The conference venue is at the Garching Research Center (Garching Forschungszentrum), where MPA, MPE and ESO are located, in the IPP (Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics) lecture hall (building D2). It is very easy to reach it with the city subway. To use your weekly public transport ticket provided in your registration you just need to validate it the first time you use any public transport. Tickets are validated by inserting them into the blue boxes in train stations, buses and trams. This must be done before descending to the platform on U- and S-Bahn (respectively, subway and suburban) trains. A big U or S sign marks the train station entrance from the street.

• Hints on public transportation in Munich

• The city uses an "honour-system" whereby previously purchased tickets are canceled prior to beginning the journey. Tickets can be purchased from vending machines in the train stations, or from the drivers of buses. A single trip is valid for three hours and only one-way. There are many different tickets offered, but these are our suggestions (the same ticket is valid for trains, buses and trams):

• STREIFENKARTE (stripe ticket): a convenient and cheaper way is to buy a Streifenkarte (10 stripes, 10.5 Euro) instead of a single trip ticket and cancel the appropriate number of stripes depending on the route. Up to two U- or S-Bahn stations you should cancel 1 stripe. The public transportation area is divided in four main rings around the Munich city center. Each main ring is also divided in four secondary rings. Every two stripes allow a one-way trip inside one main ring.

• TAGESKARTE (day ticket): valid for the whole day and cost:
• 4.80 Euro (innenraum: inner main ring around Munich city center)
• 6.50 Euro (XXL: extended Munich area including Garching and the research center, but not the airport)
• 9.60 Euro (gesamtnetz: entire area including the airport)

• How to reach the Garching research center (Garching Forschungszentrum) and the reception on Sunday evening (Rathausplatz 1, Garching)

• From Munich international airport (Franz Josef Strauß), located at about 30 Km northeast of Munich city center, Garching being about halfway in between. 

• TAXI: directly from the airport (15-30 min, ~ 25 Euro)
• S-BAHN + TAXI: take the suburban train (S-Bahn, line S8) from the airport to Ismaning and from there either a taxi (~ 10 Euro) or the Bus #230 to Garching-Forschungszentrum (runs every 20/40/60 minutes - depending on the time of the day - until 21:31h on weekdays, but not on weekends). In either case cancel 6 stripes on the Streifenkarte before you descend to the S-Bahn platform in the airport. There is a taxi call-box at the Ismaning S-Bahn station if no taxis are waiting.

• AIRPORT BUS + U-BAHN: Take the Lufthansa airport bus (10 Euro one-way, pay to the driver, leaves every 20 min) from the airport to the stop at Munich-Schwabing (~ 20 min). Change to the subway (U-Bahn), line U6 to Garching-Forschungszentrum. For the reception, get down at the stop Garching. The total journey time is about 1-1.5h. Cancel 4 stripes on the Streifenkarte before you descend to the U-Bahn platform.

• S-BAHN + U-BAHN: Take the suburban train (S-Bahn, lines S8 or S1) from the airport to Marienplatz and then change to the subway (U-Bahn), line U6 to Garching-Forschungszentrum. For the reception, get down at the stop Garching. The total journey time is about 1.5-2h. Cancel 8 stripes on the Streifenkarte before you descend to the S-Bahn platform.

• From Munich main railway station (Hauptbahnhof), located at the city center, about 2 Km from Marienplatz.

• TAXI: (20-30 min, ~ 25 Euro)
• S-BAHN + U-BAHN: Take the suburban train (S-Bahn, any line) to Marienplatz. Change to the subway (U-Bahn), line U6 to Garching-Forschungszentrum. For the reception, get down at the stop Garching.  Cancel 4 stripes on the Streifenkarte before you descend to the S-Bahn platform at Hauptbahnhof. The trip takes about 30 min.

• From your hotel

• in Garching: you should go to the subway (U-Bahn) station Garching, located at the city center (Maibaum), or, if you are in the ETAP Hotel, the Garching-Hochbrueck U-Bahn station, and take line U6 to Garching-Forschungszentrum. For the reception, follow the signs that the organizers will put in place starting from the Garching station. Cancel 1 stripe on the Streifenkarte before you descend to the platform. The trip takes about 5 min.
• in Munich: you should reach any subway (U-Bahn) station on the line U6 and take it to Garching-Forschungszentrum.  For the reception, get down at the stop Garching.  Cancel 4 stripes on the Streifenkarte before you descend to the platform. The trip takes about 30 min.
• in Ismaning: you should take the Bus #230 to Garching-Forschungszentrum (runs every 20/40/60 minutes - depending on the time of the day - until 21:31h on weekdays, but not on weekends). Cancel 2 stripes on the Streifenkarte in the bus. The trip takes about 20 min.

• At the Garching Forschungszentrum U-Bahn stop

• After exiting the train you have to reach the South exit of the station, following the sign for IPP, MPE, MPA and ESO. After you exit you will see to your left the entrance gate. If you want to go directly to the IPP lecture hall or to MPE you have to go through this gate. If you have your nametag (given to you at registration) you just need to show it to the guards to get in. Otherwise, you will have to identify yourself with an ID card to the guards, who will check your name in the list of participants, and you can ask for further directions (the lecture hall is only a short walk away to the East). If you want to go to MPA or ESO, then, after exiting the station, keep going South and you will find both at the end of the street, after a 5 min walk. A detailed map can be found here (click here for a PDF version of this map). You can find other useful maps here and here.
  

• Map for the reception in Garching: here and here (as PDF)
  

• Useful links

• MPA Contact
• Munich Airport
• Munich Public Transportation
• Weather in Munich
• Munich Life