Travel logistics for TQC 2023 in Aveiro, Portugal

Aveiro train station. By Andreas Trepte – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5.

Travelling to the conference

Official information on how to reach the University here.

Train and bus ticket offices

International train travel to Aveiro: get information at Seat 61 (at the moment there are bus replacements for all stretches Spain – Portugal)

National train travel: see schedules and buy tickets at CP

National bus travel: see schedules and buy tickets at Rede Expressos. Most buses have free wifi. There is also the cheaper Flix Bus.

There is a partial train strike scheduled for July; the affected trains should be announced a couple of days in advance, and we will list them on Discord. You can also check the trains status here (select Estação -> Aveiro).

You can exchange or refund your train ticket for free, if it is affected (which is probably easier to do in person at the ticket office, but you can try online too).  If you are travelling from Porto this shouldn’t affect you as there are many regular trains, but if you are travelling from Lisbon on Sunday, it may be good to check in advance.

From the airport to Aveiro

Fly to Lisbon (LIS) or Porto (OPO).

From Lisbon airport, take the Metro or a taxi to Oriente (10min), and from there take a direct train to Aveiro (around 2h, regular trains, best to book in advance).

Stopping on the way: You can take a long break at Oriente, it’s delightful. There are restaurants by the riverside and cheap fast-food joints in the large shopping mall. There are lockers at the station.

From Porto airport, take the Metro to Campanhã station (33min, line E, direction Estádio do Dragão, buy ticket at the machine). From there you can take an Urban or Regional/IR/IC/AP train to Aveiro (Urban is cheaper, around 1h, other trains are more expensive and faster). Alternatively, you can take a direct taxi from the airport.

Stopping on the way: If you want to stop in Porto, get off the Metro at Trindade, and from there you can connect to another Metro line or go for a walk. If you do this, you can later take the Urban train directly from São Bento station, which is much, much prettier than Campanhã.

From Aveiro train station to the university

As the website of the university students’ union says, “every time someone says that Aveiro is the Venice of Portugal, a fish dies laughing in the Ria”. That being said, the city is flat and easily walkable.

On foot: 30min flat walk.

By bus: there is a direct bus #11, which doesn’t show up on Google Maps. We’ll provide more detailed information in July 2023. In the meantime, the schedule is here, if you can decipher it.

By taxi: there are taxis at the station.

By bike: see here for information on free public bikes.

Conference locations, hotels and restaurants

Meals

Lunch tickets for Monday – Thursday in the campus canteen Santiago, are included in the conference welcome pack. The canteen is open from 12:00 to 14:30. There are also several cafés in campus.

Hotels and accommodation

We made block reservations at several hotels in Aveiro for TQC, at special rates. To guarantee a room at these rates, contact the hotels directly by the deadlines indicated below (if you book through other platforms you will get the standard rates).

Note that these are not necessarily the cheapest offers in Aveiro and surroundings, just the ones that have agreements with the university. We’ve seen other options for about 200 € for five nights, so we encourage you to widen your search if you have limited travel support from your institution.

Hotel Afonso V

  • Three-star hotel, 20min walk to the conference
  • No deadline: first-come, first-served.
  • To book, email info@hotelafonsov.pt and indicate the event code “UA TQC 2023
  • Room rates per night, including breakfast:
    • Single room: 57 €
    • Double or twin room: 83 €
    • Family room: 103 € (three people)

Suites & Hostel Cidade de Aveiro

  • Hostel, 15min walk to the conference
  • No deadline: first-come, first-served.
  • To book, email info@hostelcidadeaveiro.pt and indicate the event code “UA TQC 2023
  • Room rates per night, including breakfast:
    • Single room: 57 €
    • 1 person in double room: 59.5 €
    • 2 people in double room: 86 € (queen bed)
    • 3 people in triple room: 121 €
    • 4 people in quadruple room: 144 €
    • Option to book without breakfast (about 7.5 € cheaper per person per night)

1887 Estrela Palace Hotel

  • Luxury boutique hotel, 20min walk to the conference
  • Deadline: 24th April. Only 5 rooms available.
  • To book, email hotel.estrelapalace@unlockhotels.com and indicate the event code “TQC2023 UniversidadeAveiro
  • Room rates per night, including breakfast:
    • 2 people in Junior Suite Vista Canal: 240 €
    • 2 people in Suite Master: 270 €

Hotel Imperial

  • 3-star hotel, 15min walk to the conference
  • No deadline: first-come, first-served.
  • To book, email reservas@hotelimperial.pt and indicate the event code “TQC 2023 UA
  • Room rates per night, including breakfast:
    • Single room: 45 €
    • Twin room: 65 €
    • Possibility to add dinner and/or lunch (about 15 € per person per meal, including soup, main dish, dessert and coffee; welcome to Portugal)

Hotel Jardim

  • Three-star hotel, 20min walk to the conference
  • No deadline: first-come, first-served.
  • To book, email info@hoteljardim.pt and indicate the event code “UA TQC 2023
  • Room rates per night, including breakfast:
    • Single room: 62 €
    • Double or twin room: 80 € (two people)

Hotel Meliá Ria

  • Four-star hotel, 25min walk to the conference.
  • Deadline for conference rates: 24th April
  • To book, email melia.ria@meliaportugal.com and indicate the event code “SQUIDS TQC 2023
  • Room rates per night, including breakfast:
    • Single room: 116 €
    • Double room: 131 €
    • Double or twin room with extra bed: 176 € (153.50 € if the bed is for a child aged 4-12)
  • Extra services, not included in the rates above, costs per night:
    • Access to the Health Club (Indoor Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi, Sauna, Turkish Bath and Gym): 12.50 € per person
    • Parking in garage: 9 €
    • Premium Room (Panoramic view over the Ria): +40 € per room
    • Half Board (+ 1 main meal suggested by the Chef without drinks) : 24 € per person
    • Full board (+2 main meals from the Chef’s suggestion without drinks): 46 € per person
    • Children discount for extra services: 50% for children aged 4-12.

Hotel das Salinas

  • Three-star hotel, 15min walk to the conference
  • No deadline: first-come, first-served.
  • To book, email reservas@hoteldassalinas.com and indicate the event code “UA TQC 2023
  • Room rates per night:
    • Single room: 60 €
    • Double room: 70 €
    • Single studio: 65 €
    • Twin studio: 80 €
    • Triple studio: 95 €

Poster printing

There are several printers in Aveiro where you can print a poster on fabric or paper. Three of those are marked on the map above; at some you can print in the moment (takes 20-30min), and for some you can send the poster in advance by email. Prices for an A0 poster range between 14€ and 32€. More information and contacts here.

Invitation letters for visa purposes

Some participants require an invitation letter in order to obtain a Schengen visa to travel to Portugal. There will be a field on the registration form to add all the details necessary if you need a letter. Official information on short-term Schengen procedures can be found here.

Universidade de Aveiro campus. Photo: UA