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IETF 108 - Madrid, Spain, July 25 - 31, 2020
Meeting Venue
The IETF 108 Meeting Venue is the Meliá Castilla Hotel https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/spain/madrid/melia-castilla/index.htm.
The Meliá Castilla is very well located next to the Paseo de la Castellana, one of the key arteries of Madrid, walking distance to the Bernabéu Real Madrid football stadium and right in the middle of the culinary Golden Mile of Madrid.
It offers easy access to the airport, train stations, exhibition centres, museums and main touristic attractions.
If you're coming to the IETF with your family, the hotel offer special services for your kids and even allow small dogs (up to 8 Kg.).
Meliá Hotels is one of the top-10 worldwide hotel chains, offering their own Loyalty Program "Meliá Rewards" https://www.melia.com/en/meliarewards/elprograma/home.htm.
Airport Information
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) is operated by AENA, being the bigger one in Spain, 5th in Europe and 14th in the world. It has 4 main terminals, which distribute the flights among different airline alliances.
The bigger and most modern terminal, the T4, concentrates all the flights from OneWorld?, and has a Satellite terminal (T4S), for all the non-Schengen flights.
The official AENA website with all the airport information is http://www.aena.es/en/madrid-barajas-airport/index.html.
An alternative non-official website is available at https://www.aeropuertomadrid-barajas.com/eng/.
IBERIA Airlines
Iberia Airlines is the preferred airline for IETF 108, offering discount on flights to Madrid.
Complete information is available at https://ietf.org/how/meetings/108/preferred-airline/.
Airport Transportation
Depending on what terminal you're landing, there are several transport options to reach the venue
There are different bus lines, metro and train. Google maps offers very good information of all the choices.
Of course, you can take a taxi, or Uber. In those cases, it should not take more than 15 minutes, and around 20 Euros.
If you prefer public transport, Cuzco and Plaza de Castilla metro stations are at 5 and 10 minutes walking distance to the hotel, respectively.
The Public Transport Consortium web site offers all the relevant information https://www.crtm.es/?lang=en.
Language
The official language of Spain is Spanish, together with other autonomic languages in some specific regions:
- Catalonian (in Catalonia and Balearic Islands)
- Valencian (in Valencia)
- Galician (Galicia)
- Basque (Basque Country and Navarra)
Public Transportation and Area Maps
NOTE: It is suggested that to get around London via public transportation, that having an Oyster Card is recommended. Oyster is a plastic smartcard you can use instead of paper tickets. You can put Travelcards, Bus & Tram season tickets and pay as you go credit on it. If you have a contactless credit or debit card, you can use that and do not need to buy an Oyster card. An Oyster Visitor card has an attractive design but is functionally the same as an ordinary card. The ordinary card is for sale at all Underground stations and many other places.
The Transport for London Oyster App (https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/ways-to-pay/tfl-oyster-app) is NOT an NFC payment app and not a substitute for a physical Oyster card.
Oyster or contactless is the cheapest way to pay for single journeys on bus, Tube, tram, and DLR services in London.
Please NOTE: All travelers are required to have their own card - although the Web site states all children under 11 travel free accompanied by an adult using a valid Visitor Oyster card or ticket. A maximum of four children under 11 can travel free with an adult who has a valid Oyster card or ticket on Tube, DLR and London Overground services.
If you’re using an Oyster card, you must touch in and touch out as normal but ask a member of staff to let your group through the side gate.
For metro, touch in and touch out (if you fail to touch out, you'll be charge assuming you travelled to the outermost zone). On the bus, touch in only.
Self-tour
Getting Around (to and from the Meeting Venue)
Suggested Smart Phone Apps:
"Tube Map" by MXDATA is a live Underground arrival and departure information that includes a station finder and journey planner.
"Citymapper" by CITYMAPPER LIMITED is an app to help you get from point A to point B - whether you choose to walk, bike, taxi, bus, or tube to your destination. Also includes NYC, Paris, and Berlin.
Exercise
Running Trails:
some proposed routes are available here (no map although)http://www.joggingroutes.org/search?q=London
maps can be found e.g. here http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/1975306724
Hiking:
Events
ATMs & Money Conversion
There are Travelex Currency conversion desks in Heathrow Airport.
Terminal 1: Before security (check-in area) Terminal 3: Before security (first floor next to security) Terminal 4: Before security (departures) Terminal 5: Before security (departures zone B)
Cash dispensers (ATMs) are available before and after security control in every terminal at Heathrow.
Most cash machines accept UK bank and building society cards without surcharge, and usually foreign cards without surcharge too (although your foreign bank may add its own fee.) They also accept major credit cards.
Self-Service Laundry
Search results for the Edgware Road area:
Central Wash Launderette and Dry Cleaners 17 Star Street, Paddington, London W2 1QD. You can drop off a bundle of laundry and they will wash, dry, and fold it for you.
Star Kleen 398 Edgware Road, London W2 1ED
Electrical Plug / Outlet
Plug/Outlet and Voltage Information for United Kingdom
Electronics
Cellphones / Data
Miscellaneous Information
Supermarkets
Restaurants
- Draft House Paddington, Unit 1, West End Quay, S Wharf Rd, 1 min. walk. Acceptable pizza. Good beer.
- Fountains Abbey, 109 Praed St., 6 min. walk. Good fish and chips. A friendly pub.
- Micky's Fish Bar & Turkish Kebab Restaurant, 332 Edgeware Rd. Good kebab. Generous portions and very cheap. But the dining room heat is sorely lacking.
- Satay house, 13 Sale Place, 5 min walk. Good Malaysian food. Only two beers to choose from. Smallish portions.
Espresso, Coffee, and Tea
Daisy Green 20 SEYMOUR STREET, LONDON, W1H 7HX https://goo.gl/maps/nC2PM7FumU22
