ISMD 2009 Travel, Lodging, and Local Information

Travel

Arrival

The nearest large international airports are Minsk National Airport and airports in Latvia (Riga), Lithuania (Vilnius), Poland (Warsaw), Russia (Moscow), the Ukraine (Kiev). Recommended route is by airplane to Minsk then by train to Gomel, or directly by train to Gomel. The organizing committee will provide transportation to the hotel where participants will live.

Participants who wish to be picked up at Minsk National Airport, are kindly asked to inform the Organizing Committee by e-mail or fax about the exact flight number, date and time of arrival, at least three working days before the arrival. From Minsk to Gomel participants can go by comfortable train (with a possibility to have a rest and sleep for 4-5 hours) or by bus. Participants going directly from Kiev to Gomel will be also picked up at the Gomel railway station.

Tickets for domestic (Minsk-Gomel) flights and trains can be booked by Organizing Committee. Please contact Organizing Committee in advance.

Meeting place at central railway station (Minsk) will be at 13:30 near train arrival/departure display board on the ground floor. Conference bus will leave on September, 4 at 14:00 from Minsk railway station and will gather participants from National Airport Minsk 2 at 15:00. In the Airport we will meet participants near their arrival flight gates. Conference minibus will leave on September, 4 at 18:00 from National Airport Minsk 2.

Another conference bus will leave on September, 4 at 10:40 from local train station in Gomel. Local station is located near long-distance train station.

Departure

The organizing committee will provide the transportation from "Gold Sands" to Minsk on September, 9. Minibus will leave in the morning. Time of its departure will be determined later, according to participants departure schedule. Conference bus will leave "Gold Sands" at 15:00.

Contact information:
Minsk: +375 29 312 48 83 Vadzim Piatrou
Gomel: +375 29 537 19 61 Elena Kokoulina

Visa Information

General advice: ACT EARLY!

Important advice and information on obtaining visas for travel to the Republic of Belarus is available from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus:

http://www.mfa.gov.by/en/consular
http://www.belembassy.org/index_eng.html

Participants from most countries must have Belarusian visas to enter the Republic of Belarus. To obtain Belarusian visa in time, the official invitation should be presented to Belarusian Consulate in your country at least a week before your departure for the Republic of Belarus.

To issue the official invitation the Symposium Secretariat needs your personal data. Please fill in the registration form carefully or send the relevant information by e-mail to the ISMD 2009 Organizers.

ATTENTION! If you cannot receive Belarusian visa in your country, the Secretariat will arrange for a visa to be issued at the Minsk National Airport upon arrival. In this case the visa fee will be ~140 USD.

NOTA BENE! If you are going to reach the Symposium via Russia you are kindly asked to inform Elena Kokoulina before 1^st July 2009. In such a case you will need both Russian and Belarusian visas, and two different invitations (to Russia and Belarus) will be provided by the Organizers. Citizens of Russia, the Ukraine and some other countries do not need visa to enter Belarus. Ukrainian visa may be needed for flights through Kiev.