Travel Information
The nearest town is Östersund 70 km away from Gräftåvallen.
Östersund can be reached from Stockholm by airplane or train.
There will be organized transportation to Gräftåvallen
from Östersund airport and railway station (see below).
There are 6-8 daily flights in each direction between Stockholm
and Östersund. Flying time is about 1 hour.
There are two air-companies flying to Östersund - SAS and Transwede.
The SAS flights leave Stockholm from the domestic terminal (terminal 4)
at the Arlanda International Airport.
There are daily and overnight trains between Stockholm and Östersund.
Travel time is about 6 hours (day train). There are also train connections
between Östersund and Trondheim in Norway. The trains are good and can
be recommended because of the beautiful scenery.
Participants arriving in Stockholm on an international flight must
pass through the immigration control there, bring their luggage through the
customs, and transfer to the domestic terminal, which is 200 m away.
In order to get cheaper air-tickets from Stockholm to Östersund, you
need to make your reservations much in advance.
If you choose to take a train to Östersund, you will have to first
take a bus from Arlanda airport to the City-Terminal in Stockholm.
The bus takes about 40 min and costs 60 SEK. Taxi is much more
expensive (~350 SEK, and always check the price before the trip).
The central railway station is just across the street from the City-Terminal.
Participants from the US should know that the air-ticket
will be much less expensive if one stays in Stockholm for at least 8 days.
We can recommend a short stay in Stockholm after the workshop.
Stockholm is a nice city on the water (called Venice of the North) with a
number of museums.
Cheaper hotel alternatives can be found in the most beautiful suburb
of Stockholm - Saltsjöbaden (only 30 min by commuter train from the center
of Stockholm), where Stockholm Observatory is located.
Time table and prices for trains
Stockholm - Östersund
(prices and departure times are preliminary and can change by the end of June)
10.23 - 16.18 RECOMMENDED
15.53 - 21.39
21.00 - 5.35 (night train, sleeping compartments)
We marked RECOMMENDED on what we think is the best alternative,
since there will be organized transportation from/to the railway station
for people arriving/departuring with these trains.
Östersund - Stockholm
8.07 - 14.15 (Monday-Friday)
10.00 - 15.43 (Sat., Sunday) RECOMMENDED
14.43 - 20.43 (every day) RECOMMENDED
21.52 - 5.50 (every day, night train, sleeping compartments)
Normal prices:
1st class, one way ticket: 850 SEK
2nd class, one way ticket: 500 SEK
Price in the 2 class night train compartments is higher (~800 SEK).
There is also a possibility to travel cheaper.
If one buys the so called "reslust" card (150 SEK), the price is 380 SEK
one way. One needs ONE reslust card per family or two passengers.
Total cost for a return trip in that case is 910 SEK for one person, and
835 SEK/person for two people travelling together.
NOTE: The number of seats available for this price is limited. One has to buy
the ticket at least 7 days in advance.
Time table and prices for airplanes
(Stockholm - Östersund flight takes 1 hour)
There are two air-companies flying between Stockholm and Östersund:
Transwede and SAS.
Here is a preliminary time table for the SAS flights.
June 29, Stockholm - Östersund
9.00
12.00 RECOMMENDED
15.00 RECOMMENDED
18.15
July 4, Östersund - Stockholm
6.25
10.25 RECOMMENDED
16.00 RECOMMENDED
July 5, Östersund - Stockholm
13.30
16.30
We marked RECOMMENDED on what we think is the best alternative,
since there will be organized transportation from/to the airport
for people arriving/departuring with these flights.
The cheapest (return) ticket costs 685 SEK (in Sweden). This ticket
should be bought at least 14 days before departure. The number of seats for
this price is limited (10-15 on each flight). This ticket requires you
to make your reservations earlier.
Normal APEX ticket price varies between 1100 and 1800 SEK (should be
paid at least 7 days before departure).
We have booked a number of seats for 900 SEK (return ticket) at the flights
that we marked RECOMMENDED .
These tickets should be booked before April 30, 1998
Participants wishing to buy them should send an e-mail to Juri Poutanen.
You will pick up the tickets at the ticket counter at Terminal 4 at Arlanda
airport.
Travel to and from Gräftåvallen
There is no public transportation between Gräftåvallen and
the nearest town, Östersund. The distance is approximately 70 km.
We will bring the participants from the airport or the
railway station by buses and cars.
It is therefore essential that we have accurate
information about your arrival time.
If something goes wrong, please check with the information desk
at the airport or call Gräftåvallen (dial 0643-52010), or
Juri Poutanen's mobile-phone 070-3139531.
In the worst case, the best thing may be to take
a taxi to Gräftåvallen. The fare is of the order of 1000 SEK ($120).
We expect that participants will arrive to Östersund during the
day of June 29. The departure is on July 4.
The scientific sessions are from
9.00, June 30 to 18.30, July 3.
Participants interested in staying longer at Gräftåvallen (e.g.
for hiking), arriving/departing NOT by the train/flight marked RECOMMENDED ,
should inform the organizers as much in advance as possible.
Our hosts informed us that people can stay at Gräftåvallen
as long as they want (before and after our workshop, they are not
completely booked) for hiking, fishing, etc.
Rental Cars
There is, of course, car rentals at the Östersund airport.
Since the airport is very small, advance reservations are
strongly recommended. You have a choice between Avis, Budget, Hertz and
Europcar. The phone numbers are
Avis : 063-101250 or 020-788200
Budget : 063-104410 or 020-787787
Hertz : 063-102112 or 020-211211
Europcar : 063-574750 or 020-781180
Normal price per day is about 1000 SEK, weekend - 600 SEK.
It is generally much cheaper to rent a car from a STATOIL gas station
(~1500 SEK/week). Telephone in Östersund 063-123975. The address is
Krondikesvägen 97.
Currency Exchange
We recommend you to bring a modest amount of cash in Swedish
crowns(SEK) for minor expenses at Gräftåvallen (beer, drinks,
souvenirs, etc.) and for the registration fee. There is NO
currency exchange service at the airport or the railway station
in \"Ostersund. Please note that traveller's checks
can only be cashed in banks and major hotels and travel agencies.
The hotel at Gräftåvallen accepts major credit cards (except
American Express) and American Express traveller's checks.
The banks at the international terminal at Arlanda airport (Stockholm)
are open from 7 am until 10 pm and there is also a money exchange at the
City-Terminal and the central railway station in Stockholm.
Regular bank hours are 9.30 am to 3.00 pm, Monday through Friday.
The closest bank is about 30 km away from Gräftåvallen.
Visa
Citizens of most Western countries do not need visas to Sweden.
But, please, check with the Swedish embassy in your country.
We will send invitations by request.
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