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The conference will take place in the Maritim Hotel, in downtown Cologne, Germany. Here is a map with the location of the Maritim Hotel and the city center.
Flight
If you plan to come to Eurocrypt by plane, the three main options are as followsThe Cologne airport is served by most European airlines. In addition to most main carriers, the airport is served by several low-cost airlines, for instance Germanwings, Air Berlin, TuiFly, Wizz Air and others.
From the train station inside the airport you can take a local train (S-Bahn or RE) to the Cologne central train station. The ride takes 15 min. You have to purchase a ticket (Zone 1b) prior to boarding the train from a machine. The fare is currently €2.30. About once per hour, there are also high-speed trains (ICE) which take about 10min to the central train station. You can buy tickets in the ICE trains for a price of about €8.
An alternative is taking a taxi which are readily available outside the terminals. The ride is also about 15min and the fee will be in the range of €25-30.
Europe's second largest airport has excellent connections from almost every city in the world. There is a high-speed train (ICE) which directly connects the Frankfurt airport and the Cologne central station twice per hour. The train station is located inside the airport, and the train ride is under one hour. (Trivia: the 170km-stretch Frankfurt-Cologne has Germany’s fastest rail tracks). A one-way ticket is €60. Check the website of the German Railway (Deutsche Bahn) for schedules.
For some European and overseas travelers, this airport might be a convenient alternative. The airport is served by many European and US airlines.
There is a train station at Dusseldorf airport. The SkyTrain, a monorail train, brings you to the station "Düsseldorf Flughafen" which has several connections per hour to Cologne. The ride takes 30-40min. There is a counter and ticket machines at the train station where you should purchase a ticket prior to boarding the train.
Train
Cologne is one of Europe's main train hubs. There are excellent connections from many major European cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Munich, Paris, Zurich etc. Most attendees traveling by plane will also end up at the train station. The Maritim conference hotel is within walking distance from the central train station. You can get tickets and more Information at Deutsche Bahn (German Railway).Car
Travel by car can also be an option for some participants.The conference hotel is right in the centre of Cologne and has a parking garage. Cologne is located in the north-western part of Germany and there are excellent highways (with no general speed limits except where indicated).
Approximate driving times from major cities are: Brussels - 2h, Amsterdam - 3h, Hamburg - 4h, Paris - 5h, Berlin - 6h, Munich - 6h. On 1 January 2008 Cologne introduced low emission zones. In order to be allowed to drive in these zones you need a special sticker. (Sorry, this is Germany, a country which loves regulations.) For more Information visit Federal Ministry of Environment.
Other Information:
CurrencyGermany is part of the European Monetary Union (the so-called Euroland) and the currency is the Euro. International credit cards are widely accepted. Cash can be withdrawn from the many Automatic Teller Machines, which are mostly connected to the Cirrus and Maestro networks.
Time zone
Germany is in the Central European Time Zone. Central European Standard Time (CET) is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1).
Like most countries in Europe, Summer (Daylight-Saving) Time is observed in Germany, where the time is shifted forward by 1 hour; 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2). Daylight-Saving time will be observed from March 29 to October 25 and therefore during the conference.
Cologne Tourist Information
WikiTravel Information
Official Tourist Information
Museums of Cologne