Practical Information


Registration

The Registration Area is located in the East Boulevard of ICC London ExCeL. Congress bags should be collected on-site in the Registration Area upon exchange of the voucher. Please note that name badges must be worn at all times.

Timetable


 
Speakers Room

The Speakers Room is located on Level 2 Mezzanine of ICC London ExCeL. Opening times are listed in the facilities timetable overview.
Facilities to review and amend presentations are available to all speakers and technical assistance will be provided in this room.

Please note that speakers should submit their final PowerPoint presentation to the desk in the Speakers Room no later than 3 hours before their session. Speakers at early morning sessions are required to submit their material no later than 17H00 on the evening before their session is scheduled.
 


Welcome Reception and Opening Ceremony

All delegates are invited to attend the Welcome Ceremony which will begin at 18:30 on Sunday 30th September in the Auditorium. This will be followed by a Welcome Reception open to all participants.

A highlight of the Welcome Ceremony is the showing of a documentary video giving an impressionistic, and at times irreverent, view of the ECE programme and of London. The video was recorded during an ILAE UK Chapter scientific meeting and meeting of the ECE Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). Interviews were recorded with students working in the field of epilepsy in London, senior members of the UK chapter, attendees at the scientific meeting and SAC members – with some added footage supplied by Monty Python amongst others – to all of whom we express our thanks. The video was produced by Beata Romanowski and Simon Shorvon. 


 TRAVELLING TO THE EXCEL CENTRE (THE CONGRESS SITE) FROM HEATHROW AIRPORT

 Heathrow is in the West of London and the ExCel Centre is in the east. By taxi this will take at least 1 hour and a half, possibly longer depending on the time of day and the traffic, and is likely to cost around £150.

We strongly recommend therefore that you travel by public transport, which is much cheaper and possibly faster. There are two usual methods of travel:

(a) The Underground (the Tube)
 Take the Piccadilly line train from Heathrow to Green Park Station, and there change onto the Jubilee line to Canning Town station and there change onto the DLR to Prince Regent station. Travel time about 90mins. For ticketing information see below. Information about all aspects of Tube travel can be found on the Transport for London website, http://www.tfl.gov.uk/, an excellent site used frequently by all Londoners

(b) Heathrow Express (a fast train from Heathrow to Paddington Station)
 The Heathrow express has its own station in each terminal. Take the train to Paddington Station and then the underground to Baker Street, and there change onto the Jubilee line to Canning Town station and there change onto the DLR to Prince Regent station. Travel time about 80 minutes. Tickets for the Heathrow Express can be bought at the Airport (any terminal) or online. See https://www.heathrowexpress.com/  for further information and to purchase tickets.


Transport from Londons other main Airports
London is serviced by five airports including Heathrow airport. Transport details from Gatwick airport, Stansted airport, Luton airport and London City airport can be found below. London City Airport is the closest airport to ExCeL.

Gatwick Airport - www.gatwickairport.com
The airport is located 45km (28 miles) south of London.
Distance to ICC London ExCeL: 59.7 km (37.1 miles).

Transport to the city
Rail:The Gatwick Express train runs regularly between 04.35 and 01.35 to London Victoria Station (journey time - 30 minutes). There is also a Thameslink service, which runs to London King's Cross (journey time - 50 minutes) as well as other London stations.
Coach: There are more than 400 express coach service operating daily from the coach stations at both terminals. The main coach station is located on the ground floor of the South Terminal, with most services operating from here.

Taxi: The official Gatwick Airport taxi service is provided by Checker Cars. Booking desks are located in the North Terminal arrivals area, and the northern entrance to the South Terminal, and cabs wait outside the terminal buildings.

Gatwick journey planner

Luton Airport - www.london-luton.co.uk
The airport is located 51km (32 miles) north of London.
Distance to ICC London ExCeL: 64.2 km (39.9 miles).

Transport to the city
Rail:Luton Airport Parkway Station, 2km (1 mile) from the airport, is connected to the terminal by a free shuttle bus service. Both First Capital Connect and East Midlands Trains provide services to London.
Bus:Free Luton Airport Express shuttle buses run to/from the Luton Airport Parkway Station.
Taxi: Cabco (tel: +44 1582 737 777), Alpha Taxis (tel: +44 1582 599 499; www.alphataxisluton.com) and Luton Taxi Association (tel: +44 1582 735 555; www.lutontaxis.com) offer pre-bookable services to and from the airport, while licensed taxis are available at a rank outside the terminal.

