Final Travel Preparations for Leiden

Traveling to Leiden

As many of you are preparing for your first visit to Leiden, a few tips and suggestions might be helpful to ensure a successful trip.
Items to be sure to pack!

1. Passport
2. Light overcoat and umbrella
3. Plug Adapter for your cell phone or laptop (220v ac)
4. Camera with extra batteries

Currency

The currency of the Netherlands is the Euro. Money can be converted at the Airport at a variety of locations. ATM machines are also widely available and often provide the best exchange rate. While credit cards are widely accepted, cash is best for smaller transactions.

Arrival at Schiphol Airport

Upon arrival you will first clear Passport Control before claiming your luggage. After retrieving your luggage proceed to the International Arrival Hall. The most economical and easiest method of travel to Leiden will be by train. The train platforms can be found in the center of the Plaza. Tickets for the train can be purchased from the ticket agent, purchases made from the machine must be made with coin or European Bank Card. The current cost of a Second Class, One-Way Ticket is €5.60. Trains to Leiden do depart frequently from Platforms 5/6. Depending on the train you choose, you will either have a direct connection or it will be the third stop. Diagram map of the airport – http://iamse.org/conf/conf13/airport_map.pdf

Taxis are also readily available at a cost of approximately €40.00

Arrival at Leiden Centraal

From the train station Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) is clearly visible. If you are headed directly to the IAMSE Meeting, continue to the Medical Education Building. You will find the registration desk on the ground floor. Please see the picture above to help identify the correct building.

For attendees staying at either the Golden Tulip or Tulip Inn; proceed in the opposite direction of LUMC towards the city center. As you exit the train station, walk left as the hotels are located across the street beyond the taxi stand.

For attendees staying at any other hotel; proceed in the opposite direction of LUMC towards the city center. As you exit the train station, walk left to the Taxi stand. For those staying at the Holiday Inn, there is a hotel shuttle; however it is advised that you first take the taxi to become familiar with pick-up and drop-off points. The Holiday Inn shuttle schedule – http://www.iamse.org/conf/conf13/holidayinn.pdf

In the center of the train station you will also find an Information Booth with individuals who can assist you in finding your destination.


Cell Phones

It is suggested that you contact your Cell Phone provider prior to leaving. Many have special International Calling plans that can be turned on for short durations saving you money. Others have no international support. It is better to know this before you travel than after!

Emergency Phone Number

Cell Phone – Julie Hewett +1 304 412 1834

Registration Desk

The registration desk will be open beginning at 8:00 am on Monday morning, June 29, 2009; please feel free to pick up your meeting materials at anytime!

Program Syllabus

The final program syllabus has been posted to the conference website for your reference. A copy will also be included with your registration materials. http://www.iamseconference.org

Safe travels to Leiden!!

Julie K. Hewett, CMP
IAMSE Association Manager

IAMSE Meeting - Deadline Reminder!

Photo by jkhewett

Dear IAMSE Members,

Just a quick reminder that if you have not yet made your hotel reservations for the upcoming meeting in Leiden please do so soon! After May 1st the IAMSE rates will no longer be offered. Rooms will still be available, but at a higher cost.

As of today we have well over 200 individuals registered from 27 countries!

Also, today I purchased my airline tickets for 1/2 of the price it was listed for in January ... more good news.

I am looking forward to seeing you in Leiden in just a few short weeks.

Julie K. Hewett, CMP
IAMSE Association Manager

Follow meeting developments on Twitter

Would you like to learn Dutch?

Image via Wikipedia

While communicating in the Netherlands is very easy as English is commonly spoken, you may want to familiarize yourself with the Dutch language.

I have recently found this website to be very helpful. There are 55 podcasts available for download, each between 2-5 minutes in length. Each podcast also contains a bit of information about the country, the customs and culture as well.

Enjoy!

Click here to Visit - Laura Speaks Dutch!

2009 Gala Dinner

The 2009 gala dinner during the IAMSE Meeting in Leiden, will be held in miniature city Madurodam in The Hague.

In Madurodam you will see the well-known buildings and scenes in The Netherlands replicated on a scale 1:25. The Parliament buildings of The Hague, the canal houses of Amsterdam, the Alkmaar cheese market and little trees and gardens, all replicated in minute detail. Windmills turn, ships sail and modern trains are tracersing the city on the world's largest miniature railway.

The dinner will be concluded by a spectacular laser show. Note that this very special event is included in your registration fee!

Leiden Grand Extravaganza!

2009 Grand Extravaganza
Cheeses and Dunes

IAMSE invites all participants of the 2009 Annual Meeting and especially the attending members of the Slice of Life community to join us at a spectacular Grand Extravaganza program on Friday July 3.

At 13.30 hr we leave with two luxury coaches from the LUMC conference site. A box lunch will be provided on board for your convenience. We will travel along the highway to Alkmaar, an old city west of Amsterdam. The name Alkmaar was first recorded in the tenth-century, and in 1254 Count Floris V granted Alkmaar a town charter. Located as it was at a meeting of waterways, Alkmaar charged tolls and levied duties on the transshipment of goods. Because of its markets and commerce, Alkmaar acquired a position as a centre. It is known that the city of Alkmaar had a weighing house for cheese as early as 1365. Since 1939, Alkmaar has been the only place in the Netherlands to maintain the cheese market tradition in this form. Every year, on 22 Friday mornings from mid-April to mid-September, the market takes place on the Waagplein. Nowadays, Alkmaar has grown into the educational centre of the region, with all types of advanced, secondary, and higher education. With its cheese market and historic inner city, Alkmaar is a draw for tourists and the region’s centre for culture, sport and nightlife.

The bus will drop us in the centre of town, where you are free to spend some time on your own. You can visit the City Museum, the Dutch Cheese Museum, the Dutch Stove Museum or the Boom National Beer Museum. But also lots of shops, little restaurants and bars are available for your convenience. Just enjoy the inner city and breathe the Dutch city life of centuries ago.

At 16.45 hr we gather together to ship in at one of the canal boats of Rederij Grachtenrondvaart Alkmaar for a canal trip through Alkmaar. This is a nice and exiting way to explore the city from the waterfront. Together with a captain and a guide we will sail 45 minutes through Alkmaar. In this time we will see the most beautiful places of the city and we will come across 22 very low bridges. This will make the trip an experience you will never forget.

When the boat tour comes to an end, we depart by bus to Katwijk, a little fishermen’s village near to Leiden which is located in the middle of the dunes. There we will have diner on the beach at restaurant De Zwaan at 19.00 hr. Afterwards there will be some time for a romantically walk on the beach, before we leave for Leiden at 22.30 hrs.

Bring some comfortable clothes, an umbrella if raining and especially don’t forget your cameras!

You must pre-register for this special event and note that availability is limited!!