EVN Technical and Operations Group Meeting

Please register online at: http://www.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/div/vlbi/4thTOG/

Limited travel support for this meeting can be given via RadioNet-FP7 on special request to Walter Alef.
Please read Travel_Claim_Policy for the explanation of the procedure in RadioNet-FP7.

1. You can see a map of the Amsterdam airport (Schiphol) arrival area at www.schiphol.nl/Travellers/AtSchiphol/Maps.htm

Most flights (certainly from the EU) come in on the Arrivals 1-2 side.

2. The train station is located in the middle of the arrivals area. On the map, all the downwards stairs in the middle lead to the platforms. You can get tickets at the ticket counter (shown on the map by the symbol

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  /____ \___\
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just below #18. There are also automated ticket machines that should work with debit/charge cards. Most machines in the baggage-claim area have English as well; if you want see instructions beforehand, check www.ns.nl/cs/Satellite/travellers/arrange-buy/purchasing-tickets?packedargs=language%3Den

The web site for Dutch trains is www.ns.nl. There's an English section, and you can check out times/prices under 'Journey planner' (depart Schiphol, arrived Hoogeveen).

Tickets to Hoogeveen should cost 21.60 (there may be a small surcharge for using the ticket counter). If you've been here before, you may remember that you could get tickets on the train itself from the conductor as he came around checking for tickets. THIS NO LONGER WORKS – you'll have to pay a fine if you don't have a ticket when he checks.

There's one non-transfer train to our area per hour, leaving at 19-after each hour. These direct trains should all depart from platform 3. There is a centrally-located digital sign showing which platform to find the next train to a specific destination (look for “Groningen”). There is another train possibility, but that has two transfers (it's quite possible that one of these may be missed), so regardless of when you arrive, it's usually better to wait for the next h:19 direct one. As you can see from the airport map, there's plenty to do for up to an hour (the food village #12 has a reasonable selection of food for not-too-inflated prices; there's also the observation deck ['panorama terrace'] a couple flights up using the stairs leading towards Deparatures 1-2).

The direct train leaving at h:19 should arrive at Hoogeveen at (h+2):13 (thus 1h54m duration). The two stops before Hoogeveen are at Zwolle, and then Meppel (12min before Hoogeveen). At Zwolle, the train splits, half going towards Groningen and half going towards Leeuwarden. You'll want to get on a carriage saying 'Groningen' at the airport; this is the forward part of the train – “forward” will remain the direction in which it arrives into the platform at Schiphol station.

3. CAB INSTRUCTIONS

INFORM SECRETARIAT OF TRAVEL PLANS (is done also via registration form). Route from Hoogeveen to de Borken in Lhee

A block reservation at de Borken (www.deborken.nl) for 18 standard rooms (special deal of 65 Euros per night incl. breakfast) has been made. (Book via email to the JIVE secretary, see registration page)

For further help please contact Izabela Rottmann (MPIfR, Bonn)