General information

Venues

The organizers are glad to invite all the participants and their accompanying persons to open the Workshop with an informal welcome aperitif on September 24, 6:30–8:30 PM, hosted by the Scuola Superiore Universitaria di Toppo Wassermann of the University of Udine at the Velario of Palazzo Garzolini di Toppo Wassermann. [map]

The official works take place on September 25–27 at the Castle of Udine, main conference venue for plenary and up to two parallel sessions. [map]

A third parallel session takes place at the Casa della Contadinanza, secondary conference venue on September 25–27, located in front of the castle on the same hill. [map]

All the Workshop venues are located in the historic heart of the town, thus within walking distance from most accommodation options and other places of interest. The hill of the castle can be normally reached by walking up an easy climb (about 25m); otherwise, a lift service operates from Vicolo Sottomonte, with entrance close to the Civic Library “V. Joppi” [map]. Internet access will be available in all the venues via the eduroam Wi-Fi network (please let the know if you do not have an eduroam account).

Udine

Located in north-eastern Italy, Udine is the center of the region Friuli Venezia Giulia, sometimes defined as a “jewel between the mountains and the sea”. Historically, Udine was part of the Republic of Venice, and the influence of Venetian architecture is clearly seen today in some of its most beautiful buildings. Udine is very close (and conveniently connected) to attracting touristic locations such as Venice, Trieste, Aquileia, Cividale, Grado, and the Alps. It is also close to the borders of Austria and Slovenia. The Friuli region is also known for some of the best Italian wines.

• The official currency is the euro (€). Most Italian services accept major credit cards. Banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Tipping is not expected in Italy and rounding up the bill is completely within your discretion.
• Temperatures may range between 10 and 25 degrees Celsius and rainy weather cannot be excluded (3-day forecast by the Regional Environmental Protection Agency).
• The standard voltage is 230 V (50 Hz). Plugs and sockets are of types C, F and L. Adapters may be purchased at the main airports.
• The international call prefix for Italy is +39 (or 0039).

Travel

By plane

There are three main airports close to Udine: Venice (Marco Polo airport, IATA code VCE), Trieste (Ronchi dei Legionari airport, IATA code TRS) and Treviso (Sant’Angelo airport, IATA code TSF).

• Venice airport is served by all major airlines. From this airport you can easily reach Udine by train (see below), but first you have to reach the nearby Venezia Mestre railway station. There are convenient bus services with a journey time of 20–25 minutes: check the airport website for up-to-date information and to buy your ticket (and be careful to take the bus to Mestre and not to Venice). If you wish to visit Venice before coming to Udine, there are bus lines also from the airport to Venice (piazzale Roma). You can then take a train to Udine directly from the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station.

• Trieste airport is the nearest airport to Udine and it is served by some international airlines. The Trieste Airport railway station is located just outside the airport: from there frequent trains can take you to Udine in about 35 minutes; you can plan your travel and buy your tickets at the Trenitalia website. There is also a bus service which can take you to the Udine bus station which is in front of the Udine railway station; journey time is about 1 hour; you can plan your travel and buy your ticket at the local public transportation website.

• Treviso airport is conveniently served by some low-cost airlines. There are direct bus links from the airport to the Treviso and Venezia Mestre trailway stations. Treviso, together with Mestre, is along the train line from Venice to Udine. You can check the bus schedule and buy your ticket at the airport website.

By train

The Udine railway station is well connected to all major Italian cities. It is mainly served by Trenitalia (you can plan your travel and buy your ticket at that link). Ticket prices vary depending on the train category; some trains require seat reservation. Before taking the train, remember to validate your ticket by stamping it with the machines along the tracks or inside the station hall.

By car

Udine is situated along the A23 (E55) motorway, which connects Udine to Austria to the north and to the A4 (E70) Turin–Milan–Venice–Trieste motorway to the south. The exits closest to Udine are Udine Nord and Udine Sud.

Accommodation

We kindly remind you that participants have to book their own accommodation. Below is a list of hotels with which the LOC has arranged to reserve a limited number of rooms at special rates, some also according to existing agreements with the University of Udine. Please specify that you are attending IFAC TDS 2024 when booking. Note that special rates are guaranteed in general if you book by July 24, 2024. All hotels are located in the center or within walking distance from it and from the workshop venues, see also the map below (hotels in yellow, conference venues in blue). If needed, local transport by bus and taxi services is available. For other choices, see the tourism information website for Friuli Venezia Giulia.

• AL VECCHIO TRAM, 3 stars: double for single use 89 €, double 139 €
• ALLEGRIA, 3 stars: double for single use 86 €, double 126 €
• AMBASSADOR PALACE HOTEL, 4 stars: double for single use 99 €
• B&B HOTEL UDINE, 3 stars: single 75 €, double for single use 85 €
• CLOCCHIATTI, 3 stars: double for single use 90–118 €
• CRISTALLO, 3 stars: single 60 €, double for single use 75 €
• FRIULI, 3 stars: double for single use 70,40 €, double 80,90 €
• QUO VADIS, 3 stars: single 56 €, double for single use 69 €
• SUITE INN, 3 stars: double for single use 119 €, double 139 €

Visa

Italy is part of the Schengen Area of 27 European countries. For citizens of the USA and of Canada a valid passport is sufficient to enter Italy. Citizens of other countries should check whether they need a visa and, in the affirmative case, apply using the online procedure. Please note that you have to proceed personally and in due time as usually the request is processed within 2–3 weeks. On request, the will issue invitation letters for visa applications.