Local information

Conference venue

The conference will take place at the Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre in central Gothenburg.

View ICFP2014 locations in a larger map.

Support from the SIGPLAN Professional Activities Committee

The SIGPLAN Professional Activities Committee can potentially provide supplemental financial support for attending ICFP in the form of student grants, child-care support, companion travel grants, and long-distance internation travel support. To apply, follow the instructions found here.

Getting to the venue

  • If you arrive to Gothenburg Landvetter Airport (GOT; all airlines except Ryanair and Wizz air), take the airport coach and get off at the first stop (Korsvägen), which is immediately outside the conference venue. The bus ride takes 20 minutes. Tickets cost 99 SEK and can be bought on the bus using a credit card; cash is not accepted. Tickets can also be bought online in advance; see the airport bus website where also a timetable can be found. Buses leave every 20 minutes between 6AM (10AM on weeekends) and 8PM; less frequent at other times.
  • If you arrive by train, car or to Gothenburg City Airport (GSE; Ryanair and Wizz air), see directions here.

Accommodation

We have made block reservations at four hotels. Prices below are per night and include buffet breakfast, wireless internet access and VAT.

  • Hotel Gothia Towers. This hotel is part of the conference venue, and thus the most convenient alternative. Single room SEK 1495, double room SEK 1695. Booking code ICF310814; book via phone (+46 31 750 88 10) or hotel web site.
  • Hotel Scandic Opalen. Located 500 m from the conference venue. Single room SEK 1290/1390. Booking code BCHA310814; book via phone (+46 31 751 5300) or hotel web site.
  • Quality Hotel Panorama. Located 900 m from the conference venue. Single room SEK 935, double room SEK 1159. Booking code 247400; book via phone (+46 31 767 70 00) or mail to reservation.q.panorama@choice.se.
  • Best Western Hotel Göteborg. Located ca 2 km from the conference venue. Single room SEK 734, double room SEK 935. Booking code ICFP 2014; book via phone (+46 31 752 2800) or mail to info@hotellgoteborg.se.

Hotel booking is open. Some rooms in all four hotels stay reserved for ICFP participants until August 1st, but there are also checkpoints for the number of reserved rooms 3 and 2 months before the conference, when some unused reservations will be cancelled. Early September is a busy period for hotels in Gothenburg, so we recommend you to book early. Note also that it may actually be possible to get better rates through other booking sites.

There are many more hotels and hostels in Gothenburg that you might want to explore. One suitable starting point is here.

About Gothenburg

Gothenburg is Sweden's second city, with a population of half a million in the city and almost a million in the greater Gothenburg area. For tourist information about Gothenburg, including information about accommodation, restaurants, shopping, sights, history and more, visit goteborg.com.

There are two universities in Gothenburg, University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering is shared between the two universities.

The public transportation system includes trams, buses and ferries, with a common ticket system. Ticket options include single tickets, 1 and 3 day passes, and pay-as-you-go cards. The driver does not sell tickets, but on trams (not buses) there is a ticket machine that accepts credit cards. Tickets can be bought at various retailers around town e.g. Tidpunkten, Pressbyrån, 7-Eleven or from any other store or shop displaying the Våsttrafik sign. For more information and a travel planner, visit the våsttrafik web site.

There is a shared bike system with around 1000 bikes at more than 70 stations around the city, including one outside the conference venue. Three day passes are available.

Weather in early September in Gothenburg is highly variable. It can be sunny with temperatures above 20° C, but it can also be cooler with wind and rain.

Other useful information

Restaurants.

A list of recommended restaurants and pubs in Gothenburg (selected by local FP people) with locations on a Google map is here.

Banks and currency.

Banks are open between 09.30/10.00 and 15.00 on weekdays. Some banks in central Gothenburg are open from 09.00 to 17.00.

The Swedish currency is the krona, with USD 1 = SEK 6.50 and EUR 1 = SEK 8.80 (January 2014). For current exchange rates click here. Currency exchange offices can be found at Landvetter airport (International), at the central station and in Kungsportsavenyn, among other places. Cash machines (ATM's), called Bankomat, are common and accept credit and debit cards. They can be found in the main shopping centres, the airport and in the main streets.

Credit cards.
MasterCard and VISA cards are accepted almost everywhere, including shops, hotels, restaurants and taxis. The chip and pin is the common method. It is advisable to carry an identity card or some form of photo identification.
Election
The ICFP week is in the most intensive period of election campaign before the general elections (to the national parliament, but also regional and local bodies) that take place in Sweden on Sunday, September 14. This will be very visible in the form of posters and campaign speeches in public places, and TV debates throughout the week.
Electricity.
Electrical voltage in Sweden is 220 V/50 Hz. Round, European-style two-pin plugs (Schuko, CEE 7/4) are used. Appliances designed to operate on 110/120 Volts need a voltage converter and a plug adapter.
Emergency phone number.
To call ambulance, police or fire brigade, simply call 112. No area code is needed, regardless of what phone you're using. The number works on any mobile phone, with or without a SIM card, even if it's locked.
Health care and insurance.
Ensure coverage by your own health insurance and bring necessary documents. Citizens from EU/EEA countries and some other countries, with which Sweden has a special agreement, are entitled to the same medical services as Swedes. Citizens from North America and other countries outside the EU/EEA must pay in full for medical treatment.
Dentist.
For urgent dental care, call the Emergency Dental Care. Mon-Fri 08:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 08:00-16:00. Tel: +46 (0)31-80 78 00.
Medical treatment.
Different options include the following.
  • Phone the Medical Information Service (Sjukvårdsrådgivningen), tel +46 1177, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Registered nurses give medical advice, answer questions on self-care and provide information as to what to do should your condition require medical treatment.
  • For medical treatment during weekdays, drop in or book an appointment at Specialistkliniken Heden, Engelbrektsgatan 59 Mon-Thu 08:00-17:00 Tel: +46 (0)31-20 82 20
  • During evenings and weekends, drop in at Jourcentral Gamlestadstorget, Gamlestadsvägen 4 B:15 Mon-Fri 17:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-22:00 Tel: +46 (0)31-345 07 53
  • Should you suddenly become very ill or seriously injured, make your way to the Casualty ward (Akutmottagningen) at Sahlgrenska sjukhuset (Sahlgrenska Hospital), open 24 hours a day, or phone the emergency number 112.
Shopping.

Most shops are open between 10:00 and 18:00; on weekends until 14:00. Department stores are open until 19:00 or longer on weekdays. Most are also open on Sundays between noon and 16:00. VAT is always included on the price tag.

Non-EU residents are entitled to a VAT refund on all purchases (min SEK 200) made in Sweden. Tax Free Shopping by Global Blue is a simple system that puts cash in your hand when you leave the EU. You get refunds of up to 19% on your purchases.

Visas.
Participants needing a visa for entry to Sweden are strongly advised to make their application in their home country and well in advance. If in doubt, information can be obtained from your nearest Swedish Embassy or consulate, or from your travel agency.

VISA information

The Association for Computing Machinery does not issue formal invitation letters for visas to attend ACM sponsored conferences. We can however issue a visa support letter. For Visa support letters, please send all requests to the Office of SIG Services supportletters@acm.org with the following information:

Your name as it appears on your passport. Current postal mailing address. The name of the conference you wish to attend. Your Registration Confirmation Number. If you have any papers accepted for the conference, please provide the title and indicate whether you are the 'sole author' or a 'co- author'. Please note visa support letters are issued via email by PDF and the original is mailed to your current postal address.