Travel info

The Serpins 2008 meeting will take place on 12-16 July 2008 in Faculty Club in Leuven (Belgium).

Meeting venue address:
Faculty Club
Groot Begijnhof 14
3000 Leuven
Tel: +32 16 32 95 00
Fax: +32 16 32 95 02
Mail: info@facultyclub.be

The meeting takes place in the old infirmary and the Chièvres Convent, which is part of the ‘Groot Begijnhof’, the larger of the 2 beguinages still visible in Leuven. The Groot Begijnhof has the appearance of a small town in the city. It is a succession of streets, squares, gardens and parks, with tens of houses and convents in traditional brick and sandstone style. This small town was restored between 1964 and 1989 by the Catholic University of Leuven, who had purchased the site in 1962. Today it houses students and university staff. On 31 March 2000, it was officially recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Location

The meeting venue is located at the edge of the city in the beguinage. You can find the exact location of the meeting venue here. All the hotels chosen for this meeting are close to the meeting venue. More booking information as well as the exact location and prices of the different hotels can be found on this page.

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Coming by plane

The city of Leuven is a small, cosy university town and is located at 30 km from Brussels, at a 20 minute taxi-drive from the international airport of Brussels (Zaventem). A direct train shuttle service from the airport to Leuven is provided (this takes about 15 minutes). You can find practical information, travel formulas, the best connections and itinerary using the Belgian Railways (NMBS) online search engine. From the Leuven railway station, you can walk to the hotel/take a taxi.

If you fly into Charleroi Airport (also called Brussels South), there is a bus service to the railway station Brussel Zuid (Bruxelles Midi). From Brussels there are direct trains to Leuven (approx. 30 mins). You can consult the NMBS website for timetables.

Coming by car

Leuven is situated on the axis Oostende-Brussel-Leuven-Liège-Köln, at the junction of two important motorways: E40 and E314. In the centre of Leuven the city authorities are trying to reduce automobile traffic, and parking space is therefore rare, limited in time and rather expensive. A limited number of parking spots are available at the meeting site.
Visitors are advised to use the public car-parks or private garages. It is about a 10-minute walk from the parking garages to the city centre. You can also leave your car in the car park near the railway station or in the car park of your hotel (check hotel website for availability).

Coming by train

Leuven is situated on the main railways lines crossing Belgium. Timetables can be found on the website of the national railway company NMBS.
When you leave the railway station, the meeting venue is a 30 minute walk away (2 km). You can follow the route on this map (insert link google map).
You can find practical information, travel formulas, the best connections and itinerary using the Belgian Railways (NMBS) online search engine.

Public transport within Leuven

Although most places in Leuven are at walking distance, you might consider taking a bus. In Flanders, the bus company is called De Lijn (The Line). There is a major bus station at Leuven railway station. Most buses drive through a part of the city centre and have a stop at Fochplein (at the back of St-Peters church). From there it's only 10 minutes walking to the Faculty Club.

Please note that a prepaid ticket is up to 20% cheaper than when you buy your ticket on the bus. Prepaid tickets are being sold in a large number of places (newspaper stands, grocery shops, book shops, ...). A prepaid ticket costs 1,20 € whereas you will pay 1,50 € for the same ticket on the bus (for inner-city rides). It's even more interesting to buy a card (Lijnkaart) which allows you to take several rides. You might also consider buying a 3- or 5-days pass for unlimited bus rides. They cost 10 € and 15 €, respectively. These cards need to be inserted in the validation device located at the entrance of the bus each time you take a ride. Bus passes can also be purchased on the bus.

Taxi services in Leuven

Here are some taxi services that operate in Leuven:

Taxi's BRECKPOT NV
Maria-Theresiastraat 55
3000 Leuven
Tel: +32 16202020 or +32 16228888 or +32 16232222
Fax: +32 16239999

Cordons-Van Minsel BVBA
Hoveniersdreef 31
3001 Leuven (Heverlee)
Tel : +32 16222000
Mobile: +32 475242400 or +32 495222000
Fax: +32 16222022
E-mail : taxicordons@skynet.be

Taxi Alex
Bierbeekstraat 116
3001 Leuven (Heverlee)
Tel: +32 16291616
Mobile: +32 475720666

Taxi's Jenny NV
Diestsesteenweg 489
3010 Leuven (Kessel-Lo)
Tel: +32 16253565 or +32 16261010
Fax: +32 16254326

Taxi Gerard
Wipstraat 27
3010 Leuven (Kessel-Lo)
Tel: +32 16250999
Fax: +32 16252598

Weather forecast

The weather forecast provided by the official meteorology service in Belgium.

Visa

Information on whether or not you need a visa to visit Belgium can be found on this page:
http://www.diplomatie.be/en/travel/visa/default.asp

Belgium: Fast fact sheet

 

More information on Belgium:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/europe/belgium