SPIE Photonics Europe 2012 will be held at THE SQUARE - BRUSSELS MEETING CENTRE, Museumstraat 8 rue du Musee, B-1000 Brussels www.square-brussels.com
This venue is located right next to the Central Station for Brussels (Brussels Centrale/Zentraal), and no further connection via the public transport system is required.
Transportation
Wellkom in Brussels! Bienvenue à Bruxelles!
Brussels is the thriving centre of Europe, and as the new venue of SPIE Photonics Europe, THE SQUARE Conference Centre is right in the heart of it. It is just a short stroll from all of the historic city's major attractions with over 13,000 hotel rooms just around the corner, plus the pick of the city's restaurants, bars, and shops. Brussels is home to the European Commission, Parliament and NATO, a buzzing, influential city where history is made. The city is a key European commercial hub, too, and a base for many progressive international companies. But more than that, Brussels is a diverse and rich cultural centre, steeped in history, yet always ready to embrace the new, as its eclectic architecture demonstrates. Galleries and museums of all sorts abound, and there's a thriving comic-book scene built on the legacy of Hergé, the creator of Tintin.
THE SQUARE is located in Mont des Arts, the lively cultural quarter. For further information on things to do and events, please contact the Belgian Tourist Office at:
Belgian Tourist Office 30,
Rue Saint-Bernard B - 1060 Brussels
Phone: +32 (0) 70 221 021
Fax: +32 (0) 2 513 04 75
www.belgiumtheplaceto.be
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By Air:
Brussels-National Airport (located at Zaventem)
STAR ALLIANCE - Official Airline Carriers for SPIE Photonics Europe 2012
SPIE Photonics Europe has selected Star Alliance as the Official Carriers for the Photonics Europe 2012 event. View Discounted Published Fares Star Alliance offers!
To learn how to benefit from the reduced fares and to book your ticket, please view the Star Alliance website, choose the Delegate menu and quote the Convention Code SN06S12.
Brussels National Airport
The airport train station is located below the terminal (basement level-1). Up to 4 trains an hour connect the airport to Brussels North, Brussels Central and Brussels Midi stations.
Taking the local train to the Square: Passengers should use the local train from Brussels National Airport to reach Bruxelles-Centrale Station (Zentraal) which is the station right next to The Square Conference Centre. Single journey fare is €5.30 one way; ticket can be purchased at the counter descending to the platform or on the train from the conductor (may cost more).
Universal Currency Converter
The train also stops at:
Bruxelles-Nord Station
Bruxelles-Centrale Station (Zentraal) - next to The Square Conference Centre
Bruxelles-Midi Station (Eurostar)
Website: www.batc.be
Phone from abroad: +32 (0) 2 753 77 33 (flight)
Phone from Belgium: 0900/70000 (€ 0.45/min)
Brussels South Charleroi Airport
Brussels South Charleroi Airport is located at 46 Km of Brussels (trains, buses or taxis can take you there). Directly linked to the city by more than 20 daily shuttles (shuttles Charleroi Airport - Brussels Midi train station).
Shuttles Tariffs: single fare 13€/return fare 22€ (Shuttle Tickets: sold inside the terminal, counter 1) or tickets also on the internet www.voyages-lelan.be
From Brussels: Tickets may be purchased on board the coach (trip takes 1 hour)
You can find information on the website: www.charleroi-airport.com
Phone: +32(0) 71/ 251 211 for information about flights
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By Road:
Brussels is well connected to the main traffic arteries of Europe. There are 650 parking places under the SQUARE building.
GPS data to get to The Square: 50.580242, 4.142435
When driving in Belgium, a valid national or international driving licence is required. The speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways is 120 Km/h and 90 Km/h on the others roads. Within built-up areas the speed limit is 50 km/h. Throughout Belgium there is generally a charge for parking. Parking meters or tickets machines take 10 eurocents, 20 eurocents, 50 eurocents one euro and two euros.
Breakdown recovery:
Emergency phones are at regular intervals on motorways and are connected to an emergency control room.
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By Car:
Call your local Hertz Reservation Centre or, in the USA, the Hertz International Reservation Centre at +1-800-654-3001 to receive a special discount for the SPIE Europe Photonics Europe Meeting. Reservations can also be made online at www.hertz.com. You will receive 15% off qualifying retail rates with unlimited Mileage at participating locations in Brussels.
Be sure to identify yourself as a SPIE Europe Photonics Europe meeting attendee. Please print this Hertz Discount Coupon and present it at time of rental in order to receive this discount. The PC reference given must be on your advance reservation to receive this special offer.
This special offer is available for rentals from 1-30 April 2012.
