IBERGRID Conference. Porto (Portugal). May 12 - 14, 2008
 
IberIAN GRID INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE

City Information:

Valencia, situated halfway down the Eastern coast of Spain, is the third most important city in Spain. Its population is 800,000 inhabitants, or 1,500,000 counting on the suburbs.

The average annual temperature is 16.7º C (22º in May), which includes mild winters and warm summers to be enjoyed on the regions sunny white-sanded beaches, which stretch out from the City of Valencia itself along the Valencian coastline. Valencia boasts one of the largest remaining historical centres in Europe, and the city's noble past can be felt here, in what was the Economic and Cultural capital of the Mediterranean in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Valencia lies halfway along the eastern Mediterranean coast. As a city of culture and art, equipped with the most up-to-date and efficient infrastructures, Valencia has a lot to offer for tourists. Recently, Valencia hosted the 32nd edition of the America's Cup and the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe in the Valencia Street Circuit.

Valencia is easy to get to, thanks to the modern transport network. Its ideal climate, with and annual average temperature of 18ºC, its architectural and cultural wealth along with its commercial activity all make Valencia a prestigious, open, cosmopolitan and dynamic city- a successful combination of tradition with today's modern features.

Valencia offers visitors an extensive range of tourist attractions, ensuring that everyone will enjoy their stay in the region: long beaches of golden sand on the coast, and inland mountain ranges; indoor and outdoor sports facilities; golf courses and sailing lessons; culture and entertainment; tourist attractions for everyone, exquisite cuisine, good business, interesting congresses and conventions, such as the City of the Arts and Sciences (www.cac.es) in Valencia.

You can find complete information about:

Transportation

The city of Valencia is easily accessible from abroad, through its port, motorway links, airport and railway network.

From the Airport, the easiest way to reach the UPV is by taxi. It should cost about 20-25 Euro and should take 25-35 minutes depending on the traffic. Taxi can be stopped on their way (if a green light is shown on the top), at taxi stops or calling a taxi service (such as Tele-taxi: +34-963571313).

There is also a bus service and subway service between Manises airport and the city centre. Buses will run every 20 minutes from 6.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. all year round and will cost 2.50€. Bus stops have been located at strategic points from the airport to the city. The best stop in the city is C/ Bailen (next to the GV. Ramón y Cajal tunnel), very close to a subway station (Bailen).

Transportation inside Valencia can be made by bus or subway. Links to the home pages of those services including the maps are provided in the "Useful Documents" section. As an indication, to arrive the UPV by subway you must take the tram (line 4) and stop at "Tarongers". You can access the tram from the subway with the same ticket, stopping at "Benimaclet" from line 3 of the subway. Ensure that the destination of the train and tram is the correct one since there are several lines sharing the same ways. All the trams stop at "Tarongers", but it is not the same for "Benimaclet". The bus lines stopping at the UPV are 18, 29, 30, 31, 40, 41 and 71, and the stops are clearly indicated in the monitors inside the bus ("Tarongers").

Valencia Airport (AEROPUERTO DE VALENCIA)

Infomation service: Phone +34 96 159 85 00

Direct flights to and from Valencia, International Airport: Berlin, Cologne, Bonn, Dusseldorf, Munich, Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan, Rome, Casablanca, Lisboa, Bristol, Coventry, Doncaster, London, Nottingham, Geneva and Zurich.

All destinations are available via Madrid and Barcelona Airports.

Distance between the Airport and the city centre: 8,5 Km. You can take a taxi (time: 20 - 30 minutes) the cost is about 18 euros, or a bus (time: 50 minutes) with several stops in the city and the cost is about 2,5 euros or the subway (time: 30 minutes) with a cost of 1,8 €.

If you fly into Madrid or Barcelona airport you can get to Valencia by railway (ALARIS train, EUROMED train). Valencia train station (ESTACION DEL NORTE) is located in the city center (www.renfe.es).

Accomodation

Participants should make their own lodging arrangements. To make it easier we have prepared a list of hotels (see below). You can see a map of situation of these hotels. If none of these hotels fits your needs you can consult more accommodation offers at Comunidad Valenciana Tourism web page.

Practical information for visitors

  • TIME ZONE
  • People generally eat later than in other European countries: breakfast (7:30 and 10:00 a.m.) is similar to the continental style. Restaurants serve lunch between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., and dinner from 8:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.
  • BANKS
  • Most banks are open from Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Only a few branches open on Saturday mornings. There are 24-hour automatic tellers around the city, and most (Servired, 4B, etc.) offer international services.
  • ELECTRICITY
  • Standard electrical voltage in Valencia is 220-240 V AC, 50 Hz. A transformer and an adapter are necessary to use North American electrical appliances whose plugs have two square pins. Adapters are available in most hardware stores.
  • GASTRONOMY
  • You can find good information about gastronomy at: www.comunitatvalenciana.com/gastronomia/gastro1.htm

Useful Documents

Some links about Valencia:






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