Orientation/Travel Advice
The conference will be held at the Institute of Computer Science, University of Wrocław. Its Polish name is "Instytut Informatyki UWr" or "Instytut Informatyki Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego", Joliot-Curie 15, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland.
How to get the venue
By plane
Wrocław (WRO) has an international airport (http://airport.wroclaw.pl/en/) receiving daily direct flights from/to Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, and Warsaw, as well as a lot of low-cost connections to many European cities (including London, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Oslo, etc.). Consult a route map (http://airport.wroclaw.pl/en/passager/route-map/).
The easiest way to get from the airport to the city center is to take a taxi (see details below). There is also a city bus line 406 from the airport to the railway station (Wroclaw main station, Dworzec Głowny); the bus stop is located just outside the terminal. The journey takes around half an hour and departure happens every 20 minutes during the day; the last bus departs around 23:15. The airport is the first and the railway station is the last stop of this line. From the railway station, take the tram 0L to Institute of Computer Science or appropriate means of transport to the hotel.
There are also some car rental agencies at the airport (http://airport.wroclaw.pl/en/passager/getting-here/car-rental/). Please keep in mind that it is usually quite hard to park a car in Wrocław city center.
By car
If you live in central Europe you may consider driving to Wrocław. Wrocław is well connected by motorways with Germany, e.g., it is 3 hours drive from Dresden (260 km) and a bit more from Berlin (310 km). It is however quite poorly connected (no motorways or freeways) to Warsaw or Prague.
By train
Wrocław's main railway station is located in city center (the Polish name of the main railway station is "Wrocław Główny", where "główny" stands for "main"). Information about connections can be obtained from the site of PKP (http://rozklad-pkp.pl/bin/query.exe/en?) or Deutsche Bahn. The premium level trains (EIC, EC) are generally trustworthy and onboard service is good (they usually speak English, tickets can be bought on board using credit card, etc.). Train standard and service quality varies greatly on other types of trains. From the railway station you may take a taxi, use public transport (tram OL to the Institute of Computer Science, where the conference is held, more details see below), or simply take a walk (20-30 minutes to the city center (hotels), 30 minutes to the Institute.
Taxis
Most of the cabs in Wrocław belong to corporations, each characterized by its 5-digit phone number. For example, there is MPT Taxi (19191) a large and trustworthy company, and Radio Taxi Serc (19629) that accepts credit card payments in all cabs. Those "legal" taxis, clearly marked as taxis (they usually have a neon on the cab roof and a yellow tag on the door) are safe. Their prices are more or less the same: expect to pay 40-50 PLN for a travel from the airport to the Institute of Computer Science or to the hotel and 20-30 PLN for a travel from the railway station. Add 50% on top of that if you travel on Sunday or in the night (11pm-6am).
Do not take unmarked taxis, don't accept any offers from drivers in the arrival hall, just go out of the terminal or railway station and select a legal taxi.
Public transport
We recommend using the webapp jakdojade.pl (http://wroclaw.jakdojade.pl/?locale=en) for finding your route with public transport. There are also mobile versions, but they need data connection (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.citynav.jakdojade.pl.android&hl=pl). The interface is in English, however the names are in Polish (the app understands a few equivalents like "airport" or "railway", though). A few Polish names of point of interests are: "Wrocław-Strachowice Airport (Wrocław)" (Wrocław airport), "Dworzec PKP Wrocław Główny" (main railway station), "Instytut Informatyki UWr" (conference venue).
The single-fare ticket costs 3 PLN. There are also time-restricted tickets (30-minute, 60-minute, and 90-minute) valid for all means of transport (all buses and trams) for a given period. If you intend to travel a lot, consider 24-hour (11 PLN) or 168-hour (46 PLN) tickets. Bus/tram tickets can be bought in the ticket machines at bus stops (with credit/debit cards or cash). In many buses (especially in 406 line) there are also ticket machines inside buses (credit/debit cards capable of PIN-less (offline) authorization only). Remember to validate a ticket (also if you buy it in the bus).
A few tips
Money/currency
Polish currency is officially called PLN, although usually you will find the name "zł" (złoty). For cash, you will find ATM on almost every street corner (24 hours a day). For money exchange it is better to use places located in the city rather than those at the airport. There are a few ATMs and an money exchange office near the Institute.
Credit cards are accepted in most shops, hotels and restaurants (there is usually a minimum amount of 10 or 20 PLN). In some places (taxis, restaurants) it is customary to leave a tip (5-15%) — a service charge is never included in the price. Unless you are eating in a good restaurant, do not try to give a tip with a credit card: the waiter/waitress would almost never know how to handle it.
Opening hours
Most stores are open from 9 am utill late, even utill 10 pm. Brand petrol stations are open 24h a day; you may buy some basic food there (beverages, sandwiches, coffee, hygienic products, alcohol). For more details see, e.g., here http://www.thevisitor.pl/index.php?id=191.
Trivia
Wrocław is a very safe place: violent crimes are extremely rare. That said, pickpocketing happens and you should not leave your belongings unattended, especially in pubs or public transport.
Wrocław is placed on 12 islands and it has more bridges than any other European town except Venice, Amsterdam and Hamburg.
More information about Wrocław