IFIP WG 2.9 Workshop

in Flims, Switzerland February 5-9, 2000

The venue

The workshop will take place in Hotel Adula, in Flims-Waldhaus, Switzerland. Flims is a village with about 2200 inhabitants, lying on 1100 m (3600 ft.) above sea level in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It consists of two parts, Flims Dorf and Flims-Waldhaus. The region of Flims-Laax is one of the largest skiing regions of Switzerland with a total of 29 lift facilities and more than 200 km of prepared slopes, located at altitudes between 3000 m (10000 ft.) and 1100 m. It is well known both for skiing and snowboarding.

Address:
Hotel Adula, CH-7018 Flims-Waldhaus, Switzerland
Phone +41 - 81 - 928 28 28 Fax +41- 81- 928 28 29
E-mail hoteladula@bluewin.ch

Here are some maps. Overview - Geographic map of Flims - Panorama map of the Flims-Laax-Falera skiing region - Geographic map with higher resolution (500KB)

...and live cameras in the skiing area of Flims.

Schedule and talks

The schedule of the workshop and the abstracts of the talks are here.

Access to the full version of the talks is restricted and requires a password.

Participants

List of participants

Photos of the participants in action (thanks to Bashar Nuseibeh)

Hotel reservation

How to make your reservation

All participants make their hotel reservation themselves. Please use our hotel reservation form. Please print the form, fill it legibly and fax or mail it directly to Hotel Adula. Here is the reservation form in pdf-format.

The hotel also accepts reservations by e-mail. If you want to make your reservation by e-mail, copy the ascii-version of the form into your mail. Please take into account that you have to transfer your credit card number unencrypted over the internet when reserving by e-mail. Here is the reservation form in ASCII-format.

Deadline

The reservation deadline has been December 20, 1999.

Rates (per person per night)

We have negotiated a special workshop rate that covers also a share of the costs for the seminar room, coffee breaks, etc. We also have special rates for accompanying persons and for additional nights. All rates are in Swiss Francs.

• Workshop participant, Feb. 5-9, 2000: CHF 215
• Accompanying person in double room, Feb. 5-9, 2000: CHF 140
• Additional nights for participants and/or accompanying persons:
  Single CHF 180 Double CHF 160
• Workshop participants sharing a double room , Feb. 5-9, 2000: CHF 185

Services

Prices include room and half-board (breakfast buffet and either lunch or dinner) and all taxes.

Exchange rates as of September 27, 1999

Swiss Francs	Euro	US Dollars	Canadian Dollars	British Pounds
CHF 1.00   =	EUR 0.626	USD 0.653	CAD 0.961	GBP 0.398

Technical equipment

In the seminar room, we will have both an overhead projector and a beamer for PCs and Macs. If you bring a laptop, make sure that you have an adapter for your power plug that fits Swiss sockets. Voltage is 240 V AC.

We will have an iBook with modem connection to the internet, so you will have access to your e-mail if you can't do without.

The hotel has a copier, but copying is expensive there. If you intend to distribute material, please bring 20 copies with you.

Traveling to Flims

If you are traveling from abroad, fly to Zurich. From Zurich airport to Flims, you need three hours by public transport and about 2 hours by car.

With public transport, follow the signs to the underground train station in the airport. Luggage carts in the baggage arrival area are free of charge and can be taken down all the way to the train station. They are designed to be safe on the escalators. Before taking the last stairs down to the train platforms, buy a ticket (see below).

Take a train to Zurich Hauptbahnhof (main station). There, change to a fast train to Chur. Trains run every hour from about 7 a.m to 9 p.m. In Chur, take the stairs that lead directly from the platforms up to the bus terminal, which is situated above the tracks. There, take the post bus heading for Flims-Laax. Leave the bus at "Flims-Waldhaus Post" (not yet at "Flims Post"; ask the driver to tell you when you are there). From the bus stop, you walk about 150 m to the hotel (see map).

The timetable of the Swiss Federal Railways is on the web. Enter "Zurich airport" in the "Departure" field, "Flims-Waldhaus, Post" in the "Destination" field and date and time of departure.

Tickets can be bought in the train station. You can buy a ticket directly to Flims-Waldhaus, valid for both the train and the post bus. There are both ticket counters and ticket vending machines with touch-screen terminals. At the vending machines, follow the instructions on the screen. Credit cards are accepted both at the ticket counters and by the vending machines.

