GENERAL INFORMATION:

Dates                   22-27 June, 2000.

Venue                  Hotel Euro Plaza, Istanbul, Turkey.

TRAVEL
Istanbul has several daily airline connections with all major European and many major US cities. For precise information about plane schedules and tickets, you can visit the homepage of Turkish Airlines.

HOW TO REACH THE HOTEL FROM THE AIRPORT?

There are two reasonable ways of reaching the Conference Hotel (Hotel Euro Plaza) from the airport in Istanbul.

One is simply by taxi. The taxi fare depends upon the time of day as well as how heavy the traffic is. Its order of magnitude is, however, around 20.-USD.

Another way is to take the airport by to TAKSIM, and then go to the hotel by taxi from there. During day time, there is a bus from the airport to the city center approximately every half hour, and the bus ride takes about 45 minutes. The taxi ride from Taksim to the hotel is about 5 minutes.

VISAS
Participants can follow this link to check whether they need a visa to enter Turkey. In most cases, visas can readily be obtained for symbolic fees upon arrival at the airport. Still, the participants are advised to check with the nearest Turkish Embassy or Consulate to get the most precise and recent information.

WEATHER
Weather is usually hot at the time of the conference, average daytime temperature being 27-29 degrees Celsius and average night temperature being 10-12 degrees Celsius in June. Number of rainy days is very few in June, however one may expect occasional showers. The participants may also want to bring their swimming clothes since the conference hotel has a swimming pool.

SIGHTSEEING AND FAVORITE PLACES
Being a major cultural, commercial and touristic center, Istanbul offers foreigners numerious options to explore a different history and culture. Those who are interested can check the following site and find touristic information such as the most important touristic and historical places, places to eat and drink, etc.

INSURANCE
The Local Organizing Committee cannot be responsible for any medical expenses, lost property, or accidents during the Congress, and we recommend that the participants insure themselves against such an eventuality.