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ICST2020 will take place at the Alfândega Porto Congress Centre (APCC){:target="_blank"} (Google Maps: 41.143928, -8.621688{:target="_blank"}) in Porto, by the river Douro. This is the old building of the warehouse and customs house of Porto which has been since subject to many amplification and reconstruction projects.
The current building was finished in 1869 and was operational until 1987. Later converted into a Museum of Transportation, in 1992 it was renovated by the architect Souto Moura{:target="_blank"} to become a modern 36000 m2 conference center with 22 multifunctional spaces and a 400 parking space.
Porto has been voted European Best Destination{:target="_blank"} several times (2012, 2014 and 2017). Never has the choice of the winning city — the Cidade Invicta (“unvanquished city”) — been so unanimous among travellers from all other the world as in 2017.
Porto’s architecture, culture, gastronomy, trade, encounters and discoveries seduce travellers. The historic center of Porto is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site 755{:target="_blank"} since 1996, in recognition for being “an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000- year history (…) linked to the sea (the Romans gave it the name Portus, or port)” in Europe.
Porto is easily reachable by plane. Porto airport Francisco Sá Carneiro airport{:target="_blank"} is a very well connected international airport with daily flights to the major European cities and a few intercontinental direct connections. Therefore, getting to Porto is generally at most a two hops flight.
Porto airport reached the 8 million passenger mark in 2015. In 2016, it was considered best European airport in its category (5-15million/year) by ASQ (Airport Service Quality)
Getting to the conference venue Porto airport by metro is convenient, fast and cheap – a 25 minute trip every 1/2 hour from the airport to the main town. At the airport take the purple line{:target="_blank"} (E) until you reach the Trindade station, where you should switch the yellow line{:target="_blank"} (D) and stop at São Bento station. (For the whole trip you need a Z4 title that you can buy from the machines; buying it first time you also get a ANDANTE AZUL card; keep it for the way back or other trips that you wish to do in Porto).
From São Bento station you can walk to Alfândega do Porto . Alternatively, leave the purple line (E) further on at Campanhã station and take a taxi/uber to Alfândega do Porto (a 5 minute trip).
Click here{:target="_blank"} to see a map of the underground lines. A journey planner is available in the Metro website{:target="_blank"}).
As a third alternative, a taxi/uber from the airport directly to Alfândega do Porto is around 20€.
To get to and from the conference venue to other parts of town the most convenient way is by taxi/uber. Downtown can be reached in a 5 to 10 minutes trip. From downtown then metro and bus are arguably the best alternatives.
A nice option to get around along the Douro river, from Alfândega do Porto, Ribeira, Foz including the neighbour cities of Matosinhos and Gaia, is to rent a bike. Several rental shops can be found around the area of Ribeira.