Area Airport
Munich Airport is the airport for the conference. Although the airport is approximately 40 minutes from Munich, getting to town couldn’t be simpler. The fastest and cheapest way into the city is to take S-Bahn lines S1 or S8, departing from underneath the Central Area. Buy tickets from the automated dispensers or from the ticket counter and make sure to validate them before descending to the tracks. Alternatively, you could exit terminals A or D to take the Lufthansa airport busto the main train station, which departs every 20 minutes from 06:25 - 21:45. The trip takes 45 minutes and costs EUR €9 (children €4.50). For direct transport to the Munich fairgrounds take the shuttle from terminals A and D (between 08:35 - 18:05) for EUR €8.

For other directions from Munich Airport directly to Messe Munchen, click here.

Airline Discounts

The Optical Society has arranged discounted air travel with American Airlines. You may visit the American Airlines website at www.aa.com to search for available flights to Munich (MUC) Airport and use the authorization code 9953DA 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.

Discounted flights are also available from Delta Airlines to Munich (MUC) Airports. Visit www.delta.com, select Book a Trip, and click on Meeting Event Code near the bottom of the window that pops up. On the next window, enter the Meeting Event Code NMEFR to receive your discount

Lufthansa German Airlines offers a comprehensive global route network linking major cities around the world. As an airline partner, Lufthansa offers special prices and conditions to participants, visitors, exhibitors and invited guests. The offer is valid between 6 - 23 May 2013.

To make a reservation, please click here and enter the access code DEZQXL in the "Access to Event Booking" area. This will open an online booking platform that will automatically calculate the discount offered or provide you with an even better offer if another promotional fare is available.

NOTE: Pop-ups must be enabled otherwise the booking platform window will not open.

These promotional fares are also available via your IATA / ARC Travel Agent or via the Laser World of Photonics IATA-service partner nova reisen.

nova reisen GmbH
Leipzigerstraße 16
82008 Unterhaching
Phone: +49 89 6152140
Fax: +49 89 619634
E-mail: firmendienst@novareisen.de

Car Rental
Click here for car rental options available at Munich Airport.

Car Rental Discount
Avis Rent-a-Car is pleased to offer low rates with unlimited mileage to participants attending ECBO. For reservations call +1.800.331.1600 and refer to Avis Worldwide Discount # D004076. Reservations may also be made on the Avis website or by phone (World Wide Telephone Numbers).

Taxi
Taxi stands are located at Munich Airport. More information can be found here. A taxi from Munich Airport to Munich City Center costs approximately EUR €50 and takes approximately 40 minutes.

Train
Arrive right in the center of Munich: With approx. 350,000 passengers every day, Munich’s Central Station is the second largest passenger train station in Germany. Taxis, public transportation, and rental cars can all be found within the Central Station. On the Deutsche Bahn website , you’ll find all necessary information about travelling by train, including ticketing information.

Ticket prices:
An unlimited day pass (Tageskarte) is available for EUR €11.

Helpful links:

• Online timetables for the MVV, the Munich public transportation system
• Special offers from the MVV for visitors and vendors of the Messe München International
• More information about the MVV Münchner Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund

The rental car center is located in the central area of Munich’s Central Station.
You’ll find additional information of the website of the rental center in Munich’s Central Station.

Messe Munchen

Munich – click here for more information on Munich.

Munich is the capital and the largest city of the German state of Bavaria. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, behind Berlin and Hamburg. About 1.42 million people live within the city limits. Munich was the host city of the 1972 Summer Olympics.

The city's motto is "München mag dich" (Munich likes you). Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" (Cosmopolitan city with a heart). Its native name, München, is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat of arms. Black and gold—the colors of the Holy Roman Empire—have been the city's official colors since the time of Ludwig the Bavarian.

Modern Munich is a financial and publishing hub, and a frequently top-ranked destination for migration and expatriate location in livability rankings. Munich achieved 4th place in frequently quoted Mercer livability rankings in 2011. For economic and social innovation, the city was ranked 15th globally out of 289 cities in 2010, and 5th in Germany by the 2thinknow Innovation Cities Index based on analysis of 162 indicators. In 2010, Monocle ranked Munich as the world's most livable city (in 2012, Munich was ranked fifth in Monocle's ranking, yet remained the highest ranked city in Germany).

Hofbräuhaus Beer Hall
Munich is home to the administrative headquarters of the Max Planck Society, an independent German non-profit research organization. 12 of the Max Planck Institutes reside in Munich. There are several websites featuring suggestions of things to see, including Trip Advisor, U.S. News & World Reports, Virtual Tourist, and Lonely Planet.

Electricity: 220-240 voltage electricity is used in Germany, as compared to the 110-120 voltage electricity that is standard in the U.S. and Canada. Voltage converters and plug adaptors are highly recommended.

Currency: The Euro (EUR, €) is the currency of Germany. Credit cards are widely accepted; VISA and MASTERCARD are the most popular. Traveler’s checks are accepted at currency exchanges or banks, but are not as widely accepted. ATM machines, or DAB’s as they are known in Germany, are very common. For the latest currency exchange, click here.

Weather: The weather in Munich is temperate in May, ranging from the mid to high 40’s°F (4.44°C) to the mid to high 60’s°F (15°C). Check the current weather here.


Oktoberfest Parade