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to be held in the Palazzo “Nonfinito”
Via del Proconsolo 12
by invitation of the
Department of Animal Biology & Genetics
University of Florence
Registration Form • Hotel booking form
on access, hotels, facilities etc.
NOTE many shops, museums, etc. close on Mondays.
The Euro € is approximately equivalent to a US $ for rough and ready conversions. Try the XE.com Personal Currency Assistant for up-to-date currency conversion
Air: the “A. Vespucci” airport in Florence has limited European connections (Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Paris) the main carrier from UK being Meridiana: www.meridiana.it (flying from Gatwick) generally expensive but with some special offers now available for those booking early. Buses to town leave every 30 minutes. Alternatives are Pisa (Ryanair flights from Stanstead or British Airways from Gatwick) or Bologna (British Airways from Gatwick, Easyjet/Go from Stanstead). BEWARE: Ryanair “Bologna airport” is at Forli, quite some distance to the South of Bologna.
Rome also has train and air connections.
Trains to Florence leave from Pisa and Bologna (both with airport bus connections), with Bologna having a better service as it is on the Inter-city route from Milan and Venice to Rome and Naples. They are cheap, generally on time, timetables are accessible on the web, and tickets can be purchased ahead (essential on Eurostar and other “named” trains: see www.trenitalia.it). The train fare from Bologna to Florence is currently € 7.00 each way, the “Aerobus” from airport to railway station is € 4.50. (total return travel costs of €23 from Bologna airport). Train tickets must be validated before boarding the train inserting them in yellow/orange machines at platform entrances. The train journey is about an hour. Time and costs from Pisa are similar. Long distance train connections can be made by those who have time, via Eurostar to Paris and Milan or from many European cities, via Milan or Venice. Price depends on time of booking etc.
Buses: Long distance buses also serve Florence.
City transport The main railway station is “Firenze Santa Maria Novella” : abbreviated to SMN. There is a efficient and cheap left luggage facility, usual services and departure announcements are also given in clear English The main bus station is adjacent and both airport, long distance and many city buses depart and arrive here. On the East side of the station there is a Bus kiosk which provides information, maps and sells tickets (individual rides at 1 € each or a 4 ride multiple ticket at €3.90, these are also available from many news agents). These have to be “validated” for each ride by being inserted into a machine in first bus and give one hour of travel on any bus. Small electric buses go through the pedestrianised inner city area and cross the river.
Block bookings have been made at a number of hotels (in bold type here) by Newtours, a specialist conference agency (see the hotel booking page). There is a service change but they have negotiated some special rates for bookings by 10 March (we will be “high season”). A number of web-based booking systems have some of the same hotels: see www.florenceby.com. Many of the cheaper Florence hotels consist of one (or more) floors of large mansions: one block may have a number of hotels, each on a different floor. Most now have double glazing to cut out traffic noise, which can be a problem even in the inner city pedestrianised zone (ambulances, taxis, buses, police cars and street cleaning trucks all still penetrate this area). Residencia offer B & B facilities, again usually in one or more floors of a building, accessed by a door at street level between shops. There are some hostels: check web sites for Florence.
The closest to the conference (and most expensive) hotel selected is the Grand Hotel Cavour, across the road from the conference (and the location for mid session breaks and buffet lunches). This is an old-fashioned “ Grand hotel” with room & breakfast at between €132 ( £85) for a single to €186 (£120) for two people. Other hotels on the selected list are in € 110 (£71) to € 130 (£84) range (prices include all taxes and breakfast and are per room).
Near the station: Via Fiume has Annabella at the N. end of the road (in same building as the “Stella Mary” and “Erina” and opposite the “Fiorita”, “Cellini”, “Desiree”, “Serena” and “Palazzo vecchio”). Via Cennini, round the corner, has the Vasari, a self-contained building, so a “proper” hotel. All are a 10-15 minute walk or a short bus ride on the 14 or 23 to the meeting (see www.ataf.net for details of bus routes).Via Faenza, parallel to Via Fiume, is scruffy and narrow in its upper part (with a bad reputation at night) getting smarter as it goes southwards. Hotel Monica is in the southern part.
Hotel Deco is close to the Duomo on Via Panzani (above shops), as are Belletini & Conti nearer the Duomo in Via dei Conti, Villani, also central in Via Oche. Patrizia is in Via Montebello to the SW near the river (but with bus connections), Ariston, is in Via Fiesolana to the NW.
Registration will be from 09.00 in the "Palazzo Non-finito", Via del Proconsolo 12 Department of Animal Biology & Genetics, University of Florence on Thursday 8th May. We hope to have some kind of social event that evening, after a full all-day session. Please note that partners who wish to join the group for breaks and/or lunch MUST register as participants.
Friday will be guided tours of the Boboli gardens & La Specola for those who wish to sign up for those events, no lunch will be provided but there will be time in the programme for participants to make their own arrangements. The conference dinner will be on Friday evening in the Restaurant Ottorino, Via delle Oche. Saturday 10th May will be another day of formal sessions, finishing around 16.30. Visitors staying in Florence on Sunday should note that many museums are open that day, as are clothes/bag/shoe shops and department stores.
The registration form is now available.
The final hotel booking form is now available.
Ms Gina Douglas,
The Linnean Society of London, Burlington House, London, W1J 0BF, England.
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7434 4479 (office) +44 (0) 20 7622 4851 (home)
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7287 9364
email (work): meetings@shnh.org
email (home): gina.douglas@ukgateway.net
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