Travel and Hotels


Arriving by plane


Pisa has an international airport (code PSA) with service to major European hubs and also a direct service to JFK airport in New York (in 2009 the direct service to JFK has been suspended for the winter, as a result of the economic crisis, but the schedule for fall-winter 2010 is not known yet). There are several low-cost airlines that fly to Pisa from most European destinations. The airport is very close to the city center and is connected by a city bus line and by a train service (from the Pisa Aeroporto train station).
The bus service is operated with the LAM Rossa (L/R) line , which runs approximately every 10 minutes. The ticket for the bus can be purchased at the airport for EUR 1.00 or from the driver for EUR 1.50 (there is a surcharge for onboard ticket sale). In principle, according to the bus company web site, a passenger would be allowed to carry, free of charge, up to two pieces of luggage with a total weight of 10 kg and a maximum size, per piece, of 50 cm x 30 cm x 25 cm. For heavier luggage, one is supposed to pay a surcharge depending on the weight, according to a table on the bus company web site. Based on such a table, the maximum size of the luggage could not exceed, in any case, 50 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm: this regulation is rather extravagant, because most suitcases would not fit within these limits: it is to be wondered whether it is ever applied in practice.
It is also possible to take a train from the airport station, which runs twice an hour and reaches the main train station in 5 minutes. Tickets can be purchased at the airport for EUR 1.10 (tickets are sold on board with a fine that is many times the cost of the ticket!). Tickets for this train and for any other train in Italy must be stamped at the yellow validating machines before boarding, otherwise they are void.
The other major airport in Tuscany is in Firenze and has flights to main Italian and European hubs. The airport in Firenze is connected with the main train station there (S. Maria Novella) twice an hour by a bus service (one-way fare EUR 5.00, round-trip EUR 8.00, sold by the driver at the airport or available from the ticket office at the bus station near the main train station). From S. Maria Novella there is frequent rail service to Pisa (about 3 trains per hour): the ride takes about an hour and costs EUR 5.70.


Arriving by train


Travel by train in Italy is very cheap and with frequent service (except during strikes, which sometimes can be limited to a single region and therefore very hard to know in advance). Connections from everywhere in Europe can be found at the Deutsche Bahn schedule server , which contains complete information about rail services throughout the continent. Be aware that there are three railway stations in Pisa: Pisa Centrale, which is the main station, located south of the Arno river, Pisa S. Rossore, which is close to the leaning tower, and Pisa Aeroporto, which is located at the airport.
Tickets can be purchased online on the web site of the Italian Railways . For most long-distance trains it is possible to choose the "ticketless" option, corresponding to an electronic ticket (remember to print out the page with the reservation codes or to write them down). For regional trains it is possible to get a ticket in pdf (valid only for the person whose name is on the ticket), which must be printed out and shown to the conductor. Notice that if you reserve a trip made up of more than one leg, you will often be offered only the possibility of getting a code and picking up the ticket at a vending machine at the station of departure: this may be risky, because the machines may be out of order or there can be long lines. It is always possible to partition the trip into single legs (with the current fare system the cost will be the same as getting a single ticket) and in this case the "ticketless" or pdf option should always be available.
Railway tickets sold in Italy are void unless properly validated before boarding the train at the yellow stamping machines. Only the tickets issued abroad, those for ES trains and those printed from pdf files do not need stamping.


Arriving by car


Pisa can be easily reached by car, being located at the intesection of two main highways: the A11 (E76) Firenze-Mare and the A12 (E80) Genova-Rosignano: for directions use Google Maps . The geographic coordinates of the entrance to the CNR complex are 43 degrees 43.165' N (43 degrees 43' 10'') and 10 degrees 25.428' E (10 degrees 25' 26''). There is limited free parking right in front of the entrance to the CNR facility, while a large free parking lot is located next to the bus stop, whose coordinates are 43 degrees 43.263' N (43 degrees 43' 16'') and 10 degrees 25.237' E (10 degrees 25' 14'').



Accommodation Information


A list of the main hotels is available, along with a Google map showing the relative position of the hotels and of the conference venue, as well as the two city bus routes that serve the conference location. The registration fee includes tickets for city buses, which will be provided at the time of registration, therefore participants are advised to purchase just one single-ride ticket to reach the conference venue for the first time.


Shown hotel rates are only approximate and refer to 2009, we will include the 2010 rates as soon as they will be available.


Budget accomodation may be available at "Residenza Praticelli" (which is also included in the hotel list), a newly built student residence hall that is very close to the conference venue. Actual availability at Resisenza Praticelli will be known only around the beginning of September 2010, and the number of rooms is expected to be limited. Please, do not contact the Praticelli administration before some definite information is posted on this web site.


Participants should contact the hotels directly, through their web sites, e-mail addresses or phone numbers (such information is accessible via the hotel list .