Information about Tromsø and the venue

Entry to Norway

Norway is not a member of the EU, but is part of the Schengen agreement. Thus, nationals from countries within the Schengen area do not have to show their passport when entering Norway; however it is recommended that you bring your passport (www.visitnorway.com). Some nationalities will require a visa. Information about which nationalities need a visa, and where and how to apply (including forms) is found at http://www.norway.info/.

Location and Weather

The symposium will be held in the city of Tromsø, at almost 70° north. Tromsø is the largest city in the Nordic countries north of the Arctic Circle and is home to the world’s northernmost university, brewery and cathedral. The city lives on education, research, administration, fishing, exports and satellite technology. The centre of the north has about 65,000 residents and the Municipality of Tromsø covers an area of 2558 km². Around 55,000 people live in the centre of Tromsø, while the remainder are scattered throughout the whole municipality. More information on Tromsø can be found on the website www.destinasjontromso.no.

In spite of the location so far north, Tromsø enjoys a moderate insular climate. Summer weather ranges from 5°C and rain to 28° and fantastic swimming conditions for the undaunted. The Midnight Sun is visible from around 21 May to around 21 July. Between 21 November and 21 January, the sun disappears under the horizon and we experience the Polar Nights.

During the conference dates, Trosmø is experiencing late spring or early summer, depending on your point of view and on when the snow melts that year. The average high and low temperatures for the period are 11° and 4.5°C, and in all but one of the last 33 years the snow has melted away entirely before the conference will begin. Temperatures during the conference dates have ranged from 0° to 25°C over the last 33 years, so participants should expect variable weather. More Tromsø weather information is available at www.yr.no.

Spring has arrived in Tromsø. After a high temperature on 17 May (Norway's national holiday) of 21.3°C, the snow is gone in the city and things are beginning to green up. Things have cooled off since the 17^th, with temperatures around 8°. For more information, see the Meteorological Institute's long-term forecast.

Venue

The symposium will be held at Teorifagbygget at the University of Tromsø (overview map, detail of campus, link to Google map, Google map with points of interest marked). Two auditoriums in this building will be used for the oral sessions, and posters will be presented in an area near these auditoriums that will be accessible throughout the symposium. Lunches will be served in a cafeteria in the same building.

The icebreaker on Sunday and meetings on Sunday before the symposium and Friday afternoon and Saturday after the symposium will be in the Polar Environment Centre, near the city centre (city centre map).

Name tags

Please wear your name tag every day to ensure admission to symposium events and proper serving at lunch.

Information desk and staff

The information desk located in the glassed-in room outside the auditoriums will be staffed during all sessions. All staff will be wearing identifiable symposium shirts. A member of the staff can also be reached by calling (+47) 9165 2352.

Lunch

Lunches will be served in the cafeteria, one level up from the conference area. Please keep your name tags visible. If you specified dietary restrictions when you registered then you should pick up a lunch labeled with your name from the separate line for those with dietary restrictions.

Computer and internet

Open wireless internet access is available at the venue. A few stationary computers are offered for shared use near the information desk.

Meeting room

A small meeting room located just outside the auditoriums is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please use the sign-up sheet by the door to reserve the room.

Coat room

Please hang your coats on the wall at the back of the auditorium. Small bags can also be left there. Be aware that the area is not guarded.

Telephones

The country code for Norway is 47. No city/area codes are used, so you dial the entire (usually 8-digit) number when calling from a Norwegian phone. To call internationally, first dial 00, then the country code and number you wish to reach.

Emergency numbers

Fire: 110, Police: 112, Ambulance: 113.

Transportation to Tromsø

SAS and Norwegian Airlines operate several flights per day between Oslo and Tromsø. Norwegian also flies direct between London Gatwick and Tromsø on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Some scheduled flights also operate between Tromsø and other cities in Norway and Russia, however the schedules vary seasonally. The following airlines fly direct to Tromsø from the listed cities:
SAS: Oslo (3 to 7 flights per day), Trondheim, Bodø, Harstad-Narvik, Alta, Kirkenes, and Longyearbyen
Norwegian: Oslo (1 to 3 flights per day) and London Gatwick (Tuesdays and Saturdays)
Widerøe: Bergen (not every day) and many locations in northern Norway
Aeroflot Nord: Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, Russia.

Tromsø cannot be reached directly by train. The Swedish rail network (www.sj.se) operates trains to Narvik, Norway, and there are regular buses from Narvik to Tromsø (www.nor-way.no), approximately a four-hour ride.

Both the university and the city centre are approximately a 10-minute taxi ride from Tromsø Langnes airport. Taxis cost around NOK 150 (€ 18) and can be found outside the arrivals hall. Alternatively, Flybussen operates regular buses from the airport to the city centre for NOK 55 (€ 7) and city bus routes 42 and 40 run from the airport to the city centre for NOK 26 (€3). This map shows where to get buses and taxis at the airport.

For information about travel to the university venue, see the Bus and Transportation Information page.

Activity in the city centre at 1:00 in the morning

Map of Area and Hotels

View in a larger map with legend