Conference venue

The conference will be held at the Centro Cultural Vila Flor, Guimarães, Portugal. You can arrive at Guimarães by flying to Oporto Airport and then taking a car, train, or bus.

Guimarães is known to be one of the most beautiful and historical cities in Portugal. It is also well known as the cradle of Portugal because the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques (from 1143 to 1185), was born in this city.

On 13th December 2001, UNESCO declared Guimarães a World Heritage site. The university campus is situated about a 15-minute walk from Guimarães downtown.

How to get there

Distance from the airport

Guimarães is located at the north-west of Portugal and at a distance of approximately 350 km from the capital – Lisbon, and about 50 km from the city of Porto (Oporto). The most direct access routes for those who want to move to Guimarães are by train and bus. Several Rent a Car services are also available at the airport.

Direct Shuttles

The nearest airport to Guimarães is the Francisco Sá Carneiro International Airport in Porto www.aeroportoporto.pt/. Daily and direct shuttles from the airport to Guimarães and from Guimarães to the airport are provided by GetBus (one trip 8€ and round-trip 14€ - www.getbus.eu). The travel takes about 50 minutes. By Taxi, this time could be reduced (Uniquetours: www.uniquetours.eu; Taxis Unidos: www.taxisunidos.pt).

Rail Transport

Guimarães has a railway station located about 1 km from the historic center. This station is served by Intercity trains that provide direct connection to Lisbon and Porto. Guimarães - Porto travel takes about 60 minutes and provide connections to other destinations. The national rail network in Portugal is operated by CP - Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses, and their website - www.cp.pt - provides useful timetable and ticket cost information (available also in English).

Urban Connection

There are several bus companies’ services available in Guimarães. Using the current network of motorways, Guimarães can be reached from Porto in 30 minutes (A7 and A3), Braga 15 minutes (A11), Vigo 90 minutes (A7 and A3) and Lisbon 180 minutes (A3, A7 and A1). Long-distance buses connect every large city as well as many smaller locations all over Portugal. Some of the major companies have united under the brand Rede Expressos - www.rede-expressos.pt/en. Advanced reservation of seats is highly recommended.

Accommodation

Accommodation rates for the conference will be announced shortly.