Travel and lodging

Meeting Location

The 2024 Fall Vision Meeting is happening in York, UK, at the STEM Learning Centre (Siwards Way, University of York: map).

Transport to York

York has good road and rail links to other locations in the UK. 

Rail

There are direct trains from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Leeds. Trains in the UK are often much less expensive if booked in advance. You can make bookings here: www.thetrainline.com

Some quirks of UK train travel: The ticketing system is probably more complex than it needs to be. In particular, multiple operators can use the same rail lines and tickets are typically not interchangeable. In other words, if you book a ticket, say, from London to York at 12.56 with ‘Grand Central’ you will not be able to use it on the 13:00 train on the same route run by ‘LNER’.  Also, the most inexpensive tickets are typically valid only for a certain train or for a certain time bracket (for example, ‘off peak’ or ‘super off peak’ - who knows?). 

It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the same time you book (this is usually free). Most long-distance trains have a ‘quiet section’ where loud conversation is discouraged. Many also have power sockets and/or USB power.

Air

Both Gatwick (LGW) and Heathrow (LHR) are about 3 hours away by train. Even though it is physically much closer, Manchester Airport (MAN) is still 2 hours by train.  Leeds-Bradford (LBA) is also an option although it is a much smaller airport. There is no direct train from LBA but you can rent cars there and a taxi to York (1 hr) will be about £90.

Transport around York

Road

The centre of the city is a pedestrian zone - check with your hotel about parking. Parking on the University campus is available at a ‘Pay and Display’ car park (the “Campus North Car Park”) outside the conference centre but this can fill up early during term time. Other pay and display car parks are available on campus but might require a short walk. Taxis and Uber operate in York. There is a taxi rank outside the railway station. Waits for taxis can be long on Friday and Saturday evenings so it pays to book ahead. For taxis, we recommend: Streamline (+44 1904 656565), York Station Taxis (yorkstationtaxis.co.uk)  and York Cars (yorkcars-taxis.co.uk/taxi-booking) . One way fares from the station to the conference centre will be around £8.

Bus

The number 66 and 67 buses run regularly from the train station to the University and back again. You can pay using a ‘contactless’ tap when you board at any point (all common debit/credit cards accepted). Fares are a flat fee of £1.50. Google maps understands the York bus routes. Total travel time from the station to the conference centre is about 20 minutes and from the nearest hotel it is 15 minutes.

To get to the conference, board any bus heading to the University. Get off at the ‘Wentworth’ stop (just after a small roundabout - C2 on the map) and walk a few minutes up the hill (look for directions to the Hull York Medical School or the STEM centre). To get to the city centre, do that in reverse.

Walking

York is very flat. You can stroll from the city centre to the conference in about 30 minutes.

Accommodation

Conference Centre

A small amount of student room accommodation is available on campus right next to the conference center. To book this (you don’t have to be a student), contact the STEM conference centre directly on reception@stem.org.uk mentioning the title of the event and quote Ref: 1567. B+B cost will be about £58 per night including tax.

Hotels in York

York is a popular tourist destination and has many hotels. The fanciest ones close to the bus route are probably the Principal and the Grand. The Holiday Inn and Novotel are both on the bus route and relatively close to the University. There are also many pubs, guest houses and B+Bs with excellent options.