Conference venue: University College Building

Travel and Accommodation

(with thanks to Helmut Jurgensen)

Accommodation

UCNC 2014 will take place at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Blocks of rooms have been reserved for conference participants at the following hotels/residences. Please mention that you are UCNC 2014 participant to take advantage of the conference rates. These block reservations will expire on the dates (to be announced) below for each hotel, so please make your reservations well in advance of that date to make sure of availability.
  • Windermere Manor This hotel is located within walking distance (about 1.5 km) from the conference venue. Reservations can be made by phone at 1-800-997-4477 or by email at reservations@windermere.uwo.ca. The hotel's "Windermere Cafe" is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A block of rooms for conference participants is reserved until June 12, 2014 .
    Walking distance = 1.4 km, click here to see the map.
  • Station Park Inn This hotel is located in downtown London, about 3 km south of the University. Reservations can be made by phone at 1-519-642-4444 or 1-800-561-4574 (email hotel@stationparkinn.ca). Transportation from hotel to University is by public bus (LTC buses 6 or 13) or taxi. Many restaurants, cafes and shops are located nearby. A block of rooms for the conference participants is reserved until June 12, 2014 .
    Walking distance = 3.1 km, click here to see the map.
  • Western Bed and Breakfast - Ontario Hall. Walking distance from the conference venue. Dining options withing walking distance include Barakat (Middle-Eastern), Yoghurty's, Subway, Pizza Hut. A block of rooms for conference participants is reserved until June 28.
    Walking distance = 1.2 km, click here to see the map.
  • Spencer Hall . Shuttle to the university provided. Dining options include Spencer's Dining Room. The UCNC booking website is here. A block of rooms for conference participants is reserved until June 13 . Please mention block #10740 and UCNC 2014 when you make your reservation.
    Walking distance = 2.3 km, click here to see the map.

Travel to London

Getting to London by plane

Currently London (airport) (code YXU) has direct plane connections to the following cities:

Flights to London are sometimes (but not always) very expensive. Alternative airports with ground transportation to London are Toronto and Detroit.

From London airport to the city itself: Until recently, the only public transportation from London airport was provided by a limousine or taxi service. The limousines or taxis are normally waiting outside the arrival area. If there is no taxi or limousine waiting, you can call them from one of the non-pay phones in the arrival area.

The main company operating this service is Checker. The fee is usually not determined by a metre, but looked up in a map, and thus is independent of travel delays. The trip to downtown London costs currently about 45$. Please remember that a tip of between 10% and 15% is expected.

There is now also an infrequent bus service, Route 36 operated by London Transit. So far the connections are poor, and one will have to change several times.

Customs and immigration

You have to go through immigration (passport control) and customs at the first point where you enter Canada (unlike Europe, for instance).

Avoid bringing (parts of) plants, seeds or animal products (e.g. sausages, cheese). These are strictly controlled.

If you arrive in Canada at airport A from outside Canada and continue to airport B within Canada you can check your luggage through to airport B. However, you will have to pick up your luggage at the airport A to take it through customs. Before that, you have to pass Immigration Canada, that is, passport control. Typically, when leaving the customs area you will find a booth at which you can drop off your checked luggage again. If you are new to the airport, ask an officer at the customs exit for directions regarding connecting flights.

Travellers from outside North America who arrive in Canada via a US airport are likely to have to clear customs also in the US.

If you arrive directly from outside Canada at London airport, customs and immigration are handled there.

From Toronto or Detroit airports to London

There is a limousine service from Toronto and Detroit airports to London operated by the company Robert Q.

The drive from Toronto airport to London takes about two hours. The one from Detroit to London takes a bit longer because of the US border.

In London there are two normal drop-off and pick-up locations: the Ramada Inn and the Robert Q depot. For an additional fee you can buy home drop-off and home pick-up. This could save you the fee for a taxi. To select this option when booking online use "London (Address)" as your destination or origin. Usually for home drop-off or pick-up you will be taken from/to one of the normal locations to/from "home" by pre-paid taxi.

You can make advance reservations with Robert Q or just walk to their desks at the airports. Advance reservations are very strongly recommended. The typical return fare is about 115$ for Toronto and about 140$ for Detroit. The fare for home drop-off or pick-up would be added and then sales tax (HST) on top of it.

Getting to London by train

London is on the routes which connect Toronto with Windsor and Sarnia. The trains are operated by VIA RAIL. Trains feeding into this system would, for instance, come from Ottawa, Montréal or New York. Train travel is convenient but slow in comparison to Japan or central Europe. Using first class is a realistic option as usually all meals and beverages would be included in travel fare.

Getting to London by bus

There are several bus companies with connections to London, in particular also Greyhound. In addition to local connections, these companies offer connections to all major cities in Canada and the US.

Getting to London by car

Canadian tourism organizations distribute maps for free.

The major highways by which London is reached include highways 401 (Toronto, Windsor, Detroit), 402 (London, Sarnia), 7/4 (Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo, London,).

Car rental

For car rental one needs a credit card in almost all cases. Car rental without one is practically impossible. For visitors from outside North America there may be special rates when the car is booked from the home location. In some cases, an international drivers licence may be required.

Getting to London by ferry

If you plan to drive to London from the USA you may choose to take the ferry from Sandusky, Ohio, to Leamington or Kingsville, Ontario, across Lake Erie rather than drive around Lake Erie. In that case a stop-over on Pelee Island and a visit to the winery on the island may be of interest.

Local Transportation

It is usually not difficult to find accommodation in London. However the distances in the city are large. For example, a bus takes about 20 minutes from the centre, the corner of Dundas and Richmond streets, to the university. It takes about one hour to walk that way -- a pleasant walk though, through parks along the Thames.

Here a few suggestions for accommodation are listed. However, if you decide to find a place to stay on your own, take the following considerations into account:

  1. Both the city centre and the university should be reachable without much effort.
  2. Among the bus routes going through the city centre and the university, route 2 (Dundas bus), route 6 (Richmond bus) and route 13 (Wellington Bus) have a high frequency. Many other bus lines meet these at or close to the corner of Dundas and Richmond streets.
  3. To be close enough to the centre, stay west of Adelaide Street, no further south than Grand Avenue, east of the north branch of the Thames and south of Oxford Street. To get an idea of the area, consult a city map.

Tips for Foreigners

These hints are mainly meant for first-time visitors from outside North America.

  1. In restaurants or bars a tip of 10 to 15% is expected if the service was OK. Waiters/waitresses get very low salaries and depend on tips. Tips are also given to hair dressers, taxi drivers, hotel porters etc.
  2. When travelling by train, don't expect to enter the platform when you want to. Nor should you expect to enter or leave the train by whichever door you want. On the other hand, a conductor is likely to help you with a suitcase. One does not tip the conductor (some older people still do).
  3. Train travel in first or business class (VIA 1) includes meals, beverages, snacks while on the train and the usage of VIA-1 lounges in stations. Expect a choice of 3-course meals, often with regional specialities.
  4. Driving is comparatively easy in Canada. However, some Canadian (or Ontario) traffic rules may differ from the corresponding ones in your country or not even exist there. For example, there are important rules about school buses, stop signs, right of way and turning at crossings which would be unfamiliar to Europeans. Moreover city by-laws may be applicable: In many Ontario cities on-street overnight parking is forbidden (e.g. in London).
  5. If you plan to drive, you may want to check, while still at home, whether you need an international driver's licence (not needed for holders of North American licences, of course, and not for many of the EU countries).

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