HiPEAC'11: Local Transportation and Dining Information

Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 January 2011:

All Workshops and Tutorials, as well as Conference registration and Welcome Cocktail, on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 January, are held at the Galaxy Hotel, near Heraklion Center. For those participants who are staying at another hotel in Heraklion center (e.g. Astoria, Lato, Megaron), we propose that they just walk to Galaxy Hotel (estimated walking time: approx. 10 to 15 minutes) --see one of the maps below for the location of the hotels in Heraklion center.

Dining Suggestions:

We, the people in local arrangements, like the restaurants listed in this "Dining Suggestions" Google Map, among others, when we go out to dine, in the area near the hotels.

Monday 24 through Wednesday 26 January 2011:

The Conference will be held at the G. Lianis Amphitheater in the building of FORTH, located 8 to 10 kilometers South-West of Heraklion center. The recommended way to come to the Conference from your hotel in Heraklion center is to take one of the Conference buses (free for the participants), departing at 08:30 a.m. sharp on each of the three days, from two points in Heraklion:

1. Eleftherias Square (Platia Eleftherias), in front of the Eleftherios Venizelos Statue, in the center of Herakion, as shown in the photograph, for those staying at hotels Astoria, Lato, Megaron.
2. In front of Galaxy Hotel, for those staying at that hotel.

The location of these two bus departure points and of the 4 hotels is shown by clicking on this "Hotels and Bus" Google Map.

If you miss the above Conference buses, or if you want to come to the Conference (FORTH building) at a different time, you have two options:

• Use a taxi.  It will cost you approximately 12 to 15 Euro, and the driving time is approximately 20 minutes.  More information on taxis is given below.
• Use a public bus.  The (one-way) ticket to FORTH costs 1.5 Euro, and the bus takes about 30 minutes to reach the University campus area, near which FORTH is located.  The "Hotels and Bus" Google map above shows the location of the bus stop in the center of the city, in front of Astoria hotel, in the direction towards FORTH; the note on that map also lists the bus line number, name, frequency, and approximate times.  You should buy your ticket, as well as your return ticket, before entering the bus (for your return from FORTH, it is very hard to find a selling point at or near FORTH); in the center of the city, at the Astoria bus stop, there is a kiosk of the bus company, right at the bus stop, selling tickets; also, news-stand kiosks usually sell bus tickets.
  When the bus reaches the area of the "Voutes" campus of the University, near which FORTH is located, use this "FORTH Location and Bus Stops" Google Map for orienting yourself.  If you are in bus line #8, the bus terminal is just in front of the FORTH building.  If you are in bus line #11, the first and very large building of the campus that you will see in front of you and to the right hand side of the road is the University Hospital ("PaGNH"); approximately 800 m after that stop, and immediately after a downhill road and a very sharp 135-degree right turn, is the bus stop where you should get off and walk to the left (North), for 200 meters, towards the FORTH campus, as shown on the "FORTH location and bus stop" google map.  This same map contains information on public buses for returning to Heraklion, from these same bus stops: the buses keep moving in the same direction, making a circle inside the University campus, and then returning back to Heraklion (i.e. bus stops exist only on one side of the road, since all buses travel in a single direction).

Tuesday 23 January Afternoon & Evening:

On Tuesday, participants depart from their hotels in the morning, and come back to it late in the evening, after the Banquet; in-between, buses do not pass from the center of the city (where hotels are).  After lunch, Conference buses take the participants from the building of FORTH (some 10 km South-West of Heraklion), and drive them to Knossos (about 8 km South-East of Heraklion).  After the guided visit to the archeological site, the same buses continue to the South part of Crete, about 40 km South of Heraklion, to the Zacharioudakis winery.  There, we visit the winery, and then we enjoy the Banquet, where the Best Paper Award will also take place.  Afterwards, buses will bring the participants back to Heraklion.

For accompanying persons who wish to join the Knossos tour at 14:30, coming from the city center, or for participants who wish to only come to the Banquet but not to the Knossos tour, please contact the Conference registration personnel on Monday morning or earlier, so that we can determine how and when you will come from Heraklion center to Knossos.

Contact:

To contact the Local Arrangements Chair, in case of an important need, you may call +30 - 2811  39 1656.

More Info on Taxis:

Heraklion taxis are silver-grey.  In the city, you can find an empty one sometimes in central streets, and usually at special waiting places ("piatsa taxi"); one such waiting place is at Elefterias Square, near the Archeological Museum and Astoria hotel.  To tell taxi drivers to bring you to FORTH, tell them to take you to "ITE (Idryma Technologias ke Erevnas - the Greek name of FORTH, pronounced: EE-teh), near PaGNH - the University Hospital (pronounced: pag-NEE)".  Be careful that you and the driver do not confuse it with "TEI (Technological Education Institution, pronounced: teh-EE)", which is 4 km away from ITE (FORTH).  Taxi charges for trips of interest are:

• Between Heraklion Airport and Heraklion City, one-way: 10 to 13 Euro, including airport surcharge and all taxes.
• Between Heraklion City and FORTH Building, one-way: 12 to 15 Euro, all-inclusive except radio-dispatching when called by telephone.
• Between Heraklion airport and FORTH Building, one-way: 18 to 22 Euro, including airport surcharge and all taxes.

Taxi charges are calculated as follows, and must be shown on the taxi-meter, which must be visible to the passenger:

• Initial "start-up" charge for any trip: 1.20 Euro, including taxes (Jan. 2011 rate).
• Tariff 1 is approximately 0.70 Euro/km, including all taxes (Jan. 2011 rate), and is the daytime rate, to be used from 05:00 to 24:00 hour and within the limits of the town or city where the taxi is registered; in Heraklion, this city zone is about within 2 km from the city center.
• Tariff 2 is approximately 1.20 Euro/km, including all taxes (Jan. 2011 rate), and is the night rate, applicable from 00:00 to 05:00, as well as at any time outside the city zone.
• Waiting charge: approximately 11 Euro/hour.
• From and to Heraklion airport: additional charge of 2.60 Euro.  Luggage charge: 0.40 Euro per piece that weighs more than 10 kg.
• Radio-taxi: dial +30-2810.210102 to call a taxi by radio, at an additional cost of 2 Euro (or 3 to 6 Euro when booking it in advance).
• Minimum total charge per journey is 3.40 Euro.