If you come from IMACS ACA '98 in Prague, we encourage you to take the train. A fast train takes 9 hours, and you have to to change the train only once (in Dresden or Berlin Schönefeld). Enjoy the nice landscape in the Elbe/Labe valley near Dresden!

Deutsche Bahn AG has changed again the timetable for Berlin! There are 7 direct trains per day from Berlin Schönefeld (68 DM) and 8 from Berlin Lichtenberg (62 DM), but none from Berlin Zoologischer Garten (62 DM) and from Berlin Ostbahnhof (62 DM). A fast train from Berlin takes approximately 3 hours.

From Zoologischer Garten or Ostbahnhof you should go to Lichtenberg, this will be faster and cheaper. Take the S-Bahn (city train, you can treat it like a sight-seeing tour through the center of Berlin) and proceed in the direction Wartenberg, Hoppegarten(Mark) or Ahrensfelde. Your train ticket is also valid in the city train.

A fast train from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (main station) takes 2.5 hours and costs 52 DM.

If you come from Trelleborg or Klaipeda by ferry to Sassnitz, then you might take a train. A ticket from Sassnitz Fährhafen to Rostock (one direction) is approximately 30 DM, the trains take 2.5 hours.

Timetables of all trains in Germany and many more in all of Europe can be found at the online information service of Deutsche Bahn AG.

Car

If you come by car, the best way to drive to Rostock is the Autobahn (highway) from Berlin. An average driver needs 3 hours from the center of Berlin (e.g. airport Berlin-Tegel) to the center of Rostock. The way can easily be described: First take the Autobahn in direction "Hamburg". When you have to choose between direction "Hamburg" or "Rostock" at the crossing Wittstock/Dosse, choose Rostock.

The way from Hamburg airport is quite complex. In most parts there it is only a country road. Additionally, these roads are under construction - so expect traffic jams! If you are lucky you make the distance in 3 hours.

Plane

Rostock has only a small airport with a shuttle service to the city (takes half an hour). At this moment, the only inexpensive flights to international airports are

• Zurich on Saturday and Sunday (Crossair, 400 DM)
• Basel on Saturday (Crossair, 400 DM)

The closest international airports are

• Berlin-Schönefeld, (arrivals, departures),
• Berlin-Tegel (arrivals, departures) and
• Hamburg (arrivals, departures).

If you want to continue by train, Berlin-Schönefeld is a good choice. The distance from the railway station to the airport is only 500 m.

If you rent a car, Berlin-Tegel is appropriate. Without exaggeration, there is a straight Autobahn from airport Berlin-Tegel to Rostock. The next railway station, that you can reach from Berlin-Tegel, is Berlin Zoologischer Garten. Take the bus 109 or X09 (20 minutes).

From Hamburg airport take the airport city bus (8 DM). Every 20 minutes, it leaves the airport from terminal 1 and 4 nonstop for Hamburg-Hauptbahnhof (main station).

Ferry

Since Rostock is located at the Baltic Sea, it has good connections to other cities at the Baltic Sea coast.

Every second hour a car ferry from Gedser (Danmark) goes to Rostock (2 hours). Book early (phone +45 45160123, fax +45 45160033), otherwise you will have to wait on some days (Thursday-Sunday, the worst day is Saturday) in the busy season.

Another car ferry connects Trelleborg (Sweden) with Rostock (3 - 6 hours). The remark above about critical days is valid here too. Please direct your order to DFO (phone +49 180 5343445 or +49 381 6731217, fax +49 381 6731213) or TT-Line (phone +46 041056200, fax +46 041056169).

Once a day a ferry sails overnight from Klaipeda (Lithuania) to Sassnitz-Mukran. Modest cabins cost 274 DM (both directions together). Reservations in Klaipeda (Lithuania) can be made by phone +370 62 54354. From Sassnitz Fährhafen you can take a train.

You can buy a train ticket to Rostock in Sweden, which includes the costs for the ferry Trelleborg-Sassnitz.