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.

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. Note that Feb 6 (our arrival day) is Saturday, and there is not so many flights. Thus we urge you to make reservations as soon as possible.

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.


Time table and prices for airplanes


(Stockholm - Östersund flight takes 1 hour) There are two air-companies flying between Stockholm and Östersund: Braathens and SAS. Here is a preliminary time table for the SAS flights.

Feb 6, Stockholm - Östersund
09.05
12.00
14.30 RECOMMENDED
18.15

Feb 11, Östersund - Stockholm
06.15
07.25
08.55
10.45 RECOMMENDED
13.35 RECOMMENDED
14.15 RECOMMENDED
15.50
19.45
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 January 10, 1999 Participants wishing to buy them should send an e-mail to Juri Poutanen at juri@astro.su.se. 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 February 6. The departure is on February 11. The scientific sessions are from 9.00, February 7, to 18.30, February 10.

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.


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 (Sweden country code is 46, skip first 0 when calling from abroad)
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 Östersund. 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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