IRT Maastricht Netherlands July 2009
From CDGWiki
July 14-16, 2009
Maastricht, Netherlands
Hosted by: Vodafone Netherlands
Theme: Interstandard Roaming
[edit] Registration
This event is free of charge. However, registration is required to attend. Without registering for this event you are not guaranteed a seat in the meeting or at social events. Please be sure to register early.
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To view updated registration list as of July 8 Click Here
[edit] Agenda
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[edit] Hotel Information
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Crowne Plaza Maastricht
Ruiterij 1
6221 EW Maastricht
The Netherlands
T. 0031 - (0)43 - 350.91.91
F. 0031 - (0)43 - 350.91.92
E. cpmaastricht@bilderberg.nl
To visit hotel website Crowne Plaza Maastricht
Hotel Registration Due Date is June 13th!
There is also another big event in the city the same week as the meeting, the concert of Andre Rieu, make sure the hotel receives your hotel room reservation right away.
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You must enter the ACTION RATE CODE "7766" Please choose the breakfast rate if you would like something to eat in the mornings. Lunch will be provided everyday of the meeting.
Make sure you get reservation confirmation from the hotel
This hotel is booked for July 13 and 14th
There are two hotels which according to our broker have a room available:
Hotel Bastion
Hotel Eden Design
The prices for the rooms will be probably very high.
Outside Maastricht there are rooms available in the City of Valkenburg (a small touristical city)
http://www.hotelschaepkens.nl/
http://www.vuedesmontagnes.nl/
http://www.hotelatlanta.nl/
Disadvantage is that you need to take a cab to the venue in Maastricht
If this really is no other option please consult the following website:
http://www.vvv-maastricht.eu/sleeping.html
This is the website for tourist information and where you can also find bed and breakfast in Maastricht. In general the bed and breakfasts are very good, affordable and mostly on good locations.
Or register for a hotel room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel by downloading this form HOTEL RESERVATION FORM
and fax to this number: +31 43 3509194
Hotel Airport Transportation Information
For information on Airports closest to the hotel click HERE
If you are interested in booking a small meeting room for bilateral meetings please email Sara, the cost is 125Euro for 4 hours.
[edit] Dinner and Concert Tuesday July 14th
Social event: Dinner at Andre Rieu concert- sponsored by Vodafones sim supplier Gemalto
A dinner in the Maastricht city square “het Vrijthof,” during the Andre Rieu concert will be held after the first day of meetings. Andre Rieu born and raised in Maastricht is a very famous musician who travels the world together with his orchestra to give classical concerts.
Dinner will at the exclusive restaurant “Cabane”. During the concert the restaurants on the Vrijthof are no more allowed to cater. Therefore every table has a separate beer tap so the quests can help themselves.
10 people can sit per table and the dinner will exist of 4 courses. Special diet wishes of the guests have to be communicated 1 month prior to the dinner. If you have a special diet request please make sure to indicate this when you register for the meeting.
Dinner starts at 6:30pm so we should plan to meet at 5:30pm in the lobby of the hotel to give us enough time to get there.The concert is at 8:30pm and will go to about 11:00pm.
It is a 15 minute walk from the hotel to the concert area.
[edit] Cocktail Social Wednesday July 15th
Cocktail Social: Hors d’oeuvres & Drinks by Syniverse 6:30 p.m.
Syniverse will host a cocktail reception at D’n Heimel in Maastricht. About a 10-minute walk from the Crowne Plaza hotel, the reception will offer hors d’oeuvres from 7 to 8 p.m. and drinks until midnight. Following the reception, guests can stay at D’n Heimel for dancing at a disco party.
[edit] Additional Airport Information
[edit] Local Airport
1. Maastricht Aachen (MAA) Airport code MST Airport Information
Ryanair flies from Maastricht with a scheduled service to Alicante, Pisa and Girona . Especially during the summer season, the airport is also used by various charter airlines such as transavia.com. It is also frequently used by private jets, especially during the annual TEFAF (The European Fine Art Fair) in Maastricht. Airlines Blue Air, easyJet, Ryanair and Volareweb previously had services to Bucharest, Berlin, Valencia and Milan respectively.
Flights are often quite expensive and you will usually have to connect via Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam). (In practice, you could just as easily get a train connection from Schiphol if you factor in the check in and the transfer times.)
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[edit] Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
Public Transport:
The motorway journey from Amsterdam to Maastricht can be very slow as it is two, not three lanes, for most of the way. The duration varies - add up to 60 mins at rush hour -and it also depends on how willing you are to break the speed limit of 100km per hour (60 miles) - which is in force throughout most of the journey.
Every half an hour a train leaves from the airport to Maastricht, with change at either Utrecht or Eindhoven and takes about 2.5 hours train This brings you into Maastricht station from which you can get a taxi to your hotel.
