Access to ETS07

ETS 2007 will be held in Freiburg, a city in Southwestern Germany close to the French and Swiss border. The conference will take place in Freiburg's Convention Center, which is close to Freiburg's main train station. All the suggested hotels are within walking distance from the conference site.

Access by Train Freiburg is on a main North-South connection through Germany. Approximate travel times are 1 hour from Basel and Strasbourg; 2 hours from Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Zürich; 3 hours from Cologne; 4 hours from Geneve and Munich; 6 hours from Berlin, Hamburg, Milan, Paris and Amsterdam. Budget airlines may be a more economic way of traveling from distant places. When travelling through Switzerland, notice that it is not part of the EU or the Schengen zone, so you may need a visa. Also, tell specifically that your destination is Freiburg in Germany and not Fribourg in Switzerland. You can use the Travel information server of the German Rail to plan your trip. You can even enter street addresses into the form. Tickets can be purchased at the rail stations, from the vending machines (which can be switched into English) and travel agencies. It is possible to buy tickets in long-distance train (for a surcharge) but in most regional trains individuals without a ticket will be fined. All of the above-mentioned places accept international credit cards.

Access by Car

On the autobahn A5 between Karlsruhe and Basel, take the exit «Freiburg-Mitte» and follow the signs for the train station. The conference site and the suggested hotels are easily reached from there. Parking can be a problem, so it is better to book parking from your hotel.

Access by Air

Freiburg is served by the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (MLH, BSL, EAP). Other airports within easy reach are Frankfurt (FRA), Zürich (ZRH), Stuttgart (STR), Strasbourg (SXB), and Karlsruhe-Baden-Baden (FKB). Cars can be rented at all airports, but you don't really need a car in Freiburg as the public transport network is extensive. Information on transportation to Freiburg from the individual airports is summarized below.

• Frankfurt is served by non-stop flights from most parts of the world. It is slightly further away from Freiburg than the EuroAirport, but it is better connected. There are at least hourly connections from the airport to Freiburg by high-speed ICE train (2 hours). Most of the connections are direct while some require one change in Mannheim (typically, your connecting train will depart from the other side of the same platform), Karlsruhe or Frankfurt's main station. Follow the «long-distance trains» sign. Trains to Freiburg typically depart from Track 5; you can get tickets (57 euros one-way, 114 return) from the Travel Center on the station. When planning your trip using German Rail's server , please enter «FrankfurtAirport» (written together) in the From/To field. When going back, make sure not to confuse the Frankfurt Airport station with Frankfurt's main station located in downtown Frankfurt (from there you can get to the airport in some 15 minutes)
• EuroAirport is served by a significant number of Air France, Swiss and Easyjet flights. Other airlines such as KLM, Lufthansa and SAS as well as budget carriers such as Air Berlin also fly there. If your flight goes to Frankfurt or Zürich, it is generally more time-efficient to travel to Freiburg from there than to buy a connecting flight to the EuroAirport. Freiburger Reisedienst runs a direct bus between Freiburg train station and the Basel airport (1 hour; 16 euros one-way, 30 euros return, the schedule will change in March). The same company can arrange individual pick-up from Basel and other airports. Alternatively, you can take a bus (15 minutes; schedule to the airport, schedule from the airport) to Basel's SBB train station which has connections (40 minutes, at least one per hour) to Freiburg . To use the direct bus, exit to the French part of the airport. Swiss visa may be required to go through Basel's SBB station but not for the direct bus. Official information on Swiss visa can be found here.
• Zürich is the largest airport in Switzerland and has many flights from different parts of the world. The trip to Freiburg by train takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, typically involving changes in Zürich's main train station and/or Basel. When planning your trip using German Rail's server, please enter «Zurich Airport» in the From/To field. Zürich airport is in Switzerland and you may require a Swiss transit visa. Note that no visa may be required for, e.g., U.S. Green card holders. Official information on Swiss visa can be found here. Inquire at a local Swiss consulate when in doubt.
• Stuttgart has a large number of flights from other parts of Europe and also some transcontinental flights. Freiburg is reached by taking a local train to Stuttgart's main station and going by a long-distance train (one change in Karlsruhe). The whole trip takes approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes and costs 47 euros one-way. When planning your trip using German Rail's server, please enter «StuttgartAirport» (written together) in the From/To field. If you have a choice to arrive in Stuttgart or Frankfurt, Frankfurt is more convenient.
• Strasbourg is served by Air France's inner-French flights and has several international flights. Access to Freiburg is difficult, so you are best off renting a car. If that is not an option, get to Strasbourg's train station and take a train. You will need to change trains in Offenburg and, possibly, Kehl. The trip from Strasbourg's train station will take between 1 and 2 hours and cost between 15 and 25 euros one-way.
• Karlsruhe-Baden-Baden is a small regional airport served by a few airlines including RyanAir. Connections include Barcelona-Girona, Berlin-Tegel, London-Stansted, Marseille, Pisa, and Rom-Ciampino. From the airport, there is an infrequent bus to Baden-Baden train station (approx. 2 euros, 25 minutes). Taxi drivers charge 26 euros for the same trip (15 minutes). From Baden-Baden, there are frequent connections to Freiburg by long-distance trains (45 minutes, 25 euros) or regional trains (1 hour 20 minutes, 17 euros). When planning your trip using German Rail's server, please enter «Baden-BadenAirport» (written together) in the From/To field.