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Travel Information
1) Getting to Ottawa
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SAVE UP TO 20% ON TRAVEL WITH THE STAR ALLIANCE™ NETWORK
The Star Alliance member airlines are pleased to be appointed as the Official Airline Network for the Evolution 2012 Congress.
To obtain the Star Alliance Conventions Plus discounts please follow the below steps to access the Conventions Plus online booking tool:
*Should the online booking tool not open, please ensure that your Pop-Up blocker is disabled.
Registered participants plus one accompanying person travelling to the event can qualify for a discount of up to 20%, depending on fare and class of travel booked.
The participating airlines for this event are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Blue1, Brussels Airlines, Continental Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS International Air Lines, TAM Airlines, TAP Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, United, US Airways
Discounts are offered on most published business and economy class fares, excluding website/internet fares, senior and youth fares, group fares and Round the World fares.
Please note: For travel to/from Japan and New Zealand special fares or discounts may be offered by the participating airlines on their own network. To obtain these special fares or discounts and for booking office information please visit www.staralliance.com/conventionsplus/delegates/ and:
- Click on “Conventions Plus Booking Contacts” and enter the conventions code AC20S12.
- Choose one of the participating airlines listed
- Call the respective reservation contact listed and quote the conventions code AC20S12 when requesting the special ticket
When making your travel plans please present confirmation of your registration or proof of attendance for the Event/Convention.
UNIGLOBE The Premiere Travel Group is proud to have been selected to be the preferred Travel services provider for the Evolution 2012 Conference. They will source all airlines and programs that are available and ensure that you receive the best pricing and options for your travel. A travel portal to facilitate booking through UNIGLOBE can be found at: http://www.premieregroup.com/onlinebooking/confersense.htm
Please do not book your hotel through Uniglobe, but do so as part of the congress registration process. We ask that you respect this request so we can control the room block and avoid attrition charges to the congress. Should a Uniglobe employee offer to book a room for you, please report this immediately to the Conference Coordinator, Chuck Schouwerwou, at chuck@confersense.ca or +1 613-232-4414 (toll free within Canada/US 1-866-601-1390). Thank you for your cooperation.
Getting from the Ottawa International Airport to the Hotels/Residences is easy:
- Taxi: Airport taxis are available and cost approx. $29 one way depending on traffic and the particular hotel.
- Public Transportation (OC Transpo): Route 97 to downtown Ottawa departs from pillar 14 outside the Level 1 Arrivals area. Route 97 uses low-floor, fully accessible buses that accommodate wheelchairs, and stops . Bus tickets are available at the Ground Transportation Desk located on Level 1 at the central door of the Arrivals area. Consult the OC Transpo website for more information, including a detailed interactive trip planner.
- Car Rentals: Located within the airport
- Shuttle: there is currently no airport shuttle to the hotels. Please check this website periodically in case this changes
- Should you fly into Montreal (Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport), you can take the Train (see below) or the bus to Ottawa; this is sometimes faster than waiting for a connecting flight and the bus leaves directly from the airport (for more information and to purchase a bus ticket, visit the Greyhound website and choose “Trudeau Airport (e), PQ” in the “Leaving from:” field). It is a 2 hr 15 min drive from the airport in Montreal to downtown Ottawa, although traffic can increase this time substantially.
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By Train |
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A 10% discount off the best available fare in Economy, Business, Sleeper, or Sleeper Touring class, has been negotiated with Canada’s national railway, VIA Rail, and is valid from July 2 -15, 2012, from all stations throughout the VIA system to Ottawa, Ontario and return. ("Subject to the conditions and restrictions of the fare plan to which the additional discount is being applied."). Applies to a maximum of two passengers per booking and does not apply to ‘Economy - special fare’ or ‘Business - supersaver fare’. One complimentary stopover is allowed at no additional charge. For travel on all fare plans in Business class, the first stopover is allowed at no additional charge, provided that this stopover takes place in Toronto, Montréal or Ottawa only. Participants must reference the event’s VIA confirmation number: 12320.
