EXTRAORDINARY SESSION GFCM Athens –Zappeion Hall April 7 th -9th , 2014 PRACTICAL INFORMATION 1.MEETING VENUE The Extraordinary Session of GFCM will be held in Zappeion Hall Zappeion Hall Located in the historic centre of Athens, the Zappeion Megaron is within walking distance ‐approximately 5’‐ from Syntagma Square and the Hellenic Parliament. Zappeion can be easily accessed by metro, buses, tram, trolley buses and taxis. By metro : Line 2 and/or Line 3 – Syntagma Stop Entrance‐Exit: Amalias Ave/National Garden By tram : Tram (T4) [Syntagma‐SEF] / Tram (T5) [Syntagma‐Voula] – Syntagma Stop By buses & trolleys : There is an extended network of buses and trolley buses getting to Zappeion. By taxi: Taxis in Athens are plentiful and inexpensive. You can normally hail them anywhere at any time of the day, but you can also call for a taxi. You may also use the “taxibeat” application when you look for a taxi via the internet. 2. ACCREDITATION In order to enter the Venue, for security reasons, all delegates attending the Extraordinary Session GFCM are kindly requested to complete the online form for the accreditation at the following address: https://delegation.gr2014.eu using the User name and Password. These codes, specific for each delegation, will follow in a separate e‐mail. Please note that it is necessary to complete the accreditation process. The accreditation process will remain open till Wednesday April 02 th 2014. 3. ACCOMMODATION The Extraordinary Session will take place during the Hellenic Presidency which has compiled a List of Recommended Hotels offering special rates exclusively for participants at the Zappeion Hall, where most meetings of the Presidency will be held. So, we sent to you a List of these Hotels. Delegates who wish to take advantage of the special rates of the List of recommended Hotels need to make their own accommodation reservations directly with the hotel of their choice. Accommodation requests should be made in good time as rooms are subject to availability. Please note that every reservation must be secured by a credit card. Reservation, payments or cancellation is strictly the delegates’ responsibility. A list of recommended hotels and the registration forms are attached to this email as well as an Athens map with the hotels indicated on it. Participants are Kindly requested to make their own reservation 4.CITY TRANSPORTATION Please note that no shuttle service will be provided at your arrival from the Airport to Zappeion Hall where the Extraordinary Session of GFCM will be held. We suggest to take public transports. Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos (airport code ATH, www.aia.gr ) is situated 33 km southeast of the capital city of Athens and is served by most of the international air carriers. The airport consists of a main terminal building, divided into areas A and B. Regardless of flight origin, passengers from all incoming flights exit from the Arrivals Level of the Main Terminal Building, where they go through Passport Control (fornon‐Schengen arrivals), pick up their luggage and exit from the Arrivals/All Users Area. There is rapid access to the city centre (Syntagma Square) via express bus routes, metro and suburban railway system and taxis. Getting to/from the Athens International Airport and the city centre, located about 20 km (12 miles) east can be achieved via: Metro: Take Metro Line 3 ( Airport– Douk. Plakentias – Agia Marina ), blue line, which connects the Athens Airport with the city centre. Trains run every 30 minutes, 7 days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The trip from/to the Airport to Syntagma station (Athens centre) lasts 40 minutes. Syntagma Square is the closest METRO Station to the meeting venue Zappeion Megaron. The cost of the ticket is at 8 EUR per person. You can transfer free to any other bus, trolley‐bus or metro line within 90 mins. You can buy tickets using the Automatic Ticket Issuing Machines in all METRO Stations and from Ticket Offices. Be sure to validate your ticket once at the station of your first boarding. Taxi : Taxis are available at the designated TAXI waiting area located at Exit 3 of Arrivals level. A taxi from the airport to the city centre costs a flat rate of €35 from 5:00 a.m.to midnight, and €50 from midnight to 5:00 a.m. The charge is determined by the time of arrival at the destination and includes all applicable surcharges and extras (eg. VAT, meter start, luggage, toll fee, and airport charge). According to the Greek Legislation, taxi drivers should provide a receipt for the amount paid for transportation services. More detail information on how to transport in Athens you can find at the following address http://www.athenstransport.com/english/ . Bus: Urban EXPRESS bus (Line X95, Airport‐Syntagma Square) connects the airport with the city centre. Service is provided on a non‐stop basis 24 hours per day, seven days a week. (http://www.oasa.gr/xmap.php?id=px95&lang=en ). All buses depart from the Arrivals Level (outbound trips from airport) and disembark passengers at the Departures Level (inbound trips to airport). Bus tickets are sold at the info/ticket‐kiosk (located outside the Arrivals between Exits 4 and 5), or onboard (ask operator) at no extra cost. The price of the ticket is 5 EUR, one way. Be sure to validate your ticket inside the bus. Trip to the city centre takes approximately 60 min, depending on prevailing traffic conditions. Passengers are advised to allow sufficient time for their transfer from/to the airport. The end of route, Syntagma Square, is 5‐8 min walk to Zappeion Hall. 5. CONTACT PERSONS In case of any questions concerning the above issues and the process, please don’t hesitate to contact us, by email or phone. • Ms D Georgacopoulou Tel. +30 210 9287179 e‐mail. [email protected] • Mr A Karagiannakos Tel. +30 210 9287182 e‐mail. [email protected] • Ms Maria Sfendilaki Tel. +30 210 9287121 e‐mail. [email protected] 6. VISA INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS Excluding citizens from EU all other citizens need to obtain visas in the nearest Hellenic Diplomatic Consular Departments. All detail about visa regime are available in the website of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.mfa.gr . Please make your visa application in person to Hellenic Consular Department of your convenience. NOTE For more detail information you can visit the official site of the Greek Presidency on the following address http://www.gr2014.eu/press/practical‐info. Information on the main attraction of the city of Athens as well as other interesting information on cultural events and recreation can be found at the following address www.breathtakingathens.com. .