General information for participants to the Technical Meeting of the National Correspondents Global Forest Resources Assessment FRA 2010 Rome, Italy, 3-7 March 2008

This note contains some useful general information prior to your arrival at FAO Headquarters. You will find more information on FAO and on Rome in the documentation available at the meeting.

Venue

The meeting will be held at FAO Headquarters, located on Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, in front of the Circo Massimo . It can be reached by car, bus, tram and metro (Circo Massimo stop).

Registration

Registration of participants will start at 8 AM on Monday 3 March 2008.

On the first day of the meeting, participants must enter at the Main Entrance in Building A, and proceed to the Turkish Registration Centre to the immediate left to register and pick up their Building Pass. A valid identity document will need to be presented to registration officials in order to collect the Building Pass.

Transport from the airport ( Rome-Fiumicino Airport - also called Leonardo da Vinci airport; all regular flights arrive here)

Please note that no pick-up will be provided. Kindly use the following means of transport:

Taxi

Delegates are advised to use only licensed taxis with meters. Surcharge fares are applied for baggage, night runs and on Sundays and holidays. It is not advisable to accept rides from unauthorized taxis either at the airport or at the railway station – Please go to the taxi stand. The average cost of a taxi ride from Fiumicino to FAO HQ or an hotel near to FAO is about Euro 60 but could vary depending on the day, time and heavy luggage. Remember to have Euros with you so that you can pay the taxi driver upon arrival. Please ask the Hotel staff for assistance shall you have any problems with the taxi drivers on arrival.

Public Transport

From Fiumicino airport you can take the train to Roma Ostiense station (directions: Roma ; Fara Sabina; Poggio Mirteto and Orte). The journey will take approximately 30 minutes to go from Fiumicino airport to Roma Ostiense and should cost Euro 5.50. Tickets for the trains from/to the airport can be bought at the stations of Fiumicino or Ostiense or . From Roma Ostiense most of the hotels booked for the meeting can be reached with a short taxi ride.

The Rome Ostiense train station is connected to the Piramide Line B metro stop. To reach FAO Headquarters take the direction for one stop to Circo Massimo, or walk (20 minutes).

The direct train LEONARDO EXPRESS (ticket € 11.00) is a non-stop train service (every 30 minutes) which takes you from Fiumicino airport to Roma Termini Station (the main station and subway station in the centre of Rome) in approximately 30 minutes. At Termini Station you can take the metro (linea B) to Circo Massimo (direzione/direction ) to reach FAO Headquarters.

Tickets for public transport (metro, buses and trams cost € 1.00) should be purchased in advance and are available from underground stations, tobacco shops and newspaper kiosks.

Money exchange

There are banks and exchange services at the airport and at FAO.

Weather

Average temperature in Rome during the month of March is 7-15 degrees Celsius. The average monthly precipitation is 57 mm.

Time zones Rome is GMT + 1 for details on time zones see: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Electricity supply Italy has a 220 volts electricity supply, the sockets are 3 round pins in a row. The European 2 pin plug can be used in most of these.

Emergency Telephone Numbers in Rome

The following numbers may be useful in case of emergency outside FAO Headquarters: • Medical Emergencies 118 • General Emergencies 113 • Fire 115 • Ambulance 118 • City Physician on Call ( Medico di Guardia) 06-58201030

Protecting Valuables

Participants are advised to carry their valuables in a safe place, especially on public transport. There might be pickpockets on the street, the underground and on buses and trams. Once participants have checked into their hotels, it is advisable to leave important documents such as passports in the hotel safe and to carry a photocopy. However, on the first day of the meeting please remember to bring your passport for Registration purposes.