Conference Venue
About Toulouse
Toulouse is the 4th largest city in France (430 thousand inhabitants in the city and 850 thousand in the metropolitan area) and the 3rd university city of France (119 thousand students). It hosts one of the oldest in Europe (founded in 1229).
Toulouse is located in the southwest of France in the largest region called Midi-Pyrenees, 250 Km from the Atlantic, 150 Km from the Mediterranean Sea, and 110 km from the Pyrenean ski resorts.
Further information can be obtained at the “Office du Tourisme de Toulouse” website: http://www.toulouse-tourisme.com/.
Toulouse city hall, the Capitole.
Where to stay in Toulouse
Toulouse has many hosting options but, as many lively and dynamic cities, it is often crowded and hotels get full quickly. So we strongly advise you to book your hotel as soon as possible.
There is no official hotel for ICWE 2014. In order to find the most suitable place for staying in Toulouse please visit the web site http://www.toulouse-visit.com, which is the official web site provided by the local administration. The following landmarks might be useful to find a hotel nearby the conference location: Compans Caffarelli”, “Saint Sernin”, “Capitole”, “Centre”.
About the venue
ICWE 2014 will be hosted in the campus Arsenal of the University Capitole (Toulouse 1/UT1) which is conveniently located in the city center at 2 Rue du Doyen-Gabriel-Marty. The University Toulouse Capitole is easily reached by Subway (line B, “Compans Cafarelli” station).
See the actual location of the conference at Google maps.
University Toulouse Capitole’s main entrance.
Remains of the ancient cloister. Faculty of Law of Toulouse.
Travel information
By air
The Toulouse-Blagnac international airport (http://www.toulouse.aeroport.fr/) is 8 km West of Toulouse. The city centre is easily reached by:
- Airport shuttle service departures every 20 minutes, journey takes ~20 minutes, two ways ~10EUR). The shuttle stops downtown in front of the metro station Compans Caffarelli, Joanna D’arc, Jean Jaures and then at the train station Gare Matabiau.
- Taxi (taxi rank outside the arrivals hall, about 25EUR).
The Carcassone airport (http://www.aeroport-carcassonne.com/) is a suitable alternative for those who want take a look at the magnificent fortified town of Carcassone (http://www.carcassonne.org) and spend some time in the countryside. Carcassone is just 1h by car from Toulouse. Cars can be rented at the airport. The low cost companie Ryanair (http://www.bookryanair.com/) has daily flights from London (Stansted airport) and Brussels (Charleroy airport).
By rail
The Matabiau SNCF railway station (http://www.sncf.fr) is in the city centre. Toulouse is about 5h30 from Paris by train (TGV). As you arrive in Toulouse, you can admire the Canal du Midi, which is just opposite. UNESCO has now classified the Canal du Midi as one of the 469 World Heritage Sites.
The A line of the subway stops inside the rail station (“Marengo SNCF” station). It is just a five minutes walk distance from the metro station Jean Jaures which is the main subway station fro both lines A and B.
Transportation in Toulouse
Two metro lines help you get around through most of the city, known as line A and line B.
The closest metro station of the conference venue is Compans Caffarelli on the line B. A map of the metro line is available here.
Foreigners Attendees
To visit France you will need a valid passport and possibly a tourist visa. Visa applications and further information can be obtained online at http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/.
Before asking for an invitation letter, please make sure that you are duly registered and have paid your registration fee.