International Conference

June 11-15 2007
ABBAZIA DI SPINETO
SARTEANO (SIENA), ITALY

www.arcetri.astro.it/hisur
hisur@arcetri.astro.it



Travel


We require participants to fill in the Travel Form by no later than May 31st.

Here is a map for reaching The Venue.

The Abbazia di Spineto is located in the southermost part of the province of Siena, Italy, 6 km from Sarteano. It is at a short driving distance from the railway station and Autostrada A1 exit of Chiusi-Chianciano. Roma and Firenze can be reached in about 90 min by car or by train from Chiusi. Trains in Chiusi/Chianciano station arrive from Roma (south) and from Firenze (north).

In planning your travel, please remember that Registration and welcome buffet will take place on the afternoon and evening of Sunday June 10 2007. The Conference begins on Monday June 11 at 9.00 am and ends on Friday June 15 at 2.00 pm.

Please note that there is no public transportation connecting The Abbey to the rest of the World, while there will be a shuttle for transportation of the participants staying in the Farmhouses to the Conference Center, and viceversa. If you don't like to walk and are planning to tour a wide area of southern Tuscany you might want to rent a car!

Transportation from/to Florence by bus, and from/to Chiusi-Chianciano train station with a pick-up service, will be provided by the organizers on Sunday June 10 (12:00-19:00) and Friday June 15 (end of Conference). More details on the bus and pick-ups are given individually to those who requested these services. We have a list of people who are expected to be on the bus at Firenze SMN and Firenze Airport and of those who requested a pick-up in Chiusi. If you are planning to be on the bus or on a pick-up and have not received a confirmation mail from the LOC, please contact the LOC as soon as possible !

If you want to reach/leave Spineto at different times, a Taxi can help you in reaching the Abbazia from Chiusi-Chianciano train station and viceversa. The total cost for the ride is approximately 30 euros per car and it takes about 20 min.

Arriving in Firenze...

We have organized 2 meeting points on Sunday June 10. The first one will be at Firenze SMN (Santa Maria Novella, the central railway station) at 1:00-1:30 pm, the second one at Firenze Airport at 2:00-2:30 pm. The bus ride from Firenze to Spineto takes about two hours. If your flight is delayed and you will not be on time for the bus departure you should go to Firenze SMN railway station and catch a train to Chiusi-Chianciano . You can reach Firenze SMN from the Airport in about 30 min by bus VOLAINBUS (4.5 euro) or taxi (about 18 euro). And once in Chiusi if you don't see any pick-up service available you should take a taxi for Abbazia di Spineto (main entrance).

Arriving by plane in Rome, Milan, Pisa....

If you land in Pisa, you should take a train to reach Firenze central railway station (Firenze SMN). If at the time of your arrival there will be no trains from Pisa Airport you should take a taxi to reach Pisa central station. If you arrive at Firenze SMN before 13.30 pm of Sunday June 10, you can reach the meeting point and get a ride on the bus. IMPORTANT NOTICE: if no direct trains to Firenze SMN are available after your landing time you can consider catching the BUS. The bus company is TERRAVISION and they accept on-line reservation. This bus can take you to Firenze SMN (70 min) and to Firenze Airport (90 min). On sunday June 10 for example there should be 2 convenient buses to reach our meeting points, leaving Pisa Airport at 10:30 am and at 12:00 noon. The cost for the bus is comparable to a train ticket Pisa A./Firenze.

If you land in Rome you should take a train to reach the central railway station in Roma (this jouney takes about 30 min and its final destination should be Roma Termini. The frequency of those trains is about 1 every 30 min). In Roma Termini you should connect to trains going to Chiusi-Chianciano station. Those trains have usually Firenze, Venice or Milan as final destination, but only some of them will stop in Chiusi-Chianciano on their way (see timetable below).

If you land in Milano, Bologna or any other italian destination you can take a train to reach directly Chiusi-Chianciano station and arrange for a pick-up there, or you can take a train for Firenze SMN and reach the meeting point for the bus there.

Arriving by train in Chiusi-Chianciano...

If you arrive by train, your destination should be Chiusi-Chianciano station. There will be a free pick-up service at the station from 12.00 am to 19.00 of Sunday June 10. This pick-up service is done using taxis with a sign saying "Abbazia di Spineto". You will find these waiting for you opposite to the station exit. Pick-ups in Chiusi start at noon June 10 are scheduled at regular intervals. Each taxi can carry 4 people with luggage and has the list of participants scheduled for each departure. If you are planning to be on this service and have not received a confirmation mail from the LOC, please contact the LOC as soon as possible !
Those who arrive in Chiusi-Chianciano at different times, can take a private taxi, right opposite to the station exit. Destination: Abbazia di Spineto main entrance (approx. fare is 30 euro, up to 4 people).

Arriving by car....