Fares: Zurich airport to Flims-Waldhaus

	Second class	First class
One way	CHF 53.80	CHF 81.80
Two way	CHF 91.60	CHF 139.60

If you plan to travel more than just from Zurich airport to Flims and back, you might want to buy a half-fare card. For visitors from abroad, this card costs CHF 90, is valid one month and gives you a 50% reduction on any ticket on the Swiss railway and post bus network. This card can be bought at the ticket counters in the airport train station.

If you rent a car at Zurich Airport, take the autobahn A1 to Zurich city (green signs). In the city, follow the green signs towards Chur, directing you to the autobahn A3. Having crossed the city, drive the A3 (later A13) to Chur. Do not exit at Chur but continue to the exit "Reichenau" Follow the signs to Flims. Drive through the village of Flims and continue to Flims-Waldhaus. There are small brown signposts directing to the hotels. For Hotel Adula, you have to turn left from the main road (see map).

If you plan to rent a car, do not forget to order snow chains. You might need them. You can check the road conditions here.

Climate

The temperature in Flims will typically be around -1°C (30°F) in February. However, it can also easily be -10°C (14°F) or even below, so you will need warm shoes and clothes.

We will have about 90% chance that there will be snow in the village. In the higher parts of the skiing region, the chance is 100%, of course.

• The weather forecast for the Flims region
• The weather of today in Switzerland.
• Live cameras in the skiing area of Flims

Sports and recreation

1. Alpine skiing and snowboarding

The skiing region

For an overview of the skiing region, see the Panorama map of the Flims-Laax-Falera skiing region ...and live cameras in the skiing area of Flims.

Ski passes

Here is some data about the cost of a ski pass (valid for all the cable railwails and lifts in the Flims-Laax-Falera region):

Prices in CHF	Adults	Children below 16
One afternoon (from 12:15)	46	26
One day (Mon thru Fri)	54	30
One day (Sat and Sun)	59	33
Four days (free choice of days)	216	120
Five consecutive days	264	139

As hotel guests, we have 5% off on all these prices (except half day tickets).

Renting skis or a snowboard

There are several sports shops in Flims that also rent skis, snowboards and boots.

Additionally, the operators of the transport system operate so called New Technology Centers, where they rent skis, snowboards, boots, and clothing. Here is what they offer:

A. Ski or snowboard, including boots, one day	CHF 60
B. Variant A including a one-day ski pass	CHF 93
C. Variant B including skiing suit	CHF 115

Insurance against theft and damage is 10% of rental cost.

2. Nordic skiing

Flims has two nordic skiing trails (length 4.5 km and 9 km) that start in the village, about 600 m from our hotel. From the second one, there is a transfer trail (1.4 km) to a system of another 4 trails (4 km, 2 km, 6 km, 1.5 km). Other trails are situated in the vicinity of Flims (in Laax and Sagogn); reachable from Flims by bus.

You are requested to buy a nordic skiing pass for using the trails (costs CHF 5 per day or CHF 20 per week; available in the tourist office, see map).

Here is a map (750 KB) showing the trail system between Flims and Trin. A printed map of the complete trail system ("Loipenplan") is available in the Flims tourist office.

Skis for nordic skiing can be rented in the New Technology Centers, too (see alpine skiing above).

3. Other sports

Hiking, jogging

Flims maintains a network of footpaths/trails, so there is ample opportunity for walking, hiking or jogging (provided that there was no heavy snowfall the night before). See the map here: GIF (512 KB) or JPEG (1.2 MB).

Curling, ice skating, tennis

Available. For more information, contact the Flims tourist office.

Swimming

Our hotel has an indoor swimming pool that is free for hotel guests.

Sauna

Our hotel has a sauna that is free for us. (At least during the workshop days; I have to check for additional days)

The Flims tourist office

Phone: +41-81-920 92 02

Fax:   +41-81-920 92 01

e-mail: tourismus@alpenarena.ch

Web:  www.alpenarena.ch

The tourist office is located in the center of Flims-Waldhaus, about 400 m to the south of our hotel (see map (750KB)).

Sightseeing in the region around Flims

If you plan to do some sightseeing in the region of Flims, I suggest to visit

• the Old Town of Chur (about 45 minutes by bus). Here is their web page (in German). Click "Stadtplan/Fotos" for a 3-D map of the city and then click the items listed below the map for some photos.
• the monastery of Disentis (about 1.5 h by bus and train)
• the thermal spa of Vals, featuring a building with a very impressive architecture. If you are interested in contemporary building architecture, you must have seen it. Vals can be reached by bus (From Flims to Ilanz, there change to Vals; the ride takes about 1.5 h). The spa is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., the entrance fee is CHF 24. Bath towels can be rented.

Need to know more? Any questions? Send me an e-mail.