General Information
Quick Links |
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About Boston For more information, please visit the following links: Getting to Boston By car: There are 3 main routes into Boston:
By Subway and Bus (Local): The MBTA offers an online tripplanner useful for figuring out how to get around by subway, local bus, and train. For more information, please go to: www.mbta.com. By Bus (Regional): Nationwide bus companies including Greyhound and Peter Pan stop downtown at South Station. Several regional bus companies offer scheduled service from Boston to New Hampshire, Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York City. The MBTA's Silver Line provides an easy connection from South Station to the BCEC. By Train: Amtrak has scheduled train service to Boston from New
York and other points in the Northeast Corridor. The trip from
New York City takes 3 1/2 hours on Acela Express trains, about
4 hours on other trains. Trains arrive at South Station, with easy
connection to the BCEC via the MBTA's Silver Line. |
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Getting Around
Chances are you've heard Boston referred to as "the walking city."
Boston's compact downtown area provides opportunities to walk
from Congress hotels to many attractions, including shopping and
historic sights. Several Congress hotels are within walking distance
of the BCEC.
WalkBoston has developed a Downtown/Back Bay/South
Boston Seaport walking map to help commuters and visitors get
around town.
For more information, we invite you to visit the following links:
www.walkboston.org/resources/maps.htm
www.mbta.com
www.massport.com/default.aspx
Driving around Boston can be difficult, and parking expensive.
All hotels have parking facilities, with rates ranging from USD 20 to
USD 40.
For more information, please go to:
http://www.cityofboston.gov/transportation/accessboston/
parking.asp
Parking is also available at the BCEC for USD 10.
For more information, please go to:
http://www.massconvention.com/bcec_dir_par.html
It is very convenient to move around the city using the subway,
buses and taxis. For taxi fares, please go to:
http://www.massport.com/logan/getti_typeo_taxis.html.
Food
Boston has many excellent restaurants. Visitors have their choice
of popular Boston restaurants in many areas of the city such as the
narrow alleys of the North End and the bustling avenues of the
Back Bay. The city is home to people from around the world who
have enriched the local New England cuisine, providing a wide
array of dining opportunities.
Customs
For more information on entering the US please go to:
http://www.customs.gov
Useful Information
For more information:
http://www.bostonusa.com/visitor/geninfo.htm
Only major banks exchange foreign currency. ATMs are
widespread and credit cards and travelers checks are widely
accepted. Travellers checks should be issued in US dollars for
maximum convenience. Banking hours are Monday to Friday
9AM to 3PM. There are several ATM's at the BCEC.
Boston has a continental climate with very changeable weather
patterns such as wide temperature swings in a matter of days.
Summers are usually sunny, hot and humid.
In July the average temperatures are a high of 82°F (28°C) and
a low of 65°F (18°C).
The US dollar (USD) is the unit of currency and is divided into 100
cents.
All major credit cards are accepted in the majority of hotels,
restaurants and shops.
The dress code for the Welcome Reception and the All Congress
Party is casual attire. The dress code for the meetings is business casual.
120 volts, 60 Hz. Plugs are mainly the two, flat-pin type, though
three-pin plugs are also widely used. Appliances without dualvoltage
capabilities will require an adapter, which can be
purchased in most major departure airports.
Shops open from 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM from Monday to Saturday.
Most large stores will also open on Sunday but generally with
shorter opening hours.
Massachusetts has a sales tax of 5% that is applied to the price
of goods at checkout. Clothing under USD 175 and food
purchased in grocery stores are exempt. There is no VAT.
Standard time zone: UTC/GMT -5 hours
Daylight saving time: +1 hour
Boston is on EDT (Eastern Daylight Time).
A 15% tip is expected by taxi drivers, bartenders, hairdressers
and waiters, but don't tip in fast-food or self-service restaurants. In
expensive restaurants or for large parties tip 20% of the bill. It is
normal to tip staff in hotels. Most services are customarily tipped
if the service is good.
Travel Insurance
A travel insurance policy to cover theft, loss and medical
problems is recommended. The Congress Secretariat
will not be held liable for illness, accidents or thefts
suffered by participants or accompanying persons
during the Congress or their stay in USA before or
after the Congress.
Visa Waiver Program
The U.S. has Visa Waiver Program (VWP) , which allows eligible citizens of 27 countries to enter the United States for tourism or business for a period of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. All Visa Waiver Program travelers must present a machine-readable passport to travel without a visa to enter the U.S. Additional comprehensive U.S. visa information can be found here.
Further information about visa procedure at http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html |
Travel Visa
All visitors to the United States must have a valid passport. Please go to www.UnitedStatesVisas.gov for the official source of information about U.S. visa policy and procedures. Use this site to know more about the visa application process, understand current requirements and get updates on recent developments. This site serves as a single point of access to U.S. visa information. It will connect you to additional in-depth information found on websites managed by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
We also recommend you to check the validity of your passport before entering the United States.
US-VISIT PROGRAM
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT program applies to all visitors (with limited exceptions) holding non-immigrant visas, regardless of country of origin. The program now uses inkless digital finger scanners to capture two of the traveler's fingerprints, which only adds a few seconds to the processing time. The US-VISIT procedures have been expanded to include visitors traveling under the Visa Waiver Program at or departing from airports and seaports.
Visa Application
Making reservations and travel go smoothly is an integral part of conducting our services, however, participants must also be armed with the proper knowledge of procedures to obtain visas. Here is some useful information regarding visas to make entering the country possible and uncomplicated. If you require a visa to visit the United States, ISTH 2009 encourages you to start your visa application process as soon as possible (at least 3-4 months before the Congress) by contacting your local U.S. Embassy.
A visa application form can be completed online via the U.S. Department of State's website.
The U.S. Consular Services suggests travelers begin the visa application process at least 60 days prior to the date of travel, however, it is also recommended that travelers contact the Consular Services of their local Embassy to find out how long the wait is for an interview.
Documentation
Be sure to compile all needed documentation for your interview. You will need a valid passport, appropriate application forms, and proof of payment of visa fees.
Other additional documents may be required by your local Embassy or Consulate. Make sure to have all documentation in order and on hand at the U.S. airport. Before landing, you will be required to fill out a short U.S. Customs form.
For an official letter of invitation, please e-mail your complete name and mailing address to isth2009reg@mci-group.com.