Housing and Travel
About Monterey
Monterey County highlights everything that's best about California. From Monterey's seaside restaurants to the Salinas Valley's hillside vineyards, from Big Sur's redwood groves to Pebble Beach's perfectly groomed golf courses, from Salinas' old-fashioned rodeo to Carmel-by-the-Sea's elite music and art festivals, Monterey has a feast of fun just waiting to be sampled.
Monterey offers iconic California experiences. Take a drive down Highway One, winding along the breathtaking Big Sur coastline, and experience the top road trip in the United States. Sip handcrafted wines at tucked-away tasting rooms where the winemaker might just be the person pouring. Take a surfing lesson – and catch a glimpse of a barefoot beach wedding as you ride your board to shore. Play eighteen holes at legendary golf courses or just hang out at the nineteenth hole and watch the pros practice. Monterey County is your destination for a perfect California vacation.
For more information about Monterey, please visit http://www.monterey.org/visitorinfo.html or http://www.seemonterey.com/
Hotel Reservations
The housing deadline has been extended to Friday, July 2nd!
A block of sleeping rooms has been reserved for the convenience of PS meeting attendees at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa.
The meeting rates are:
|
Single Room |
USD $ 199 |
| Double Room |
USD $ 199 |
PS Attendees staying at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa will enjoy complimentary wireless internet in guest rooms and public areas.
Reservations may be made in two ways:
- Online (https://reservations.ihotelier.com/crs/g_reservation.cfm?groupID=424212&hotelID=6020 )
- Call the hotel directly +1 831-646-1700 for the in-house reservations department during the hours of operation from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm Monday - Friday and from 9:00 am to 9:30 pm on the weekends (all times are PST) and request the 2010 Integrated Photonics Research, Silicon and Nano Photonics (IPR) and Photonics in Switching (PS) group rate group rate.
All reservations must be guaranteed with a major credit card. Hotel will charge one night’s room and tax at the time of reservation. This amount will be refundable up to 48 hours prior to arrival date.
Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa
400 Cannery Row
Monterey, California, 93940 United States
Phone Number: +1 831-646-1700
Travel / Letters of Invitation:
Attention Nationals and Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries:
Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)
As of 12 January 2009, all nationals and citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries will be required by law to obtain a travel authorization prior to initiating travel to the United States under the VWP. This authorization may be obtained through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a free internet application administered by the Department of Homeland Security though a U.S. government Web site.
Register Online for entry to the United States
Visa Waiver Program Frequently Asked Questions
Letters of Invitation:
The application process for an international visa can take up to six months or more. You will need to apply for your visa as early as possible, but no later than three months before you wish to enter the US.
One factor that increases the processing time is the personal interview, now required for most applicants as a standard part of visa processing. As soon as you know that you will need a visa for travel, you should contact the embassy or consulate to schedule an appointment for screening.
Individuals requiring letters of invitation to obtain travel visas may contact OSA directly by one of the following methods:
- Online: Letter of Invitation Request Form
- Fax: +1 202.416.6100
- Mail:
Optical Society of America, Meetings Department
2010 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20036
In all requests please include the following:
(When requesting letters for more than one individual, please include all information stated above for each person.)
- Your full name as it appears on your passport
- Your complete mailing address
- Your phone and fax numbers
- Indicate which meeting you will be attending
- If you are presenting a paper, include the title and the session in which that paper will be presented
- If you are exhibiting, please indicate that in your request
- Individuals from China should include the passport number, the date of birth and the gender of each person requesting an invitation letter
- Indicate which meeting you will be attending
All letters of invitation will be sent by airmail or by fax unless a Federal Express account number or credit card number with expiration date is provided on the original request. Please allow ample time for processing requests. OSA is not able to contact US or Canadian Embassies in support of an individual attempting to gain entry into the host country to attend an OSA meeting.
Weather:
July Weather in Monterey:
Average High Temperature: 68 °F (20°Celsius)
Average Low Temperature: 52 °F (11°Celsius)
Electricity:
Standard 120v/60c voltage electricity is used in hotels.
