By Plane

If you are arriving by plane, the best option would be Düsseldorf Airport. It is the third largest airport in Germany and served by many different airlines. After arriving there, you should go to the Düsseldorf Airport Train Station (via the free SkyTrain), from where your best options would be to take the RE6 in direction Minden or the RE1 in direction Hamm (Westf). For either of those trains you will need a public transportation ticket of price level D, which will also be valid within Bochum for up to 5 hours after stamping it. Note that, again, you are not allowed to take IC/EC or ICE trains with this ticket, however when traveling in a group, multi-use or group tickets ("TagesTicket") may again be cheaper. You can check pricing in advance on the (German) VRR Website or in the English PDF they provide.

Another option and the closest airport would be Dortmund. It is however a fairly small Airport which is mostly used by low-cost airlines for flights within Europe, so Düsseldorf Airport is usually preferred over Dortmund. From there you can take the Airport-Express to get to Dortmund Main Station, which costs 8.50 € per person. From Dortmund Main Station you can take a variety of different trains to get to Bochum Main Station. You will need a regional public transport ticket (the Airport-Express is not run by the public transportation company, so it has to be paid separately) of price level B. This ticket will also be valid within Bochum for up to 2 hours after stamping it. Note that you are not allowed to take IC/EC or ICE trains with this ticket. If you are traveling in a group, it might also be advantageous to check pricing of multi-use tickets or group tickets ("TagesTicket"). You can check pricing in advance on the (German) VRR Website or in the English PDF they provide.

A third option would be to arrive at Frankfurt Airport. From the airport train station you will need to book a ticket with Deutsche Bahn to get to Bochum Main Station. Prices vary, with the cheapest connections usually available for 29 € if you book early. Note that "Sparpreis" tickets are only viable for the exact connection you booked, while "Flexpreis" tickets are viable for any connection between the origin and destination that you booked. If your hotel is not within walking distance of Bochum Main Station, you can book a public transportation ticket together with your train ticket, or buy a separate ticket after arriving at Bochum Main Station (price difference should be minor, if any). Alternatively, you may also opt to use a cab from Bochum Main Station to your hotel. Cabs are usually located on the left side of the main exit of Bochum Main Station.

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By Train

If you are arriving by train, you can search for your connection using the website of Deutsche Bahn to Bochum main station. As cities in the Ruhr-Area are well connected, it may be advantageous to first arrive in Dortmund or Essen, as not all IC/ICE trains also stop in Bochum. There are plenty of trains going between Essen - Bochum - Dortmund, so it is unlikely that you will have to wait more than 15 minutes for the next connection.

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By Car

The city of Bochum and the Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB) are well-connected to both autobahn and public transportation. If you are traveling by car you may use the Google Maps widget below or any other map service you may prefer. Please also refer to the website of your hotel for instructions on how to best get there.

By Car

If you want to get to the RUB by car, you may again use a map service of your choice for directions. The University is also clearly signposted from within many parts of Bochum.

You may also want to have a look at the travel information of the RUB for additional information and maps of the area.

In terms of parking spaces, it is best to follow signs for Universität-Mitte (University-Center) and parking garages P4-P9. P9 has elevator access to the convention centre and to the top level of the dining hall (= ground level).

Additional parking space that frequently has free spaces is available at the Hochschule Bochum (Bochum University of Applied Sciences), from where you will have to walk about 10-15 minutes to the conference venue.

Please note that parking garages P1, P2, P3, P12 and P13 are not accessible! You need a parking garage key from the university (P1 - P3) or a student or staff ID card (P12 and P13) to enter these garages.

Please also see the Campus Map for additional information on how to get to the conference venue from the different parking spaces.

If you parked in the parking garages P4 to P8, you will either exit from those garages in the area labeled "Forum" and P_T on the campus map (if parked in P4, P5 or P6) or, if you parked in P7 and P8, on either side of the dining hall from where you will have to descend a few flights of stairs to get to the convention center. From the Forum, you can enter the Dining Hall (behind the Audimax) on either side and from there take the elevator down to the convention center. These elevators are located at the back of the building (and labeled 'Veranstaltungszentrum' at the top). The elevators right next to the entrance to the dining hall building will not take you to the convention center.

If you parked at the Bochum University of Applied Sciences, you will arrive from the right side of the campus map (see arrow pointing to the University of Applied Sciences on the right border). From there, you should follow the N-Nordstr. along the buildings ND, NC, NB and NA until you arrive near the Audimax. Along the way you will have to climb several flights of stairs to get to the ground level of the Audimax and Dining Hall. You can either turn to the right towards the end of N-Nordstr. and go through the HZO, or through any of the buildings NA, NB, NC or ND. The level that you want to reach is 01, which does not exist in buildings NB, NC and ND, so you would have to go to level 02 in one of these buildings and then go through or pass by NA to get to level 01. It is also possible to reach the convention center by going through one of the N-building and walking along their backside (and avoid some stairs), however it is not recommended for people who are not familiar with the layout of the RUB.

If you depend on a wheelchair or need to avoid stairs for other reasons, note that elevators are available in all buildings, however the elevator in the HZO does not reach down to the street level (of N-Nordstr.). Please also see the Campus Map for Wheelchair users. If you need a parking space with wheelchair access, you should use P9, as from there you can take an elevator to the convetion center.

Pictured below you can see the large space in front of the Audimax, behind which you find the Dining Hall and, below that, the convention center. The blue building in the left-center of the picture is one of multiple parking garage exits (not all of which are blue).

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By Public Transportation

If you are arriving via Bus or with the U35, please see the Campus Map to check where you will exit from the bus/train station.

In most cases, using the U35 will be the best and fastest option for getting to the university. Buses usually take longer and arrive less often.

On the map, the U35 station is displayed as an "U" in the top-center area of the map, while the bus stations are displayed as a green/yellow "H".

However in either case, you will need to turn right after climbing the stairs up from the bus/train stations.

You will then be walking towards the University Library (UB on the campus map), which you should pass on the left to continue down two flights of stairs. You will now be walking directly towards the Audimax (large circular building, difficult to miss) which you should pass by to enter the dining hall, and from there take the elevator at the back (labeled 'Veranstaltungszentrum') down to the convention center.

If you depend on a wheelchair or need to avoid stairs for other reasons, you can check the Campus Map for Wheelchair users for wheelchair accessible routes. Do note that elevators are available at all public transport stations at the university. By keeping to the left side of the top level you can directly reach the top floor of the HZO and take an elevator down to the ground level of the Audimax, and from there get to the convention center through the dining hall.

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Planetarium (Welcome Reception)

The Planetarium will host the welcome reception. It is close to Bochum Main Station and can be reached from there with just one stop of the tram lines 308 and 318 in direction Schürbankstraße/Gerthe (the stop is called 'Planetarium'). Arriving by car is not recommended, as the number of free parking spaces in the area is often limited.

Please also see the website of the Planetarium Bochum where you can find more information about the planetarium and also more detailed information about how to get there.

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Conference Dinner

The conference dinner will take place at the old farmhouse Beckmanns Hof. It is located south of the convention center towards the botanical garden of the RUB. There is a path leading downwards from the area south of the convention center that can be reached by going down the stairs next to the balcony of the convention center. This path is also shown on the Campus Map.