Local Hertz Bureau: Phone: +32 (0) 2 702 05 11
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By Rail:
Brussels is part of the European high speed train network, with direct links to London on Eurostar, Paris on TGV, and, through connections, onward to Germany via the TGV and Thalys networks. For more information, travel schedules, and pricing, please visit the Belgian TGV site at: http://www.tgv-europe.be/en/. Depending on which network you travel on, trains terminate at the station Brussels-Midi (Eurostar), from where public transport is available to Brussels-Centrale, which is next to the new venue of Photonics Europe. Belgian National Railways SNCB: www.sncb.be (Phone: +32 (0) 2 528 28 28 (Choose international option).
There are three major railway stations in Brussels:
Bruxelles-Nord
Bruxelles-Centrale (Zentraal) - next to The Square Conference Centre
Bruxelles-Midi (Eurostar)
By Metro:
The airport train station is located below the terminal (basement level-1). Up to 4 trains an hour connect the airport to Brussels North, Brussels Central and Brussels Midi stations. Moreover there are direct train services to the East, South and West of Belgium.
- Gent - Wetteren - Aalst - Denderleeuw - Brussel - Brussels Airport
- De Panne - Diksmuide - Lichtervelde - Deinze - Gent - Brussel - Brussels Airport
- Quévy/Quiévrain - Bergen - Braine-le-Comte - Halle - Brussel - Schaarbeek - Brussels Airport
- Train to Leuven and Landen run twice an hour. If you change trains you can easily get to the provinces of Limburg (via Hasselt) and Liège (via Luik-Guillemins).
- Opening hours and contact data train station
Information on the schedules of all Belgian and international train services can be found on the Belgian Railways website. Enter BRUXELLES NAT AIRPORT as departure station or destination.
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General Information for Travellers
Belgian Tourist Office(s)
Languages
Banking & Currency
Time
Electricity
Emergencies
Health & Chemist
Disabled Travellers (Red Cross)
Shopping
Tipping
Telephone
Belgian Tourist Office
30, Rue Saint-Bernard
B - 1060 Brussels
Phone: +32 (0) 70 221 021
Fax: +32 (0) 2 513 04 75
Website: www.belgiumtheplaceto.be
BI-TC (Bruxelles International)
2 rue royale, B-1000 Brussels
Phone: +32 (0) 2 513 8940
Fax: +32 (0) 2 513 8320
Email: tourist@brusselsinternational.be
Website: www.brusselsinternational.be
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Languages
Belgium has three official languages: French, Dutch and German. English is understood and spoken almost everywhere.
Banking and Currency
Banks are open Monday to Friday from 0900-1200 and 1400-1600. Most large cities have currency exchanges, which have longer opening hours. Exchange facilities are also available at airports, at main railway stations and in exchange offices. The national currency is the Euro.
Time
Belgium is on Central European Time (CET).
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are the 2-pin round types.
Emergencies
'100 Ambulance '100 Fire brigade '101 Police '112 European emergencies
Health & Chemist
For available health care services in Belgium, please visit the site of the British NHS (http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/healthcarebelgium/Pages/healthcarebelgium.aspx). As a European resident, it is advisable to have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) (http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=559&langId=en) which can be obtained free of charge from the resident's health insurer. In the UK, this card can be obtained by visiting https://www.ehic.org.uk, or by calling: +44 845 606 2030. If you are unable to obtain EHIC, please ensure that you carry your passport and your health insurance details with you at all times. A travel insurance should still be taken out in all cases.
Chemists, Pharmacie in French, are normally open from 0900-1800. During the weekends, special arrangement applies for them. The name of the closest pharmacist on duty is indicated at every pharmacy.
Disabled Travellers: For information and advice please contact the Belgian Red Cross, well in advance of travel:
Belgian Red Cross
Crois Rouge de Belgique/Belgian Red Cross
96, Rue de Stalle
1180 Brussels
Phone: +32 (0) 2 371 31 11
Fax +32 (0) 2 646 04 39
Email: www.redcross.be
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Shopping
In most cities, shops are open from Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 6 or 7pm. Whilst Sunday is the official closing day, in many towns, souvenir shops will also be open on Sundays during the tourist season. Sunday is the ideal day for Flea Market fans. Bakeries and Patisseries are also open on Sunday mornings.
Tipping
Never an easy matter, is not normally expected in Belgian cafés, restaurants or hotels as service and V.A.T. are included in the bill. You can, of course add an additional tip if the service has been particularly good. Taxi fares also include in amount shown on the meter, but it is normal to round up the sum.
Telephone
Telephones kiosks tend to be located at railways stations, supermarkets and cafés. They contain a notice with instructions in several languages including English. Some telephones require phone cards, which can be bought at the post offices, some newsagents and supermarkets. Credit cards can sometimes be used to make calls. The code for calling Belgium is +32 followed by the area code minus the initial 0.
