SCINT 2007 - Travel&Visa Information

Travel & Visa Information

Visa

Please consult your local US consulate or an authoritative source such as the US State Department visa site regarding the necessity of a visa for visiting the United States from your country, procedures to obtain it, estimated wait times, and other information. The web site now has a wait time estimator for each embassy location. The SCINT organizers will provide a letter of invitation for visa purposes as early as you believe it is necessary, if you will request it. The method for requesting a visa support letter is to submit the SCINT pre-registration form online with all information including anticipated title of your talk, and check the box requesting a visa support letter.

Travel to Winston-Salem

Arrival by Air -- The most convenient destination airport is Greensboro (designation GSO). This regional airport is located about 22 miles (30 minutes by taxi) from Wake Forest University, site of the conference. It has direct flights from many major international airports in the US, but very few direct international arrivals.

Commercial limousine and taxi service is available at the airport. A taxi costs approximately $45/one way from the airport to the Wake Forest University campus. The PTI airport shuttle service (located at the ground transportation desk on the baggage claim level) has a standard one-way rate to Wake Forest of $34.50 per individual in a shuttle van that runs once per hour. The SCINT conference has negotiated a rate with the PTI airport shuttle company of $25.50 per person when there are 2 or more SCINT passengers, and the vans will go more frequently than once per hour if there are several SCINT riders present. The van will stop at both the Polo Residence and the Sundance Plaza Hotel according to wishes of the passengers. If you are arriving at a peak time such as Sunday afternoon/evening, June 3, there should be little or no waiting. One or more SCINT staff members (recognizable by black shirts with yellow SCINT 2007 logo) will be on hand during the main arrival times to greet SCINT participants (near the PTI airport shuttle company desk) and help form groups for the shuttles. Participants arriving at off-peak times or otherwise failing to find SCINT staffers should first look for other SCINT participants with whom to form a group of 2 or more, and state your SCINT 2007 Wake Forest University affiliation to get the $25.50 rate and a more rapid departure at the ground transportation desk. If you can’t find any other SCINT passenger, you can still use the hourly PTI van service at their normal rate of $34.50/person by going to the ground transportation desk located at the middle of the airport baggage claim level.

Please send your arrival and departure flight information as soon as you know it. Thanks.

The Charlotte (CLT) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU) airports are each about 90 miles (1 ½ hours driving) away from Wake Forest University. They are domestic hubs and international airports, sometimes offerng better fares and schedules than Greensboro. However, their distance precludes staffing and transport arrangement by SCINT personnel, and rail or similar convenient public ground transportation does not connect them to Winston-Salem. Participants using these airports should consider car rentals. For a map and driving directions see the below. Please communicate your arrival and departure schedules to the SCINT organizers as far in advance as possible. We will try to make the local stages of your travel as convenient and comfortable as possible.

You may be generally too busy to use a rental car during the conference, but if you plan on touring before or after the conference, a rental car could be attractive. If you plan to rent a car at the airport and drive to Winston-Salem, you would have a wider variety of arrival airports than Greensboro. Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham have a significant number of direct international flights. Charlotte is about 1 hour and 45 minutes driving time from Winston-Salem, and Raleigh-Durham is about 2 ½ hours (attractive only if you have other reasons to visit eastern North Carolina). The conference will not provide transport from Charlotte or Raleigh.

Arrival by Car -- Business Interstate 40 runs east-west through the center of Winston-Salem. Interstate 85 and US 52 are north-south freeways intersecting I-40 east of Winston-Salem. I-77 is a north-south freeway intersecting I-40 west of Winston-Salem. Once on business I-40, you can take Cherry Street north exit in the center of Winston-Salem, which becomes University Parkway taking you to the Sundance Hotel and University Parkway entrance to the Wake Forest Campus. Alternatively, approximately 3 miles west of the center of Winston-Salem, take Silas Creek Parkway north from I-40. Silas Creek Parkway goes directly to the Reynolda Road entrance of the Wake Forest campus. Once on campus, follow signs or ask directions to the Polo residence. On-site conference registration and the Welcome Buffet will be at the Polo residence on Sunday, June 3. Campus parking permits will be furnished to SCINT registrants with cars.

Arrival by Bus – There is an intercity bus station in Winston-Salem located about 5 miles from the Wake Forest campus. Take a taxi at the station. If you contact the organizers in advance, it may be possible to arrange transport to campus.

Arrival by Rail -- The closest Amtrak station is in Greensboro. You would have to take a taxi to Wake Forest University for about $50. Rail transport is not well developed in North Carolina, unfortunately.

Touring before or after the conference – North Carolina is an attractive vacation state with mountains and associated national parks in the west, seashore including the Outer Banks in the east, and pleasant people and countryside in between. Washington DC is a day’s drive northeast while Atlanta is a day’s drive southwest.