Practical Information

Planning

To allow more participants in Les Houches there will be two 10-days sessions. The first session is from 11 to 20 June 2007. The second session will take over from 20 to 29 June 2007. See here for  the working group schedule. 

Fees

The total fee covers lodging (single room) and meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). It amounts to 750 Euros for a 10 day period. This fee should be made payable to the Secretariat in Les Houches upon arrival.  How and when to pay.

Visas

Some nationals require a visa for France. This is delivered as a Schengen visa. Note that if you are travelling from another Schengen country to France you will be permitted to enter France provide your visa is valid during the whole periof of your stay.

It is important to note that Switzerland is NOT a Schengen country. Therefore if you intend to come to Les Houches via Geneva/Switzerland you will require a Swiss visa in addition to the French/Schengen visa. Coming to Les Houches via Geneva is very practical. There  will be a conference bus from/to CERN-Les Houches. 

If you require a visa, please indicate so when you register so that we can send you appropriate invitation letters.  We also urge you to apply for visas at least  two months in advance.

How to contact the Centre des Houches?

Postal Address:
Ecole de Physique des Houches
La Côte des Chavants
F-74310 Les Houches
FRANCE

Phone: +33 4 50 54 40 69 (from Monday to Friday at office hours)

Fax: +33 4 50 55 53 25

E-mail: secretariat.houches@ujf-grenoble.fr

You may contact participants at meals hours (12h40-13h40 and 19h40-20h40)
by calling the Restaurant at +33 4 50 54 41 24

Emergency number, only reachable during the meeting, outside office hours:
+33 611328485 from outside France or 0611328485  within France.

Facilities:

The School has the following facilities:
 

  • a small library with the main scientific journals and some reference books,
  • three working rooms with blackboards and an auditorium for 70 people
  • projectors for standard slides and for transparencies, video-projectors,...
  • a photocopy machine,
  • a fax
    • Because of the overwhelming attendance this year, to allow for more working groups and sub-groups sessions, some meetings will take place at the  hotel Les Amis de la Nature next by (where  some people will also be staying)

    For the Workshop Physics at TeV Colliders  special arrangements have been made as concerns the computing facilities (details will be posted later).  A network, with in particular a WiFi connection,  will be installed.

     

    Your Stay

    Most participants will be staying at the Centre, Ecole de Physique des Houches.  A few will be accomodated at the  hotel next by,  Les Amis de la Nature.

    Stay in the Centre de Physique
     Meals are taken at the school dining room. Drinks are not included.

    Coffee, tea (free!) and liqueurs are available at the cafeteria.
    Breakfast : 8:00 am to 8:45 am ; Lunch : 12:30 am ; Dinner : 7:30 pm

    Participants are housed in "chalets". All the buildings have been renovated recently. Most rooms are single occupancy.

    The cafeteria has a piano, baby-foots and table tennis. A few mountain bikes are available.

    Pictures of the Housing and Conference complex at Les Houches. 

    Stay at  Les Amis de la Nature

    The hotel is a chalet style building.  Those staying at the hotel will take their meals including breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Drinks are not included.

    Coffee, tea and liqueurs are available at the cafeteria.  On our last visit the Bar here seemed to have a much better selection of drinks than at the school cafeteria....

    Breakfast : 8:00 am to 8:45 am ; Lunch : 12:30 am ; Dinner : 7:30 pm


     

    Weather:

    Weather is unpredictable (altitude 1150 m), temperature may range from -15 to 5°C in winter and from 5 to 25°C in summer. Sport clothes are preferable. Warm sweater(s), rain gear, good walking shoes and home shoes are necessary. Note that we will most probably organise some excursions.

    For the period 11-29 June we recommend that you bring some warm clothes, just in case it gets chilly in the evenings.

    Weather in Les Houches and Chamonix (8kms away in the valley...)


     

    Various:

    A flashlight is handy at night ; the school chalets and Les Amis de la Naure are scattered on the mountainside and outside lights may be poor (power failures, storms, star parties).

    Electricity: AC, 50Hz, 220V.


     

    Access:

    For those who need a visa, please note that if you intend to come to  Les Houches from Switzerland you need both a Swiss and French visa. A Schengen visa is not valid for Switzerland.
    By Conference Bus: CERN<->Les Houches (Centre de Physique and Amis de la Nature)
     The bus journey from CERN to Les Houches takes about 1h40.
    • Departure from CERN (CH):  Monday  11 June at 16.00    Main Entrance B.  Click to view.
    • Departure from Les Houches to CERN: Wednesday 20 June at 13.30.
    • Departure from CERN (CH): Wed.  20 June at 16.00 , Main Entrance B.  Click to view.
    • Departure from Les Houches :   Friday 29 June at 13.30
    By Local  Buses from Geneva:
    From Geneva centre (main bus station) to the Les Houches Village. Take the bus  going to Chamonix  and get off at the stop Office du Tourisme (tourist center) of Les Houches. This bus starts in fact at Geneva Airport before continuing to Geneva centre, then the Chamonix Valley (les Houches)
    Bus Timetable:  download the pdf file here
    Geneva bus station website