Luton journey planner

Stansted Airport - www.stanstedairport.com
The airport is located 48km (30 miles) northeast of London.
Distance to ICC London ExCeL: 56km (34.8 miles).

Transport to the city
Rail:The station is located directly below the terminal building. The Stansted Express rail service (tel: +44 845 850 0150; www.stanstedexpress.co.uk) runs direct to London Liverpool Street Station, stopping at Tottenham Hale for connections to the West End.
Bus and coach:There are National Express coach services to London Victoria (A6), London Liverpool Street and London Victoria (A7), Stratford (A9) and other destinations. Easybus provides regular connections to London Baker Street for which bookings can be made online. The Terravision Express Shuttle provides a non-stop service to London Victoria. Other services are available. The coach station is located in front of the terminal forecourt.
Taxi:Checker Cars operates services to London and elsewhere, departing from outside the terminal building.

Stansted journey planner

London City Airport - www.londoncityairport.com
The airport is located 10km (6 miles) east of the City of London.
Distance to ICC London ExCeL: 3.86 km (2.4 miles).

Transport to the city
Rail: and Docklands Light Railway services run from the City of LondonCanning Town underground station and rail station. Trains run every 7 minutes, and take 14 minutes to reach Canning Town, and 22 minutes to reach Bank station.
Bus:A payable daily shuttle bus service runs every 30 minutes to a number of hotels in the area.
Taxi:There is a stand with licensed black taxis, located directly outside the terminal building. Fares to central London start from £20-25.

London City Airport journey planner



TRANSPORT TO ICC LONDON ExCeL
The stop for ICC London ExCeL is Prince Regent.
 
Journey Planner
 
 
 


By Underground, the Jubilee line is recommended as the quickest route from Central London. Take the tube to the Canning Town station, and then change on to a DLR train to Prince Regent station.
Public bus services 147 and 241 depart from bay B of Canning Town station to Prince Regent station.
Additionally, a fully signposted walking route is provided from the main exit of Canning Town bus station for anyone who wishes to complete their journey to the venue by foot. Blue directional signs guide you to the west entrance of ExCeL London. The walk takes approximately 12-15 minutes.



TICKETS FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Two types of ticket are recommended for most visitors to the Epilepsy Congress – the Visitor Oyster card or the 7-day Travelcard. London has an integrated transport system and both types of ticket can be used on the Underground, buses, London Overground Trains and many commuter trains (but not the Heathrow Express.

(a) Visitor Oyster card. The Oyster card is a smart card, which takes the place of a paper ticket. Credit is uploaded onto the card, and the cost of each journey is debited from the card when the card is swiped at the entrance and exit barriers at stations or on entry onto a bus. It is an extremely easy, quick and efficient system, and the vast majority of Londoners use Oyster cards for travel. The cost of each journey is much cheaper than when using individual tickets (often 50% of the cost or less) and the cards are extremely convenient. They can be charged up with credit as required at machines or at the ticket offices of every station. Oyster cards can be purchased at Heathrow or online at  http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/ . This site has further information about Oyster cards.

  (b) 7-day Travelcard. These are paper tickets that allow unrestricted travel over the period of 7-days from the time of first use.  London is divided into Zones, depending on the distance from the Central area. There are several categories of card – one covering Central London (Zone 1 and 2 cards), one Extended Central London (Zones 1-4 cards) and one covering the whole system (Zone 1-6 cards). Heathrow is in zone 6 – so a Zone 1-6 card is needed to travel to and from Heathrow. The Excel Centre is in Zone 3, so a Zone 1-4 card will over travel from ExCel to and from Central London. Travelcards can be bought at any underground station (via machines or the ticket office) or online at http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/


  OTHER TRANSPORT OPTIONS

(a) Boat along the Thames
 Thames Clippers is the commuter boat service on the River Thames. The boats leave from all major piers, including The O2, Greenwich, Canary Wharf, Tower, London Bridge, Embankment and Waterloo, every 20 minutes during peak hours (from 6am to 1am). To travel to ExCel, get off at the 02 stop (North Greenwich) and then take the cable car, or Canary Wharf and take the DLR.Oyster cards and Travelcards are valid for use on these services.For more  information, see www.thamesclippers.com

(b) Cable car (‘Emirates Airline’) crossing the Thames
A rather amusing cable car service opened in the summer joining the Royal Docks (5 minues from the ExCel Centre) to the ‘O2’ centre, the North Greenwich DLR station and the pier for the Thames Clippers.  Oyster cards are valid on the  Cable Car. For more information see http://www.emiratesairline.co.uk/

For further information about ticketing and transport in London visit:
-  http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/
-  www.visitlondon.com/travel/getting_around/
-  www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/
-  Trip Advisor  


TRANSPORT AROUND LONDON
For information on transport services and getting around London, please click on this link.

