Graph Drawing 2019

Locations

Conference venue

The symposium will take place at hotel Floret in Průhonice (Prague region), on September 17-20.

Approximate travel times to reach the conference venue

Airport - conference venue: 30-40 min (taxi), 90 min (public transport)
Railway station - conference venue: 15-25 min (taxi), 45 min (public transport)

The times for transporatation by taxi may differ depending on the current traffic situation. The times for public transportation should not be affected that much.

PhD school venue

The PhD school will take place at the building of Charles University, Malostranské náměstí 25, Prague, on September 16-17. There is no registration fee for the PhD school.

Approximate travel times to reach the PhD school venue

Airport - PhD school venue: 20-30 min (taxi), 45 min (public transport)
Railway station - PhD school venue: 10-30 min (taxi), 20 min (public transport)

The times for transporatation by taxi may differ depending on the current traffic situation. The times for public transportation should not be affected that much.

Arriving to GD 2019 venue (Průhonice near Prague)

● By plane: Prague airport is one of the major airports in central Europe with many direct flights from major European cities and some direct flights from large cities around the World. To get from the airport you can use:
- ● Public transportation: inside the city the ticket price is 32 CZK/per 90 minutes. To get from the airport use bus no. 119 to metro A (green line) station Nádraží Veleslavín direction Skalka or Depo Hostivař. At Museum stop change the line to C (direction Háje) stop Opatov. Get off at Opatov and change for bus No. 363 or 385 (additional payment to city ticket is 18 CZK) to the terminal Průhonice. Hotel Floret is approx. 50 meters from there. City bus tickets can be bought at a ticket machine at the bus stop, for busses 363, 385 ticket are sold at the driver.
- ● Special Airport Express (AE) bus: price is 60 CZK, paid directly to the driver (5:30 am - 10 pm). The route is Terminal 1 - Terminal 2 – Hlavní nádraží (red metro line C), take metro (direction Háje) to the stop Opatov. Get off at Opatov and change for bus No. 363 or 385 (additional payment to city ticket is 18 CZK) to the terminal Průhonice. Hotel Floret is approx. 50 meters from there. City bus tickets can be bought at a ticket machine at the bus stop, for busses 363, 385 ticket are sold at the driver.
- ● Taxi: you can pre-order private taxi (or shared shuttle) which takes you from the airport to Průhonice. The price for private taxi is approx. 800 CZK, the shuttle price according their price list, but the price per person decreases if you order it for more than one. The shuttle driver will pick you up with a name plate at the airport.
- ● Other taxi: the price from the airport to Průhonice should be about 900 CZK and might increase if you get queued in a traffic jam (about 6 CZK/min of waiting). To avoid trouble we advise to ask the driver to estimate the price before you start the ride. If the driver knows that you are aware of the expected price, you might get a fair ride. Also you try app.liftago.
● By train: There are several good connection mostly from neighboring countries. If you will buy tickets online in advance (via cd.cz eshop) there can be a significant discount.
● By bus: The cheapest but maybe the most uncomfortable way. However there are plenty of buses from every major city in Europe.

Visa requirements

Czech Republic is a part of the Schengen area and as such shares its visa policy. For EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, the only requirement is a valid passport or national identity card. There are many other countries whose citizens are exempt from visa requirement. For details about visa requirements in the Schengen area please consult a webpage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. In case you need an invitation letter for obtaining visa please contact conforg@conforg.cz.

Things to be aware of

Since Prague is a major tourist destination, it is unfortunately unavoidable that certain tourist traps exist, which you should be aware of. You can find a whole list of YouTube videos by the Honest Guide on scams found in Prague. Generally speaking Prague is a very welcoming city, but you probably should know about the following potential traps.

● At the airport: it is advisable not to exchange money, nor to withdraw money at the airport (tickets for public transportation can be bought at a ticket machine at the bus stop, which accepts credit cards). The exchange offices at the airport often have terrible exchange rates (see also the note about exchanging money below). Many ATMs at the airport will try to fool you into withdrawing large amounts of cash, by only offering huge values. Remember that 1 Euro is approximately 23 or 25 CZK, and that Prague is still quite cheap compared to other European cities (as witnessed by the following lunch prices for instance). If you need cash, it is recommended to either exchange or withdraw money in the city (see comments below), or bring it with. Most places in Prague will accept major credit cards though.
● Exchanging money: especially in the very touristy old town of Prague, some exchange offices will try to offer you terrible exchange rates (for example 15 CZK for 1 Euro, while 1 Euro is worth about 25 CZK). Always check the exchange rate thoroughly: it should be at around 24 CZK for 1 Euro. Also, never exchange cash in the streets, as you will most likely receive some completely worthless currency instead of Czech crowns! We recommend eXchange, which has fair rates.
● Withdrawing money: at the airport some ATMs only offer to withdraw huge amounts of cash, which you will most likely not need (Prague is still quite cheap compared with other European cities, see above mentioned lunch prices for example). In the city you can come across ATMs that try to convince you that you should use their exchange rate instead of your bank's rate: you will get a choice between using the rate of the bank that the ATM belongs to and your bank, but the button for your bank will be colored red while the ATM's bank will be colored green to indicate that the latter is the supposedly better choice. However, this is often not the case, as the ATM's bank will have a worse rate.
● Taxis: some taxi drivers will try to charge you horrendous rates, e.g., 5000 CZK instead of 500 CZK. It is recommended to try and avoid getting a taxi on the street (it's advisable to call one of the major Prague Taxi services) and if you have to, try to negotiate the price in advance. The maximum price designated by the city council is 28 CZK per kilometer.
● Shops and restaurants: in the old town area, some restaurants and corner stores will be quite overpriced. It is recommended to always check the prices before deciding to buy something at a store or ordering at a restaurant.