If you will be driving take the highway A1 and get off at Chiusi-Chianciano. Then follow directions to Sarteano (7 km). From Sarteano follow the signs to Radicofani: The Abbazia di Spineto is 3-4 km from Sarteano (see the map on top of this page).
If you drive from Roma Airport (Leonardo da Vinci, located in Fiumicino) take the highway from the Airport to the Grande Raccordo Anulare (GRA), as you were going to Roma city. GRA is a big road going all around the city of Roma, it is at about 12 km from the Airport. Once you reach the intersection with GRA you should take the GRA towards north, direction SS1(Aurelia), SS2(Cassia), A1 to Firenze/Milano. On the GRA you have to drive 20 km before finding the exit for A1 to Firenze/Milano. On the highway A1 going north you will have to drive about 142 km before finding the Chiusi-Chianciano exit.
If you drive from Firenze Airport you are very close to the Firenze North A1 gate. Take the A1 towards south (Roma direction). After about 130 km you will find the Chiusi-Chianciano exit.

Leaving Spineto....

The bus for Firenze airport and train station will leave Spineto on Friday June 15 at 2:15 pm. Approximate arrival time in Firenze Airport is 4.30 pm and in Firenze SMN is 5.00 pm. The bus stops in Chiusi-Chianciano train stations (14:40) leaving those of you who have requested a ride for Chiusi at the end of the Conference.

Participants who leave the Conference before its end should consider taking a taxi to Chiusi Chianciano station. However, if a 2-3 people should leave at the approx the same time we will arrange a free ride to Chiusi. Additional information about departures from Abbazia di Spineto will be given individually during the Conference. Be confident that we will arranged departures according to your requests.

Trains from Florence to Chiusi-Chianciano

From Departure Arrival
Firenze-CM 05:33 06:43
Firenze-SMN 06:29 07:27
Firenze-SMN 07:09 08:57
Firenze-CM 08:32 09:33
Firenze-SMN 09:39 10:57
Firenze-CM 10:32 11:33 Direct from Milano Centrale, leaving at 7:10
Firenze-SMN 11:09 12:57
Firenze-CM 12:32 13:33
Firenze-SMN 13:09 14:57
Firenze-CM 14:32 15:33 Direct from Milano Centrale, leaving at 11:10
Firenze-SMN 15:09 16:57
Firenze-CM 16:32 17:33
Firenze-SMN 17:09 18:57
Firenze-CM 18:19 19:20 Direct from Milano Centrale, leaving at 14:30
Firenze-CM 18:32 19:33 Direct from Milano Centrale, leaving at 15:10
Firenze-CM 19:09 20:57
Firenze-CM 20:32 21:43
Firenze-SMN 20:48 23:11
Firenze-SMN 21:09 22:57

Trains from Roma Termini to Chiusi-Chianciano

Departure Arrival
06:07 08:01
06:57 08:21
07:14 09:01
08:55 10:19
09:14 11:01
10:57 12:21
11:14 13:01
12:57 14:21
13:14 15:01
14:57 16:21
15:14 17:01
16:57 18:19
17:14 19:01
17:55 19:09
18:57 20:21
19:14 21:01
19:51 21:06
20:30 21:25
Later trains leave at 22:07 and 22:50 from the Station Roma Tiburtina, which can be reached from Roma Termini by bus/taxi/underground

Trains in Chiusi/Chianciano station take you to Rome (south) or to Firenze (north).

Trains from Chiusi-Chianciano to Firenze

To Departure Arrival
Firenze-CM 00:07 01:42
Firenze-SMN 05:00 07:10
Firenze-SMN 05:38 07:40
Firenze-CM 06:05 07:40
Firenze-SMN 06:20 07:54
Firenze-SMN 08:03 09:51
Firenze-CM 08:23 09:24
Firenze-SMN 09:03 10:51
Firenze-SMN 10:15 12:24
Firenze-CM 10:21 11:24 Direct to Milano Centrale, arriving at 14:50
Firenze-SMN 11:03 12:51
Firenze-CM 12:23 13:24
Firenze-SMN 13:03 14:51
Firenze-CM 14:23 15:24 Direct to Milano Centrale, arriving at 18:50
Firenze-SMN 15:03 16:51
Firenze-CM 16:23 17:24
Firenze-SMN 17:03 18:51
Firenze-CM 18:20 19:24 Direct to Milano Centrale, arriving at 22:55
Firenze-SMN 18:25 20:45
Firenze-SMN 19:03 20:51
Firenze-SMN 19:11 20:41
Firenze-CM 20:23 21:24
Firenze-SMN 21:03 22:51
Firenze-SMN 21:08 22:02
Firenze-SMN 21:27 22:29

Trains from Chiusi-Chianciano to Roma Termini

Departure Arrival
04:00 05:46
05:37 07:25
06:23 08:12
07:10 08:24
07:29 09:05
08:32 10:16
09:35 11:03
10:59 12:46
11:35 13:03
12:59 14:46
13:35 15:03
14:59 16:46
15:35 17:03
16:59 18:46
17:35 19:03
18:59 20:46
19:35 21:06
20:59 22:46
21:45 23:03
22:59 00:46

You might want to consult the timetables for any italian destinations using
The Italian Railways service
or
The German Railways service.



Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri