All conference activities, including registration, will take place in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH.
All conference activities, including registration, will take place in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH.
The University of Leicester is situated close to the centre of the city, The conference will be held at the main campus of the University in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Rattray lecture theatre. Leicester is located in the middle of the UK, 100 miles north of London, with good access via road, rail and air.
Maps of the University and its location can be found here.
Details of travel arrangements to the University can be found here.
Arriving by Air:
Leicester is within easy reach of East Midlands, Birmingham and Luton Airports, all of which are served by budget airlines. There is a bus connection from East Midlands (£6) and train and bus connections from Luton (£40) and Birmingham (£12). London Heathrow is another option but the rail journey takes 2.5 hours and costs upwards of £67. If you use trains from London or Luton it is cheaper to book in advance at www.thetrainline.com
Long Distance Taxis:
If you are planning to take a taxi from or to an airport it is much cheaper to use a local Leicester taxi company not an airport one. Taxis should be booked in advance with flight details. Examples of local firms are:
Oadby Express +44 116 271 0088
A1 Airport Cars +44 116 289 5353
For other taxi firms see the following website.
Expect to pay £80 - £100 for a booked taxi from Heathrow, Gatwick or Stanstead, around £60 from Birmingham and around £40 from East Midlands airports. Delegates flying to East Midlands Airport can take an airport taxi operated by Checker Cars at a fixed price of about £37 (one way).
Local Taxis (within Leicester):
ABC Taxis 0116 247 0000
Swift Fox Cabs 0116 262 5262
Gold Line Cabs 0116 273 1110
Arriving by Train:
The railway station is 10 minutes walk from the University or Opal Court. A taxi from the station will cost a few pounds. The bus station is 30 minutes walk away; there is a taxi rank at the bus station.
Further information for travelling by rail can be found here.
Arriving by Bus:
Leicester is served by a wide range of coach services, mostly operated by National Express. Although slower than rail travel, journeys by coach are usually considerably cheaper and often have a smaller carbon footprint. In addition, there are direct coach links to Leicester from cities which do not have direct rail links, such as Manchester and Coventry. A coach from Leicester to London takes about three hours.
Further information for travelling by rail can be found here.
Arriving by Car:
Further information for travelling by car can be found here.
Car parking: There is no car parking at Opal Court. There is a Pay-and-Display car park for visitors on the campus at entrance 1. Overnight parking cost £10 per night. There is also a public car park (Victoria Park pay-and-Display) a short distance from the campus on Granville Road. On-street parking is available around the University area.
Maps showing the location of the University, and detailed maps of the main campus can be found here.
Conference delegates will have full access to network facilities. An electronic link will enable participants to demonstrate software packages in both the main lecture theatre and all other conference rooms.
Please e-mail jdr@le.ac.uk if you require a letter of invitation to obtain a visa.
Electricity: Electricity supply in the UK is at 240 volts. We use three-prong (English type) plugs. If you plan to bring a laptop computer, you will need an adaptor.
Weather:The weather is largely unpredictable. The average temperature in Leicester in August is 22 Celsius during the day and 12 Celsius during the night. The average rainfall during August is 5cm.
Money:The UK has NOT adopted the Euro as an acceptable currency and it can be used only in a strictly limited number of places. The only effective currency is the UK pound sterling. .