Currency:
The local currency is the US dollar. Credit cards are widely accepted. Traveler's checks are accepted at many businesses. For the latest currency exchange click here.
Transportation
Airline Travel
OSA has appointed American Airlines the official airlines for the PS Meeting in Monterey, California, July 24-29, 2010. Discounted air travel is available. You may visit the American Airlines website at www.aa.com to search for available flights and use the authorization code 7770AA to receive your discount. You may also call the American Airlines Meeting Services Desk directly at 1.800.433.1790 for assistance with reservations and ticket purchases.
Area Airport
Getting to Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa could not be more convenient. Fly directly into Monterey's hassle free airport located just 10 minutes from the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa. Daily non-stop flights from Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and San Francisco and connecting flights from hundreds of cities provide easy access to the Monterey Peninsula. The Monterey Peninsula Airport, with over 80 daily flights, is serviced by American/American Eagle, Delta/Delta Connection, United/United Express, and US Airways (formerly America West). Enjoy the convenience of the Monterey Peninsula Airport, with shorter boarding times, quick security checks and trouble-free transportation into Monterey.
Monterey Peninsula Airport (www.montereyairport.com) provides passenger service from Monterey with daily direct flights to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), LA/Ontario, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, San Diego, Las Vegas. For a list of the airlines serving Monterey, visit the Monterey Peninsula Airport Website at www.montereyairport.com
Airbus service (Monterey-Salinas Airbus - Website: www.montereyairbus.com to airports in San Francisco and San Jose is also available from downtown Monterey.
Rental Cars
Avis Rent-A-Car is pleased to offer low rates with unlimited mileage to participants attending the PS Meeting. For Avis contact 1.800.331.1600 and refer to the Avis Worldwide Discount Number D004076. Reservations may also be made online at Avis.
Driving Directions
Directions from San Francisco
Driving time from San Francisco to Monterey is approximately two hours.
Take Highway 101 South (toward Los Angeles). Remain on Highway 101 South and exit at the Monterey Peninsula Exit - Highway 156. Highway 156 will become Highway 1. Drive South on Highway 1 approximately 20 miles to Pacific Grove/Del Monte exit. Travel on Del Monte for 2 miles. Proceed through the tunnel, and Del Monte will become Lighthouse Avenue. Take the first right (veer) after the tunnel, off Lighthouse Avenue onto Foam Street. At the second stop light, turn right on Reeside Avenue. Go to the end of the street and turn left on Cannery Row. The Hotel is located on the right side of the street, at 400 Cannery Row.
Directions From The South
Take Hwy 101 North to Salinas and take Hwy 68/Monterey Peninsula exit. Turn left on Blanco Rd. to Hwy 68. Turn left on Hwy 68. Follow Hwy 68 West until you reach Hwy 1. Follow Hwy 1 South/Monterey exit to the Monterey/Fisherman's Wharf exit. Turn right on Camino Aguajito and follow to Del Monte Ave. Turn left onto Del Monte Ave. Follow Del Monte through the tunnel, bearing right, which turns into Lighthouse Ave. Veer right after the tunnel off Lighthouse Ave. onto Foam St. At the 2nd light turn right on Reeside Ave. Go to the end of the street and turn left onto Cannery Row. The Hotel is located at the end of the block at 400 Cannery Row.
From Monterey Peninsula Airport
With over 80 daily flights, the Monterey Peninsula Airport (MRY) is a quick 10-minute drive from the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa. There are direct flights from Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Diego and San Francisco and it is serviced by American/American Eagle, Delta/Delta Connection, United/United Express and US Airways (formerly America West).
From San Francisco International Airport/ San Jose International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is 100 miles north of Monterey, with a driving time of approximately two hours. San Jose International Airport is 75 miles north of Monterey, with a driving time of approximately 1.5 hours. Ground service is available from both San Francisco and San Jose Airports to the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa.
