Practical info

Please note that we expect to admit only participants holding a pass sanitaire, which typically requires full Covid vaccination. Current requirements for non-vaccinated individuals are too restrictive and cannot be accommodated within the framework of this event. While a recent Covid test or proof of past illness may be partly eligible for local attendance, we expect that cross-border travel will be sufficiently smooth only for fully vaccinated individuals. The condition of full vaccination means having a Covid-19 vaccination certificate demonstrating that at least 28 days have elapsed since the first dose of Janssen vaccine or 7 days have elapsed since the second dose of the Pfizer-Biontech, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Moderna, R-Covi (R-Pharm) or "Covid-19 Vaccine" (Fiocruz) vaccine or 7 days since the first dose of these vaccines if the person holds proof that they previously have been infected with Covid-19. If you do not have a pass sanitaire, EU Digital Covid certificate (green pass), or another eligible Covid vaccination certificate, please do not travel to this event. If you're coming from outside the EU, please convert your certificate into a French QR code here.

• The conference will take place at the Department of Physics of the École Normale Supérieure. Enter at 24 rue Lhomond in 5th arrondissement. Registration desk will be right there. 
• Check this ENS map for access to Salle Jaurès located on floor -1. Conference rooms are located on floors 1 and 2. Coffee breaks and lunches will be served on floor 0. Follow the signs to move around.
• Covid restrictions for international travelers can be checked here or here.
• Security checks may be performed at the entrance. They are also common at airports, railway stations, museums, concert halls, and other universities. Please have your ID with you at all times and be prepared that your bags may be searched. We have to supply security guards with a list of names, so only registered conference participants will be allowed to enter ENS.
• Please be careful and watch your belongings, especially on public transportation. Phone number for the police is 17. In all other emergency situations call 18. Universal emergency number from any cell phone is 112.

• Accommodation tends to be expensive in Paris but most hotels are full anyway. We advise that you book your trip several months in advance.
• Airbnb is widely available. If you are looking for a cheap option with easy access by public transportation, check the offers in southern suburbs along the RER B line.
• Hotels in the Latin Quarter vary from basic to luxurious. Here's a small selection but we encourage you to search for good deals on the internet: Hôtel de l'Espérance, Hôtel des Grandes Ecoles, Hôtel André Latin, Hôtel Monte Cristo, Relais Saint-Jacques.
• Student accommodation exists both for students and for university professors but these places are usually full. Check bedandcrous.
• There are many student hostels around the city. Here are some near the conference venue: Oops Design Hostel, Young and Happy Hostel, FIAP.
  

• To reach the conference venue, from CDG airport (all terminals) follow “Paris by Train” signs and take the train to Paris (known as RER B). All trains from the airport go to Paris. Get off at Luxembourg. Tickets must be purchased from vending machines and cost 10.3 euros. Keep the ticket on you as you will need it when leaving the station. Travel time is around 1 hour.
• From Orly airport, take Orlyval train to RER B, then take RER B to Luxembourg.
• From Beauvais airport, take the shuttle to Porte Maillot, then metro lines 1 and 4 to Odéon.
• Taxi, Uber, and Bolt are widely available at all airports, train stations, and throughout Paris. A ride from CDG airport to left-bank Paris will cost at least 50 euros. Prices may vary depending on traffic and car availability.

• To move around, use metro, buses, Vélib city bikes, Jump bikes by Uber, or one of the many companies providing electric scooters.

• Conference dinner is planned at La Coupole at 7pm on Friday, October 29^th. Read about it here.
  
• This is France, so it's important to eat well. Start with bakeries and pastry shops. They are to be found in every neighbourhood but some are more distinguished than others. For example, Carl Marletti, Gérard Mulot, Cyril Lignac, or Mori Yoshida.
• The best cheese shops in the Latin Quarter are to be found in Place Maubert or in rue Mouffetard. Try Androuet.
• There exist more good restaurants that we can list here. Avoid cheap tourist food in the center. Look for hidden gems that are worth a trip on the metro. For example, Cave de l'insolite, Le Pantruche, Belle maison, Bistrotters. Simpler but nice options in the Latin Quarter include Etchegorry, Philippe, Vin sobre, L'Orée du Parc, Le Cosi and many others.

• If you need an antigen Covid test, almost any pharmacy will be able to do one and send you the result within 20 minutes. Try Pharmacie Appel near the conference venue.
• If you need a PCR test, check this list of labs. Near the conference venue try SYNLAB (by appointment here) or BIGROUP (no appointment necessary, PCR tests from 7:30 to 12:00).
• Standard prices are 25 euros for an antigen test and 44 euros for a PCR test.