fare before getting into the car if in doubt. There are extra charges for additional passengers, luggage, animals (other than guide dog), time of day, Sundays, and public holidays. All information regarding charges is available from the taxi driver. Details also available at the taxi rank at the airport. Please note that taxi drivers must present you a receipt of your fair on request. go to top

[ Getting arround in Dublin ] The conference hotel is in the affluent south city centre, only a few minutes walk from most major attractions. Dublin itself can be explored easily and safely by feet. Public transport is availabe with busses (www.dublinbus.ie), trams (www.luas.ie) and city trains (www.dart.ie). go to top

[ Safety and Security ] Dublin, especially the south of Dublin where the conferences are to be held, is a safe neighborhood where guests can walk freely at day and night time, as long as security advice applicable to all major cities is heeded. The security advice into account that applies to every major city. No special security concerns apply to Dublin. Nevertheless, the local organizers will provide advice to all attendees and will cooperate with local law-enforcement authorities to ensure a safe and secure environment for the conferences. go to top

[ Telephone and Mobile Phones ] Public phones are widely available, most of them accept coins, phonecards and/or major credit cards. They offer full range of services including reverse-charge, operator-assisted and directory inquiries calls. Local calls are ca. 0.25 cents. Mobile phones use the GSM 900/1800 cellular system, compatible with European, Australian and some north American mobile phones. Operators are Meteor (085), O2 (086), Vodafone (087) and 3 - all of them offer international roaming. You can also purchase a pre-paid SIM card (pay-as-you-go package) with a local provider as long as you have your own mobile phone. Prepaid phonecards or Callcards are widely available from newsagents, post offices and convenience stores. You can also use companies such as phonecards.ie to buy online. go to top

[ Shopping ] Dublin has a busy city centre shopping area around Grafton street and O'Connel Street (north and south of the river). There is a huge range of products to bring home: from traditional Irish handmade crafts to international designer labels. Things to buy: woollen knits, tweeds, crystal, Claddagh rings, pottery, silver and music. go to top

[ Medical Emergencies ] In case of a medical emergency you can contact the Mercers Medical Centre Department of General Practice Stephen Street Lower Dublin 2 Tel: 01 402 2300 Fax: 01 478 5822 Emergency phone number: 453 9333 go to top