NOTE: You have to log in to your profile , or create one, prior to booking. On the Passenger information screen, select "Convention fare" from the “Discount Type” drop-down menu, and enter the discount code for your convention or event in the “Discount code” field. The conference fare will be shown on the next page.
Getting from the Ottawa train station to downtown hotels/residence can be done either by taxi (approximately $20, depending on traffic and destination) or by Ottawa Public Transit. |
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By Bus |
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Travelling from other cities in Canada to Ottawa can be arranged through Greyhound Canada. You can take a taxi from the downtown bus station (265 Catherine Street) to the hotels or University residence (20-35 min. walk, depending on accommodations). |
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Driving |
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The approximate driving time from Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport is 2 hr 15 min (assuming no traffic). From Toronto’s Pearson International airport is 5 hr 15 min. (assuming no traffic).
The meeting venue (Ottawa Convention Centre), hotels, and uOttawa residences are all downtown and, while parking is available at all of these, there is a fee (i.e. not included in your room rate) that ranges from $16/day and up. Arrangements can be made with the hotel/residence when you check-in. For those seeking a less expensive option, we have made arrangements with the University of Ottawa for parking at their satellite campus at 200 Lees Avenue. This is a 15-20 min. walk from the uOttawa residences and approximately 25 min. from the Ottawa Convention Centre (see map). This option is therefore best suited to those not requiring access to their vehicle during the meeting, although in/out privileges are included. There are two options:
- · Option #1: arriving any time after 12 noon on July 4, departing before the morning of July 12: total cost $59.33 CDN
- · Option #2: arriving any time after 12 noon on July 6, departing before the morning of July 12: total cost $29.66 CDN
These permits must be picked up from the Protection Services Office on the main uOttawa campus (139 Louis-Pasteur, Room 133; mark with yellow “Parking Office” label on this map) between 8 am – 3 pm Monday - Friday. Those wishing to purchase a permit for 200 Lees MUST confirm before July 3 by emailing park@uottawa.ca, indicating that they are part of the ‘Evolution 2012’ meeting and stating which option they would like.
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Customs and Immigration |
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All people entering Canada MUST have a valid passport (even if coming by car from the US) and, in certain cases, a visa (check the list of countries that do and do not require a visa). All persons entering Canada must fill out a declaration for Canada Customs. All countries requiring a visa to enter Canada must first register and pay to attend the congress to receive a letter of invitation to the congress (required for one’s visa application). We regret that we cannot accept credit cards from countries that require a visa to enter Canada. |
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2) Getting around Ottawa
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Walking |
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The hotels, the residences, and the Ottawa Convention Centre are all within walking distance of one another, and the more distant hotels also offer a morning shuttle service to the Convention Centre. Ottawa is a very safe city, although common sense should always prevail (e.g., walk in groups at night). |
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Driving |
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A car is not needed during the conference, but can parked at the hotels/University of Ottawa residences for a fee. Please see ‘iv) Driving’ in the ‘Getting to Ottawa’ section above for more information concerning parking. |
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iii) |
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Public transit |
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Public Transit is easy to access in Ottawa. To view and plan transit routes , visit the OC Transpo website. The one-way fare is $3.30 cash (no change provided) or two bus tickets. Bus tickets can be bought from local convenience stores displaying OC transpo sticker/sign for $1.50 each. Day passes with unlimited travel can be purchased for $7.75 each. |
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iv) |
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Taxi |
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Rates are regulated and generally not negotiable. Prebookings can be made with sufficient notice. Rates include taxes but not gratuity (approx. 15% standard). The two biggest taxi companies are:
- Blue Line: 613-238-1111
- Capital Taxi: 613-744-3333
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Bicycle |
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Ottawa is a great city for cyclists with over 170 kilometres of bike paths, many of them along our scenic rivers and canals. It's also easy to cycle on some roads that feature special bike lanes. Routes can be found here. Bixi, a public bicycle sharing system, is also available in Ottawa. Consult their website for more information. |
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