PARKING INFORMATION

On-site car parking for 3,700 cars, including over 2,000 spaces directly beneath the venue.

All onsite parking is pay and display. The ticket machines are located within the car parks and accept coins, notes and credit cards.The car parks are allocated on a first come first served basis. Overnight sleeping within vehicles is prohibited. The on-site hotels have their own private car parking facilities.

Bicycles can be parked at the racks opposite the entrance to the Novotel Hotel or located at the West Taxi rank.

Vehicale Type	Time	Cost
Car	up to 2 hours	£5.00
Car	up to 5 hours	£10.00
Car	up to 15 hours	£15.00
Car	up to 24 hours	£20.00
Motorcycle	24 hours	free of charge

 



Certificates of Attendance

Certificates of Attendance can be collected from the registration desk from Tuesday 2nd October onwards during registration opening hours.

CLIMATE

During autumn, temperatures in London can vary from mild and summery to cold and rainy. The average maximum temperature for September is 19°C (66F) and the average maximum temperature in October is 14°C (57F). Warm clothes and a coat are essential for this time of year.



CREDIT CARDS AND ATMS

ATMs are widely available in London and most will accept cards tied into the Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro systems. All these major credit cards are widely accepted in London's restaurants, bars, cafés and shops. AMEX and Diners Club cards are less commonly accepted.


CURRENCY
The currency in London is Pound Sterling (£).


COMMUNICATIONS
International Dialing code: +44
Area code for London: 20


ELECTRICITY
The voltage in the United Kingdom is 230 V (50 Hz) and plugs are 3-pin flat blade type.


LIABILITY AND INSURANCE
The congress organisers will not accept liability for personal injury or loss/damage to property/belongings of participants or accompanying persons, either before, during or following the congress, tours or their stay in London. It is therefore recommended that participants arrange their own personal health, accident and travel insurance.

Congress Bags
The congress bags were sourced from Township Patterns, which is a unique social enterprise producing eco-friendly conference bags. The range is made by fair-trade women’s cooperatives in the townships of South Africa. Each item sold brings economic development and opportunity to the women and their communities.


Internet

The Internet Centre is located by the Poster Area in the Capital Hall on Level 0 of ICC London ExCeL.

There is also free WIFI available to the delegates in the Boulevard Area of the ICC London ExCel.

OFFICAL AIRLINE

The Star Alliance member airlines are pleased to be appointed as the Official Airline Network for the 10th European Congress on Epileptology. Click here for more information.

TIME DIFFERENCE
During the time of the congress, London will be in Greenwich Mean Time +1 hour (U.S Eastern Standard Time +5 hours).



VENUE
The 10th European Congress on Epileptology will be held in ICC London ExCeL, international conference centre.

ICC London ExCeL
One Western Gateway
Royal Victoria Dock
London
E16 1XL
Tel: +44 (0)20 7069 5000
Fax: +44 (0)20 7069 4747
Website: www.excel-london.co.uk

ICC London ExceL is accessible by public transport and the DLR station is Prince Regent. For further information on transport to and from the venue, please click here.

For information on some of the other activities available in the area, please click here.

VISAS

Like most nations, the UK has different visa rules for nationals of various countries. Citizens of any of the European Union countries need a valid passport but not a visa to enter the UK.
Citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa need a passport that is still valid for at least 6 months but do not need a visa to be allowed entry for 6 months as a tourist.

If you are a visitor from another country, please see the UK Visa website run by the British Home Office and type in your nationality and country of residence to see the requirements for entry to the UK. Otherwise, check with your local British Embassy or other diplomatic representative before you travel.

INTERMEDIARY AGENCY FOR ITALIAN DELEGATES

Barbara Mantegazza
Nuova Viaggi Pandani Srl - Congress and Fair Department
sede legale: Via Conservatorio, 30 - 20122 Milano
P.I. 07258490965
sede operativa: Via G. Fara, 13  20124 Milano - Italy
Tel. +39 02.6693007 (INT.4) - Fax +39 02.66716063
www.pandaniviaggi.it