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Travel to Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve

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The conference venue on Thursday 02/13/14 is the Kardinaal Mercierzaal, Institute of Philosophy (Hoger Instituut voor Wijsbegeerte), Kardinaal Mercierplein 2, 3000 Leuven (Institute on a map of Leuven - Google street view), Belgium.

The conference venue on Friday 02/14/14 is Salle Jean Ladrière, Collège Mercier, Place Cardinal Mercier 14, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.

By plane

The nearest airport to Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve is Brussels Airport (http://www.brusselsairport.be/en/), about half an hour drive from either Leuven or Louvain-la-Neuve. There are always many taxis available in front of the arrivals hall. There is also a good train connection between Brussels Airport and Leuven (twice an hour). There is no direct train from Brussels Airport to Louvain-la-Neuve, but you always have to change trains in Brussels. The airport train station is located below the terminal. For train schedules, see the website of the NMBS (http://www.belgianrail.be/en/Default.aspx) (important note: do not enter “Louvain” as your destination if you want to go to “Leuven”, as this will lead you to Louvain-la-Neuve and not to Leuven).

Brussels South Charleroi Airport is also close (www.charleroi-airport.com). This small low-cost airport is 50 km outside of Brussels, in Charleroi. There are no direct connections to Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve, so you have to take the bus shuttle to Brussels first. It takes about an hour, and goes two times per hour. If you are delayed and miss your connection to Brussels, a taxi to Leuven will cost you about 130 EUR.

By international train

Leuven lies very close to Brussels, with many fast direct connections.

  • Thalys: international high-speed train between France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Thalys does not stop in Leuven, but in Brussels “Zuid/Midi” station (with many direct connections to Leuven). See www.thalys.com
  • Eurostar: international high-speed train between the UK, France and Belgium. Does not stop in Leuven, but in Brussels “Zuid/Midi” station. See www.eurostar.com
  • Trains in Belgium, see http://www.belgianrail.be/en/Default.aspx

From Brussels “Zuid/Midi” station to Louvain-la-Neuve, there are two direct trains per hour.

From Leuven station to the conference venue on Thursday

It is very easy to walk from the station to the Kardinaal Mercierplein. It is only 1 km, aprox. 12 minutes.

  • Leave the train station towards Leuven (not Kessel-Lo)
  • Cross the square (Martelarenplein) to the Bondgenotenlaan
  • Turn right onto the Maria Theresiastraat (ca. 700 m)
  • Turn right onto the Tiensestraat
  • Turn left onto the Kardinaal Mercierplein

From Louvain-la-Neuve station to the conference venue on Friday

It takes only 6 minutes to walk from the train station to the university building.

  • Go north west towards Place de l’Université
  • Go left onto Place de l’Université
  • Turn right to stay onto the Place de l’Université
  • Turn left onto the Rue Charlemagne
  • Walk straight onto Grand Place
  • Continue onto Rue Cardinal Mercier
  • Place Cardinal Mercier