Car hire from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport:
- The distance from Amsterdam to Maastricht is 221 km or 138 miles.
- Journey Time: 2hrs 15 mins
- Fuel cost: 21 euros
[edit] International Airports
Several airports are within relatively easy access of Maastricht. We recommend you fly into Brussels if you are not hiring a car as the train connections are easier to manage than the German airports. Conversely either Dusseldorf, Cologne Bonn or Eindhoven are easiest if you are planning to hire a car, because the motorways are usually less congested at peak times than around the Brussels ring road.
1. Brussels Zaventem, Belgium (BRU) Airport Information
Public Transport:
- Brussels Airport is 80 mins on train to Maastricht click INFORMATION
- Arrival and Depature times Click HERE
- To buy a train ticket online Click HERE
Car hire:
- The distance from the airport to Maastricht is 111 km or 70 miles.
- Journey Time: 1hr 9mins
2. Dusseldorf, Germany (DUS) Airport Information
Public Transport:
The motorway journey from Germany to Maastricht is straightforward. The duration varies – add up to 30 mins at rush hour - and depends also on how willing you are to take advantage of the absence of a speed limit J ). Note that some airlines have a dual travel agreement with the German Railway company Deutsche Bahn, so if you fly in, you can often use the train up to the German border for free. Since the German/Dutch border runs through Aachen, (where you pick up a bus) this is convenient for your travel.
Look up your train times to Aachen (a direct train) which takes 1hr 37 minutes (Ticket 2nd Class is 20 euros). See www.bahn.de for details. From Aachen you will need to catch the 420 bus at the station which is a fast service directly to Maastricht train station.
Car hire:
- The distance from the airport to Maastricht is 104 km or 65 miles.
- Journey Time: 1hr 15 mins
3. Koln (Cologne), Germany (CGN) Airport Infrormation
Public Transport:
Look up your train times for Koln-Bonn Airport to Aachen and change at Duren. (See www.bahn.de for details.)The journey time is approx. 1 hr 20 minutes. A ticket costs about 14.00 euros. From Aachen you will need to catch the 420 bus at the station which is a fast service directly to Maastricht train station.
Car hire:
- The distance from the airport to Maastricht is 111 km or 70 miles.
- Journey Time: 1hr 15 mins
[edit] Taxis
All taxi companies charge a flat 7.50 e “start rate” at the beginning of your journey. After this, the charge is a standard 2.20e per kilometre. The cost of an airport run (an individual car) is typically 137.50e each way. Shuttles can be booked for less, but you will need to factor in extra time for shared pick-ups.
You can arrange also arrange a shuttle from the airport with Taxi Brull . They speak English since it’s the company used by Vodafone J .
Taxi Brull Maastricht Tel. +31 (0)43 – 34 30 000 Fax. 043 – 34 30 460 or EMAIL
ATM Taxi: Tel +31 (0)43 321 61 61 or EMAIL
Schiphol Taxi: +31 (0) 20 405 1013 or EMAIL
[edit] Passports/ Visas
For visa information click HERE
To request a visa invitation letter contact your Carrier Relations Manager with full name, title, company name, email address, phone number, duration of stay, passport type (nationality) and passport number:
| Geographic Region | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| China and India | Federico Nienstadt | Federico Nienstadt |
| Greater Asia, Africa, Middle East, South East Asia, 450MHz | Sara Aab | Sara Aab |
| North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Guam, Saipan, Bermuda and Cruise Ships | Libby Mackay | Libby Mackay |
[edit] Currency
Live rates at 2009.02.10 05:13:10 UTC
1.00 USD = .779895 EUR
For current exchange rate click HERE
[edit] Weather
The climate in the Netherlands is considered temperate, which means that there are distinct summer and winter seasons. Regardless of the city, the warmer months are the most comfortable. Unless of course, comfort is measured by the lack of tourists. The warmer summer months are also the most crowded, as many tourists plan trips through Holland during this time.
The warmest months of the year through most of the country are July and August, but even during this time the temperatures are rather mild. Daily highs will usually stay in the mid 70’s and on hot days jump into the 80’s. These are great months to walk outdoors and explore the canals or riding bikes through the narrow streets.
[edit] Communication Services
For those that have GSM or Interstandard handsets: Coverage in the Netherlands
[edit] Electric Plugs, Sockets, Voltages and Frequencies
Click HERE for description
Netherlands 230 V 50 Hz
[edit] About Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht has a very rich history. According to historians its history began 2050 years ago and therefore it is the oldest city in The Netherlands. Traces of history can be found throughout the entire city. The remains of the city walls, the grand mansions, the many churches and treasuries all attest to its impressive past. Maastricht has a wonderful center for shopping. The city center is located on the left bank of the river Meuse and is on walking distance from the main train station. You can shop for haute couture in the so called ‘Stokstraat’ and find most international brands in the so called ‘Bredestraat’. Maastricht is also called the gastronomic capital of the Netherlands. Maastricht offers you everything from high cuisine restaurants to many pubs serving the best food and wine!
