Travel information
Airlines
For information on airlines serving Brussels Airport (BRU), please visit
http://www.brusselsairport.be/en/.
Flight information can be requested through DB Travel on +32 50 82 54 40 or
info@dbtravel.be. Preferred carriers will be announced on this website soon.
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Climate
The weather in Belgium in the beginning of September is normally very pleasant, usually sunny.
However, on occasion an umbrella may be useful. Daytime average temperature is around 15-18 degrees centigrade; evening temperature is around 8-10 degrees centigrade.
Layers and smart casual clothes will see you through most situations.
Current weather & weather forecast
Bruges
Wed, 10 Mar 2010 8:20 pm CET
Mostly Cloudy
2°
You can see the full weather forecast on:
www.kmi.be
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Location and size
Bruges (number of inhabitants, including the surrounding communities: 177,224) is the capital of the Belgian province West Flanders. It is often called ‘Venice of the North’. A term that refers to its rich trade history and the many ponds and canals that can be found throughout the city.
The historic centre, with the renowned Belfry, the Church of Our Lady, the Beguinage and the Basilica of the Holy Blood is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. In 2008, Bruges provided the perfect setting for ‘In Bruges’, a dark crime comedy with Hollywood sweetheart Colin Farrell.
More info:
www.brugge.be
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Language
Bruges is located in the Dutch speaking part of Belgium, a region with other populair cities as Antwerp (diamond capital of Europe) and Ghent. And of course there is Brussels, the capital of both Belgium and the European Union and a melting pot of languages and nationalities.
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Time zone
Belgium follows Central European Time (CET) which is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST).
From the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, the country has Daylight Saving Time, meaning that we turn our clocks one hour forward.
Belgium uses the 24-hour clock system. When writing dates, days are written before the month, for example 12 October 2006 will be written 12.10.2006.
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Transportation arrangements: Getting to Bruges
From the airport
- Using the IUMI Shuttle Bus service
- When you arrive at Brussels Airport (BRU), we recommend you to take the IUMI Shuttle Bus service to Bruges (90 minutes' drive) specially arranged by the Organizing Committee. (in view of the distance, taxis are indeed very expensive)
- If you provide your flight information to the Conference Secretariat (info@iumi2009.com), we will arrange a shuttle program with group transfers to Bruges in buses or mini-vans that suits everyone. You will receive your shuttle bus transfer confirmation (date / hour / number of the bus) after we processed your flight details.
- If you like a private transfer (or VIP), we can arrange that service. Please contact the Conference Secretariat (info@iumi2009.com).
- By train
- When you arrive at Brussels Airport (BRU) you can take the train at the airport to Bruges. From the train station in Bruges there is no IUMI Shuttle service to the city centre nor to your hotels. Taxis are available.
- By taxi
By car
- The address of the Main Conference venue is: Belfry, Markt 7, 8000 Bruges.
When you book your hotel room, you can ask the hotel management to reserve a car park space in their own private car park (mostly against payment).
If your hotel doesn't have a private car park or if the car park is full, you can park in one of the many underground car parks in the city centre. A list of all the public car parks in Bruges can be found at:
www.bruges.be
By train
- When you arrive at an international airport (London, Paris, Amsterdam, Köln), you can take the high-speed train to Brussels-South, followed by a train to Bruges.
- When you arrive at Brussels airport (BRU), see the explanation under 'From the airport'.
www.b-rail.be
www.eurostar.com (high-speed train from London)
www.thalys.com (high-speed train from Paris, Amsterdam, Köln)
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