Conference Venue

Travelling

The conference takes place at LORIA, Campus scientifique, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy is in the direct vicinity of Nancy.

Nancy is approximately 350km east of Paris.

Coming by plane

You may either choose to reach the local airport, or travel via Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

The local airport (Nancy-Metz, ETZ) is 30km away from Nancy, but few airlines go there. Shuttles provide transportation to and from the airport. The “ official ” shuttle service has a schedule available online. Private taxi companies also provide similar service (albeit more expensive).

If you choose to travel via Paris-Charles de Gaulle, you'll still have 350km to go once you have landed. You may either rent a car there, or take the train.

• The car ride is between 3 and 4 hours, almost entirely on highways. The highway toll is roughly 25 € one-way.
• The train ride goes through Paris. Take the RER B suburban line to Gare du Nord (10 € and roughly 45 minutes. There are 4 to 15 trains per hour).
  Reach then Gare de l'est, either from subway line 4, or by foot (5 min).
  From Gare de l'est, several trains a day go to Nancy in 3 hours and for some 45 € one-way.
  Note 1: you must purchase a Paris-Nancy train ticket corresponding exactly to the train you mean to take. If you change plans, chances are that your ticket may not be valid for the train before or the train after (this depends on the train type, to be precise. « teoz » trains are the ones requiring an exact reservation).
  Note 2: it is wise to purchase the Paris-Nancy train ticket ahead of time, either from your local travel agency, or from the SNCF site. In the latter case, you have to have your ticket printed at the station before getting on the train. You need your reference number (six letters) and your credit card to match the ticket with the payment. Automatic vending machines at the station can do the printing.
  Note 3: The RER B ticket is purchased directly at the airport's train station.

Coming by train

Coming by train via Paris follows similarly as above. From some countries (e.g. Germany, Luxemburg), Nancy is reachable directly.

Reaching the LORIA from the inner city

Access maps of the conference site can be found on the LORIA web site ; here follows a summary.

The easiest way to reach the LORIA from the train station is to take Tram 1 (this is the only tram line in Nancy).

In the map you can see the situation of the Train Station and the nearest stop of Tram 1. Tram tickets can be purchased at the vending machine just at the tram stop (only coins), or at the ticket booth which is down the stairs (close to the train tracks).
You have to take the tram in the direction Vandoeuvre, Chu Brabois, and get off at stop « Callot ». The ride takes approximately 20 minutes.

You may want to look up the Tram line map, and Tram timetable (one way, and the other).

The following map highlights LORIA amongst the nearby buildings (Université Henri Poincaré). The walk from the tram stop to the building is approximately 5 minutes.

Nancy, Tourist information

The Nancy Tourist Office contains information about the city of Nancy.

The main attractions of Nancy are art and architecture. Eighteenth century saw the development of Nancy as one of the prime cultural places in France, while Stanislas Leszcynski, polish king who lost his throne, and father-in-law of Louis XV, came to Nancy as the last of the independent dukes of Lorraine. He ordered one of the most successful urban renewals of the period in all France, and Nancy owes him the beautiful Place Stanislas, brightly renovated in 2005.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Nancy was one of the birth places of Art Nouveau. Émile Gallé, Auguste and Antonin Daum, Jacques Gruber, Louis Majorelle, Victor Prouvé, Eugène Vallin are some of the well-known artists from École de Nancy. Many of their works became famous, esp. glassware and embellished furniture work, to be seen in the city museums.

Weather

The Weather forecast from Meteo France is available online.