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Local Arrangements |
[ Location | Transportation | More about... ]
At the airport, simply follow the signs to the underground train station, which is located in the same building you arrived. Look for trains running to Zürich Hauptbahnhof or Zürich HB. Please make sure that you have a valid ticket before taking the last escalator down to the platform. Tickets can be bought at the ticket shop or at the ticket vending machine. Enter the code 8000 for downtown Zurich and insert Swiss coins or a CHF 20.- banknote. The machine will dispense a ticket and (if necessary) your change. See below for a more detailed description of the ticketing machine.
Trams are very convenient to use in Zurich: tram lines 6 and 10 directly connect the ETH main building to the downtown area in approximately 6 minutes. Please make sure that you have a valid ticket before boarding the tram. Tickets can be bought at the ticket vending machine. If you already bought a ticket coming from the airport, you do not need to buy an additional ticket. If you do not have a ticket yet, press the yellow button and insert CHF 2.10.
If you are planning to use public transportation at least twice a day (for example for going to and coming from the conference), it already pays to buy a Tageskarte (day-pass), which is valid for 24 hours from the time you buy it. This way you can freely board any tram, bus or ship in the downtown area without stopping to buy a new ticket every time (just make sure that you have your day-pass ticket with you all the time). Simply press the <-> button after pressing the blue button. See below for a more detailed description of the ticketing machine.
To use the ticketing machine you need Swiss coins and/or CHF 20.- banknotes
(not all machines accept banknotes).
Use the machine as follows:
The ETH itself comprises 17 departments, 330 professors and about 840 lecturers who fulfill teaching obligations and conduct research. A staff of more than 7'500 - with a 25% proportion of women - work in teaching, research and administration. Current statistics of the ETH show 11'700 registered students. Each year about 1'250 receive an ETH diploma and a further 530 complete a doctoral thesis. Current annual expenditure has reached 1 billion Swiss francs.
Visit the ETH Homepage for more information.
Zurich
is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and it is well worth your
time to spend a day or two taking in its pleasures.
The city of Zurich was established as a Roman customs post (called "Turicum") in 15 B.C. It is situated some 400 meters (1,340 ft) above sea level at the northern end of the 27 km (17 miles) long Lake of Zurich. Its well-preserved Old Town is to be found on both banks of the River Limmat, which flows out of the lake in a northerly direction. With a population of some 336,000 inhabitants, Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland. It is surprisingly compact, though, with a wealth of old churches, fountains, and cobbled streets with buildings, some of them more than 700 years old, housing charming galleries and small shops.
Zurich's
reputation as a shopping paradise and an art center which is home to highly
renowned auction houses has done much to make the city known throughout
the world. The main shopping area is concentrated within one square kilometer
in the heart of the city, which means it is easily covered on foot. Strolling
down the famous Bahnhofstrasse - one of the most beautiful shopping
streets in Europe - you will find elegant boutiques, department stores,
specialist shops, banks, and cafés which tempt you to linger and
relax for a while.
The pedestrian streets of the Old Town contain most of the major
sights, including winding alleyways, 16th and 17th-century houses, guildhalls
and churches. The 13th-century tower of St Peter's Church has the
largest clock face in Europe, while the Fraumünster Church
nearby is noted for the distinctive stained-glass windows in the choir,
which were created by Marc Chagall in 1970. The cities most famous landmark
is the
Grossmünster with its unique dual towers. Believed to
be of Carolingian origin, its oldest parts date back to the late 11th century.
The
"Kunsthaus" (the Zurich Art Gallery) is Zurich's top address for
art. It has paintings, sculptures and graphic art, mostly from the 19th
& 20th centuries. The Museum of Fine Arts has a large permanent
collection ranging from 15th-century religious art to the `modern' art
of Monet, Manet and Man Ray. The
Swiss National Museum offers a
permanent collect on Swiss national history and is housed north of the
city center just next to the Main Railway Station (which dates back to
1871). The Arboretum and Quayside Park offer amply laid-out waterfront
paths along the the shores of Lake Zurich which pass picnic, sunbathing
and swimming spots.
Some of Zurich's sights can also be visited in a virtual tour which is provided here.
Zurich is also an ideal departure point for excursions all over Switzerland. You can easily travel to the Rhine Waterfalls, to Lucerne, or to the Säntis or Rigi mountains and back to Zurich in just half a day. Whole-day trips by train or coach will take you to the Ticino, Graubünden, up the Titlis mountain or to the never-melting snow and ice on the Jungfraujoch, or even across the border to Austria, Italy or Germany.[text courtesy of Lonely Planet and Zurich Tourism, pictures courtesy of Zuerich.ch]
Useful links:
What do you think of when you think of Switzerland? Is it the dramatic
landscapes and quaint country settings? Or is it the unique French, German
and Italian cultural influences? Maybe it's the historic castles and heritage?
Whatever it is, Switzerland has something special for you whether your
idea of the perfect vacation is hiking in a world of breathtaking vistas
or pampering yourself in the lap of luxury. That's because you can experience
gourmet dining just as easily as you can explore scenic mountain trails
with a picnic in your backpack. Switzerland has it all and real close together
so you spend more time hiking, bicycling, golfing, playing tennis, swimming,
shopping, exploring wonderful museums, discovering fabulous architecture
and beautiful scenery than traveling from place to place. You see, Switzerland,
while one country, is a collection of wonderful lands waiting for you to
discover and enjoy. [text and picture courtesy of Switzerland
Tourism]
Currency: 1 Swiss Franc (CHF) is about 0.59 US Dollars, or 0.64 Euro (as of August 2000). For current exchange rates, see the Universal Currency Converter or Oanda.com, which offer detailed conversion tables, for example for US Dollar, Euro, or Japanese Yen. Coins in circulation are 5, 10, 20 and 50 Cents (1 Franc = 100 Cents), as well as 1, 2 and 5 Francs. Swiss bank notes come as 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 Francs bills.
Credit Cards: The most popular credit cards are Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Many banks in Switzerland have equipped their ATM machines with the CIRRUS® or MAESTRO® system, which allows you to use your American or Canadian bank card. Many Swiss banks also offer ATM machines for cash advances with your credit card. It is recommended to have a small amount of cash on hand upon arrival in Switzerland for immediate expenses, i.e. taxies, public transportation etc. (At the airport and the main railway station you find of course ATM machines and exchange offices.)
Passport/Visa: If your stay is shorter than three months you only need to bring your valid passport with you, a visa is not required. This applies to citizens of the following countries: countries of the American Continent, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Exceptions may apply. For more detailed information on visas, please contact the Swiss Consulate General located nearest you (for the US, see the Embassy of Switzerland in the United States; in Japan, see the Visa page at Switzerland Tourism, Japan. Online information is also available from the Swiss Embassy in France, Great Britain and Korea.)
Tipping: Tips are automatically included in all hotel and restaurant bills and in most taxi fares. For special services like luggage handling, it is customary to tip CHF 2 per bag.
Further information:
| Thanks to Marc Langheinrich |