General Information

Conference Venue

The venue for the 2000 Annual Conference of the Association of Medical Schools in Europe is the Ordem dos Médicos and Medical School of the University of Porto.

Dates

The Conference will take place from September 3^rd till 5^th, 2000.

Official Language

English. No simultaneous translation.

Letter of Invitation

If a participant needs a letter of invitation to attend the Conference, please request it from the Conference Secretariat. This invitation, however, does not imply a commitment to payment of any expenses.

Insurance

The AMSE’2000 organisation does not take any responsibility for accidents or illness occurring during the Conference.

Climate

The weather in Portugal in September is warm and pleasant. Temperatures range from 20º C to 25º C. Normally the days are warm and sunny and the nights may get chilly.

Travel to Porto

Portugal undersigned the Schengen Agreement and, therefore, is ruled accordingly the EU.

Porto is located 300 kms north of Lisbon, well connected with all major cities in Europe, with direct flights to Porto’s airport, through the national and international airline companies.

The International Airport is located in Pedras Rubras, 15 kms away from the city centre. Besides the Taxis, public buses run from the airport to the city centre and from the city to the airport.

The national airlines companies are TAP and PGA (Portugália). Both have sales offices in most capitals in Europe and offer direct flights to Porto’s airport.

Other airlines flying to Porto: BA, KLM, Swissair, Iberia, Sabena, Alitália, Varig, Lufthansa, Air France.

Two Railway Stations provide 3 daily international trains to Paris via Madrid and several daily trains to Lisbon.

Travel in Porto

Public transport a network of buses covers the city and fares are paid upon entering the bus. There are special cards for 1 day or cards for 10 journeys.

Metro under construction

Taxis normally take up to four passengers

Rent-a-car Avis, Eurodollar, Hertz, Europcar, Budget, Alamo…

Tourist Drivers French and English speaking professional drivers with capacity to take up to 7 passengers

Currency and Exchange

PTE Before 2002 and the Euro circulation, the Portuguese currency is the Escudo (PTE).

Money can be exchanged at the airport, at hotels or in banks.

EURO January 2000 - exchange rate: 200,482

Credit Cards Visa, American Express, Mastercard and Diners.

VAT and Tipping all rates include 17% VAT. Tipping is customary in Portugal.

Emergencies

Porto has several hospitals and private clinics.

Shopping

Traditional Commerce in the city centre is open everyday except on Saturday evening and Sunday. The best shopping area is the Santa Catarina, 31 de Janeiro and Cedofeita streets, along with the narrow streets going up and down from the city centre till Ribeira, near the Douro river.

Several shopping centres, in Porto and around it, are open everyday till 23.00.

Besides the major international franchising and brands, national textiles, leather, pottery, shoes, crystal, wines and gold handcraft can be found in the shops at reasonable prices.

Restaurants, Bars, Cafés, Casinos

Wining and dining in Porto is even more than a pleasure and a satisfaction of the senses, or even a spiritual taste, being Porto renowned for its cuisine and wines, especially the famous Port Wine and Vinho Verde.

The local restaurants and wine cellars offer the extraordinary flavours of the Portuguese dishes, which include shellfish and fresh fish; salt cod (bacalhau); a wealth of meat dishes; superb monastery desserts and cheeses.

At the old quarter Ribeira its possible to find not only the traditional restaurants with Portuguese cuisine but also different bars, pubs and cafés.

By the seaside, in "Foz", there are typical and modern restaurants, facing the sea as well as nightclubs, discos and a wide range of nice terraces overlooking the beach.

In the city centre, there is a variety of old traditional restaurants, cafés and bars side by side with the most modern ones.

International restaurants are also available for those missing home.

Both north and south of Porto one can find two Casinos with gambling rooms and daily shows.

Cultural Activities and Museums

Porto shares the cultural life of many important metropolises with year round theatre plays, concerts of modern and classical music, art exhibitions, ballet, and opera…

There are several excellent museums, especially the Serralves Museum of Modern Art and the Soares dos Reis Museum. In addition, smaller ones are dedicated to art or to special subjects, or were once the houses of renowned Portuguese authors and historic personalities.

Besides the Cathedral, Porto is spread with beautiful baroque churches that definitely merit a visit.

Religion

Portugal is a Roman Catholic country.

Besides the great number of Catholic Churches in Porto, the visitor can also have access to a Baptist Church, Evangelic Church and a Synagogue.