| Coimbra
(pronounced “QUEEN-bra”) lies in the middle of Portugal,
about half way between Lisbon and Porto. Coimbra was the first capital
of Portugal and its university is one of the oldest in Europe, dating
from 1290.
Time
and place
The conferences and workshops will take place at the University
of Coimbra, in the Department of Mathematics in Praça Dom
Dinis, located on the hill above the old town. A virtual tour of
the university is available here.
The accommodation recommendations made at this website are all within
walking distance or a short bus trip.
The
conferences and workshops will run from approximately 0900 on Monday
5 April until 1400 on Wednesday 7 April. The specially invited keynote
speakers will open and close the conferences. The programme
overview is available together with separate programmes for
each event under each conference or workshop webpage.
As
many people are expected to arrive on Sunday 4 April, some informal
arrangements have been made for optional social gatherings during
Sunday evening. Suggestions for good local restaurants and bars
made by the local organisers will be left in all the recommended
hotels listed at this website and are posted on the social
events web pages.
How to get to Coimbra
If travelling from outside the Iberian peninsula, you will probably
fly to Lisbon or Oporto, from where there are good train connections
to Coimbra. Flight costs can be reasonable if booked in advance,
but they can become expensive near Easter. For a listing of flights
servicing Portugal and Oporto, check the Portuguese
airports authority for arrival and departure timetables, or
alternatively you can search an online travel booking service.
Rail
travel from both Lisbon and Oporto is regular and fast, especially
if you take the Alfa Pendular (“pendolino”) or InterCity
services . Portuguese railways gives
timetables and fare information for the Lisboa - Porto line on which
Coimbra is located. The Dutch railway
website provides a very comprehensive timetable from other European
cities to Coimbra.
Step-by-step guide from Lisbon
airport to Coimbra
-
Take
a taxi from the arrivals area to the Oriente railway station
(about 10 minutes and should cost 5-8 euros). Both the airport
and Oriente station lie to the north east of the town centre.
-
Go
to the upper ticketing level at the station and find the ticket
kiosk for the Lisboa-Porto line (look for the "Alfa"
and "Intercidades" signs)
-
Buy
a ticket, preferably for an Alfa Pendular or InterCity train
(these require reservations). The cost is between 25 and 30
euros for a return journey.
-
Trains
depart Lisbon Oriente station for Coimbra approximately every
hour, with a journey duration of around two hours. On Sunday,
4 April trains depart Lisbon Oriente from 08:04 to 21:04 with
journeys returning to Lisbon on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th
April at similar frequencies and times (check timetables at
Portuguese
railways)
-
Get
off the train when you arrive at Coimbra B (the main railway
station). You can take another train for Coimbra A station on
the same ticket from where all the hotels are within walking
distance. However, if you are staying at the student accommodation,
then it is best to get off at Coimbra B station and take a taxi
to the residencia (approximately 4 euros). Please note that
InerCity trains do not stop at Coimbra A station, so you must
get off at Coimbra B.
Travelling by train from
Porto
-
From
the airport which lies to the north of the town, take a taxi
to the main railway station of Porto Campanha (this should cost
20-25 euros).
-
Trains
depart station hourly with a journey time of one and a quarter
hours for Alfa Pendular and InterCity trains, and approxiately
two hours for regional trains. Rail fares cost between 15-22
euros.
-
Get
off at Coimbra B. If you are staying at the student accommodation,
take a taxi to the residencia (approximately 4 euros). If staying
at the hotels, then use the same ticket to take another train
to Coimbra A station, where the hotels are nearby. Please note
that InerCity trains do not stop at Coimbra A station, so you
must get off at Coimbra B.
Arriving late in Lisbon?
In case your flight or train arrives too late to travel to Coimbra
on the same day, and you require overnight accommodation in Lisbon,
it is best to aim for a hotel near the Gare do Oriente (Oriente
railway station) which is only 10 minutes away by taxi. This impressive
glass and concrete
construction was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
Opposite the Oriente station is the Vasco da Gama Shopping Centre,
Oceanarium and Virtual Reality Pavilion which have been built on
the former Expo'98 site now called the Parque das Nacoes. The two
nearest hotels are Hotel
Tryp Oriente and Hotel
Tivoli Tejo. Both cost approximately 90-100 EUR for a single
room, and do not offer special rates during the Easter period. An
online hotel search for hotels near Lisbon airport may provide something
less expensive.
Other
local information
Recommendations
for local accommodation in Coimbra
Some
local information about Coimbra
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