Maastricht Wiki
Maastricht board of tourism CLICK HERE
Below some Specialties from Limburg:
Zuurvlees
Especially around the yearly carnival season the so called “Zuurvlees”, in English ‘Sour Beef Stew’, is a delicacy. This is a sort of stew with as traditional ingredients horse meat, vinegar, Dutch ginger cake and unions.
Vlaai
Large round sweet pie usually filled with fruit such as apples, cherries, prunes or apricots.
Asparagus
Asparagus which is also called “white gold” is a vegetable cultivated in the sandy soils of North Limburg. May and June are the harvesting months and in that period you can find this traditional dish on the menu in almost every restaurant in the region.
[edit] Places of Interest
Sights of Maastricht
Maastricht is known for its many sights, picturesque squares, romantic streets, and historical buildings. The main ones include:
- Vestigingswerken - the city fortifications, which include:
- Helpoort - a colossal 13th-century town gate.
- Stadsmuur - the medieval city wall.
- Hoge Fronten or Linie van du Moulin - a 17th-18th century bastion.
- Kazematten - an underground network of tunnels beneath the Hoge Fronten. Guided tours are available.
- Markt - the Market Square was completely refurbished in 2006-2007 and includes:
- Stadhuis - the 17th-century city hall.
- Mosae Forum - a new shopping centre.
- MosaeGusto! - a 3,500 m² fine food market underneath Mosae Forum.
- Citroën miniature cars - the four-storey Mosae Forum underground parking garage houses the world's largest exposition of Citroën miniature cars. Thousands are on permanent display.
- Entre Deux - a recently rebuilt shopping centre which has won several awards.Entre Deux It includes a book store located inside a former church, which British newspaper "The Guardian" named the world's most beautiful bookshop in 2008.Top shelves: The Guardian
- Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Plein - a picturesque square which includes:
- Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Basilica - an 11th-century Basilica Minor.
- Derlon Hotel Museum - a museum with Roman remains, uniquely preserved underneath a hotel.
- Binnenstad - the city centre and main shopping district, including the Stokstraatkwartier, the Maastrichter Brugstraat, the Grote and Kleine Staat, and the Wolfstraat. Maastricht is also known for its abundance of cafés, pubs and restaurants.
- Vrijthof - the best-known square of the city, which includes:
- Theater aan het Vrijthof - the city's theatre.
- Sint Servaas Basiliek - Saint Servatius basilica.
- Sint Janskerk - the tall Saint Johns church with distinctive redish tint.
- Sint Pietersberg - an elongated hill peaking at 171 metres above sea level, which includes:
- Fort Sint Pieter - an 18th-century fortress fully restored in 2006-2008.
- De Grotten - a vast network of tunnels resulting from the excavation of marl. Guided tours are available.
- Ruine Lichtenberg - a farmstead with panoramic tower.
- D'n Observant - an artificial hilltop atop the Sint Pietersberg.
- Bassin - an old and completely restored inner harbour with restaurants and cafés.
- Parks - there are various parks in Maastricht, including:
- Stadspark - the main public park
- Monsigneur Nolenspark - a prolongation of the Stadspark.
- Aldenhofpark - with a statue of d'Artagnan.
- Charles Eykpark - near the public library on the eastern-bank of the Meuse river
- Griendpark - with a 2008-constructed inline-skating and skateboarding course.
The tourist information office or VVV is located in the so-called Dinghuis - a 15th-century monumental building on the corner of the Grote Staat and Kleine Staat, two of the main shopping streets in Maastricht.
[edit] Transportation
By Car
Maastricht is mainly served by the A2 and the A79 motorways. The city can be reached from Brussels and Cologne in approximately 1 hour and from Amsterdam in about 2.5 hours.
Due to the high number of visitors, parking in the city centre forms a major problem during weekends and bank holidays despite several large underground car parks. Parking fees are therefore deliberately kept high in order to incite visitors to use public transport or 'park & ride' facilities further away from the centre.
By Train
The Nederlandse Spoorwegen Dutch Railways serves both the main station of Maastricht and a station located near the business and university district (Maastricht Randwyck). A railway branch passes through Maastricht that runs south to Liège (city), Belgium and north into the rest of The Netherlands, where it has a branch to Heerlen.
By Boat
Maastricht has a river port on the Meuse river, and is connected with Belgium and the rest of the Netherlands through the Juliana Canal and the Zuid-Willemsvaart.
By Bus
Various buslines serve the vast majority of the city and its suburbs. The regional bus network furthermore stretches to most of parts of Southern-Limburg (Netherlands) as well as to Hasselt, Tongeren and Liège in Belgium, and Aachen in Germany.
[edit] Map
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