Welcome to COP 9

COP 9 - Information for Participants

Full version (This revision is issued to to reflect the name and coordinates of the newly designated focal person for NGOs.)

14. Arrival/Departure

14.1 Transport provided by the host country

The Government of Germany will provide a shuttle service, free of charge, between Cologne/Bonn Airport and Siegburg/Bonn ICE train Station and the hotels from Saturday, 17 May 2008 through Sunday, 18 May 2008 for arriving participants and from Friday, 30 May 2008 through Saturday, 31 May 2008 for departing participants. The shuttle service which will be identified with a COP-9 logo, will also operate on Friday, 30 May 2008 from 4 to 11 p.m. and on Saturday, 31 May 2008 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. at intervals ranging between 20 and 45 minutes.

Participants who wish to avail themselves of this shuttle service must complete the “Travel Information Form” attached to this note as Annex B. Duly completed forms must be forwarded as soon as travel arrangements have been made to the designated focal person (see Annex B) no later than 30 April 2008. Any request received after the set deadline of 30 April 2008 will not be considered 2008. The transportation arrangements will be made based on the information provided by the participants in Annex B.

Participants who do not provide the form by the above-mentioned deadline will need to arrange their own transportation to/from the City of Bonn. Information on public transport is as follows:

14.2 Public transport

The nearest international airport servicing Bonn is Cologne/Bonn Airport Konrad Adenauer (http://www.airport-cgn.de/index.php?lang=2), which is about 22 km north of the City of Bonn. An airport shuttle bus service (line 670) leaving from stand D (terminal 2) is available to and from the main railway station in Bonn (“Hauptbahnhof" or "Hbf") every 15 minutes from Monday to Friday and every 30 minutes on Saturday and Sunday. The journey takes about 35 minutes. For the full timetable, please go to: http://www.swb.bonn.de/fahrplandateien/2006WF/Plaene/68725_670_1.pdf.

There are also taxis, which take about 30 minutes at fares ranging from 35 to 40 Euros.

Participants arriving at Frankfurt Airport (http://www.frankfurt-airport.de), which is about 165 km south-east from the City of Bonn, can reach Bonn by train as follows:

  • Using the Inter City Express trains (“ICE”) on the new high-speed route to Cologne, changing at "Siegburg/Bonn" station, a suburb located about 12 km from Bonn city centre. It should be noted that some trains go directly to Cologne, but one train every hour stops in "Siegburg/Bonn" station. At Frankfurt Airport please follow the signs to the long-distance train station “Fernbahnhof” which is located at Terminal 1. If you arrive at Terminal 2, take the Skytrain to Terminal 1. The journey from Frankfurt to "Siegburg/Bonn" station takes about 40 minutes, the one-way ticket is about 53 euros. From "Siegburg/Bonn" station, take the tram (line 66) to Bonn main station (“Hauptbahnhof”, travel time: about 25 minutes, ticket price 4 euros, the tram leaves in one direction only). Prices as of 2007. ICE-Tickets can be purchased online at http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en. Please note that some rates are valid on the booked train only. If your flight is booked to the “Siegburg/Bonn” ICE station please note that you have to check in your luggage to Frankfurt only, not through to Cologne. Please pick up your luggage at Frankfurt Airport.

Or,

  • Using the hourly Inter City train (“IC”) which arrives at Bonn main station ("Hauptbahnhof"). The journey takes about one hour and forty-five minutes and some trains require a change at Mainz. A one-way second class ticket costs about 33 euros. At Frankfurt Airport please follow the signs to the long-distance train station “Fernbahnhof” which is located at Terminal 1. If you arrive at Terminal 2, take the Skytrain to Terminal 1.

14.3 Help desks

Help Desks, staffed by multilingual attendants, will also be set up at Cologne/Bonn airport, Bonn Central Station, Cologne Central Station and Siegburg/Bonn ICE Station to assist participants with hotel accommodation, transportation or any other query they may have. At these Help Desks, information kits containing maps, useful phrases in the German language, etc. will be distributed.

The Help Desks will be operational from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Saturday, 17 to Wednesday, 21 May 2008. Signs will be displayed to guide participants.

14.4 Baggage clearance

Participants are kindly requested to attach clearly marked labels on their luggage reading “CBD COP-9 meeting”, in order to expedite their handling and customs clearance.