Practical Information (travel, site access, accommodation, catering)

The information given below will help you organise your visit and stay in Grenoble.

Reminder: the electronic registration form will be available from mid-November.

Travel to Grenoble & site access information
Accommodation & catering
What to do in Grenoble

Travelling to Grenoble and site access information

ESRF

The European Synchrotron
71 avenue des Martyrs

38000 Grenoble
France

The ESRF is located in Grenoble in the south east of France, about 3 hours away from Paris in train, 2 hours away from Geneva in bus, and 1 hour away from Lyon in train.

Travel arrangements

UDM Invited Speakers (Users' talks) - Regular participants - PostDoc/PhD students

Are requested to make their own travel arrangements to and from Grenoble, and to cover their travel expenses.

Keynote Speakers and VIPs

Their travel expenses will be covered by the ESRF up to a maximum amount set by the organisers (details in the invitation letter; in case of doubt they should contact the organisers),
Their travel arrangements should be made by the ESRF Travel Office provided that the request is made through their electronic registration form (specific "Travel" page).

How to reach Grenoble and the EPN site

Arriving by train, by plane, by car, by local public transport: click HERE for complete information.

Map access to EPN site.

Airports

Airports closest to Grenoble are:

Passport and visas

Please check with the nearest French Consulate or your travel agent well in advance of the meeting for up-to-date information.

We can provide you with an official document ("Convention d'Accueil d'un Chercheur ou d'un Enseignant-chercheur Etranger") to apply for a French visa: consult our information page on "Visa Requirements" and send the requested information to obtain a "Convention d'Accueil" directly to the event organizers.

We will accept the requests for a "Convention d'Accueil" to apply for a French Visa ONLY from participants who have registered for the User Meeting 2020, and who have payed the registration fee.

Local public transport

Tramway & bus network in Grenoble

Tram line "B" (timetable)

It allows easy access - even at night - downtown Grenoble -> ESRF -> Grenoble downtown
Its terminus - 'Grenoble Oxford' - is situated just 350 meters from the site entrance
It serves downtown Grenoble, including the bus and railway station

Purchase of bus & tramway tickets for local public transport

You can buy a pass (one ticket or 10 trips pass) for the tramway & bus network in Grenoble (TAG):

In the “Agences de Mobilité” (the closest is Avenue Alsace Lorraine, not far from the railway station)
In the newspapers and tobacco shops
And in the automates at each tram stop (payment in cash or with a credit card)

Site Access and Badge

The EPN site is a restricted area and you will be asked to report in at the site entrance on arrival.

You will need to provide proof of identification. Since 1st September 2018 the driver's license is no longer accepted as ID for entering the EPN site, even for French nationals. A valid passport or a valid national identity card (i.e. not expired) are now the only acceptable form of identification for all those wishing to access the site. Please ensure you have valid identification with you.

You will be given a badge and a lanyard at the site entrance: please wear this badge and lanyard on site over the whole period of the event. This badge is also your site access badge: you will be asked to present it at the site entrance each time you wish to enter on site during the period of the event.

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Accommodation & Catering

Speakers, invited participants and User Organisation Committee members

The ESRF can provide accommodation arrangements for speakers, invited participants and User Organisation Committee members in the ESRF Guesthouse on site (4 nights maximum - from Sunday 2 February to Thursday 6 February 2020), or in Hotels in downtown Grenoble.

Participants must request accommodation arrangements through the Electronic Registration Form (Accommodation page).

For security reasons, the ESRF Guesthouse is NOT available for accompanying persons and children under 16 are not permitted on site.

! The onsite ESRF Guesthouse will undergo a profound refurbishment starting in November 2019. Due to this in-depth refurbishment, only a limited amount of rooms will be available during the User Meeting. Participants will be accommodated as best as possible at the Guesthouse, the remaining participants will be accommodated in hotels in downtown Grenoble.

i Tram B joins the ESRF (Tram B terminus Oxford) to downtown Grenoble in 15 mn, therefore public transportation between downtown hotels and the ESRF will be easy.

Regular participants and students

Regular participants and students will have to make and pay for their OWN bookings in hotels.

The ESRF has negotiated prices with conveniently located hotels in the center of Grenoble, near bus and trams stops, or near the train station. A list of these hotels can be found here.

Participants must contact the hotel, preferably by e-mail, and mention the ESRF negotiated prices. Please note that these are 2019 prices that might change slightly in 2020.

You can find more hotels on the Grenoble Tourist Office's website: www.grenoble-isere.info

i Tram B joins the ESRF (Tram B terminus Oxford) to downtown Grenoble in 15 mn, therefore public transportation between downtown hotels and the ESRF will be easy.

Meals

The registration fee covers:

3 lunches at the EPN campus restaurant : a special group canteen card will be used by the cashier on presentation of the participants' User Meeting badge.
For other meals, participants are free to make their own arrangements (a list of restaurants will be available at the meeting reception desk. You can find additionnal information on the Tourist Office's web site).
Coffee breaks organised during the three days of the event
The buffet dinner on Monday 3 February (under the marquee)
The User Meeting dinner on Tuesday 4 February (after the poster session)

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Grenoble information

Time out - Grenoble Area Activities

Consult the Tourist Office web site for complete information on Grenoble (discover the city, what to do, restaurants, hotels, practical information,...).
Details of places to visit and ski resorts are available at Grenoble-Isere Tourism.

The TOURIST OFFICE is located:

14, rue de la République - Grenoble
Tel.: +33 (0)4 76 42 41 41
Fax: +33 (0)4 76 00 18 98
E-mail: welcome@grenoble-isere.inf

You may also find useful information on the local French websites below:

Cinema - Timetable can be found here www.cinema-grenoble.com or in Le Petit Bulletin, a copy of which is usually found at the entrance to the canteen. "La Nef" and "Le Club" usually show films in the native language with subtitles.

Bike hire - Bikes can be hired from Metro Vélo at the Grenoble train station. Details: http://www.metrovelo.fr/metro-velo-uk.php

Walking - SIPAVAG is an organisation which manages waymarked footpaths in the Grenoble area. You can catch a bus or tram to the start of all the marked paths.

Taxis Grenoblois - Tel: +33 (0)4 76 54 42 54.