    Note however that the service is not convenient. First  it is not frequent. Second, the bus stops in the village which is still 4kms away from the School. If you do not want to climb on foot, we advise you to take a taxi. Fare: about 12 Euros.
    You need to reserve a taxi by phoning oen of these two companies:

    • Taxi M. Persault - Les Houches : 04 50 54 41 09 (landline)  06 07 27 71 61 (mobile)
    • Taxi Garny Hervé - Les Houches : 04 50 54 44 60 (landline) 06.12 35 30 72 (mobile)

    To go from Geneva train station to the bus station

    For a map of Geneva and general information.

    By plane, Shuttle/Limo  service from Geneva Airport

    Geneva Airport is 1 hour drive from les Houches. There is a regular bus service between Geneva Centre and Les Houches (see section Local Buses from Geneva).

    It is possible to use a   limousine or shuttle service but you would need to make a reservation online with one of these  companies:

    When you make the reservation specify Geneva-->Chamonix Valley.
    The fares varies depending on how many people share the limousine, it ranges from 40 euros up to as much as about 200euros if you happen to be the only person in the limo!

    For further updated information on Geneva Airport see the site of the Airport.

    By train:

    Arrival at Les Houches station, with one change at Saint-Gervais (from France). There is about 10 trains per day between St Gervais and Les Houches. If you are coming from Geneva we strongly advise you not to take the train. Les Houches train station is about 5 kms from the Centre de Physique (the latter being uphill!!). If you do not want to climb on foot, we advise you to take a taxi. Fare: about 12 Euros.
    You need to reserve a taxi by phoning oen of these two companies:

    • Taxi M. Persault - Les Houches : 04 50 54 41 09 (landline)  06 07 27 71 61 (mobile)
    • Taxi Garny Hervé - Les Houches : 04 50 54 44 60 (landline) 06.12 35 30 72 (mobile)

    For other fares, the updated train  timetable and reservations you can consult the French Railways site.
     
     
     

    By road:


    The best way to find your way is to print the itinerary given by the online  Michelin interactive map.

    Les Houches are easily accessible from France (A41 highway), from Switzerland (Martigny and Col des Montets).
    From Geneva and Le Fayet: 8km before Chamonix, 300 m after passing under a tunnel, bear right by the first road out for "Les Houches Les Trabets".  

    As of June 2007, we are told of some roadworks around Les Houches. Roadworks might be completed before session 2 starts. This exit may therefore be closed. If, so continue along the motorway for about 1 km (pass under a an ugly ``bunker-type bridge...) till the next exit. Take "Houches centre" (which means you will have to cross the center of the village).  It is easy, once you've left the motorway you arrive at a Xroad : turn right, pass over a bridge above a creek, keep on straight ahead accross the village. You will reach the cable-car station of Bellevue.

    When arriving at the cable car station "Bellevue", turn right and continue upwards (roughly 2 km starting from the cable car).  You will reach a small roundabout, near a second cable car station, named the "Prarion". Turn left and follow the sign "Ecole de Physique", "U.T.A.N." (Union Touristique les Amis de la Nature). Go uphill  till the Route de la Côte des Chavants where you will have to make a sharp (right) turn (there is a sign for Ecole des Houches/Centre de Physique).  For those going to the Hotel Les Amis de la Nature, look for a sign (entrance to the hotel) on the left hand side of the road. Those driving to the Centre should drive almost all the way up the Côte des Chavants and follow Parking Visiteurs. 

    Click for detailed road maps

    From Chamonix: bear right for "Les Houches-Chef-Lieu", turn right in Les Houches, go ahead at the cable car station "Bellevue". Then proceed as above.

    Cars may be rented from Geneva and from Chamonix, but it is useful to make reservations.


     

    What to do in Les Houches?

    Astronomy: Sky conditions are quite good at the School (when the sky is clear...) despites the lights of les Houches and Chamonix. As an example, here are photos of Sagittarius and of the Hale-Bopp comet taken from the School.
    gif (175 Ko)jpeg (20 Ko) - gif (170 Ko)
     

    The Astronomy Club of Chamonix has good instruments and organizes very nice star parties in the mountains (col de Balme, 2200 m) during summer. Contact Observatoire du Mont-Blanc, 67 Lacets du Belvédère, 74400 Chamonix (Tel: 04 50 53 45 16).

    Ideal for hiking, climbing, .....
    For more see here

    Consult the Les Houches Tourism web page