AREADNE 2024: Practical Info

AREADNE 2024
Research in Encoding And Decoding of
Neural Ensembles

Eliopoulos Conference Center
Milos, Greece
25–29 June 2024

Practical Information

Milos is a Greek island in the middle of the Aegean Sea. It is one of the Cycladic islands, which are famous for their villages of whitewashed buildings and azure water. Milos was formed from a cluster of four volcanic eruptions that created a crescent island around a protected bay. Google Maps nicely shows Milos (zoom in and out to understand where the island is in the Aegean sea, and its position relative to Athens).

Adámas is the capital town of the island, and the main port, nestled in the northeast part of the bay. The Eliopoulos Center is in Adámas, at the southern edge of the town.

Plaka is a picturesque town in Milos, situated in hills above Adamas.

What to Bring

You will be visiting a Greek island, so in addition to the conference, that means sun, sand, excellent food, and nightlife! We recommend bringing suntan lotion, a bathing suit, flip-flops, a beach towel, sunglasses, loose-fitting, light colored clothing, and a hat.

The typical weather in late June is dry, clear, and warm (81 F / 27 C; 50% humidity; 10 mph / 15 kph breeze). The moon will be waning gibbous for the 2024 conference, so star gazing should be muted. Current and historical weather for Milos can be found at Weather2. As of 8:38 EET on November 21, 2024, the conditions are scattered clouds, 66 F / 19 C and 79% humidity.

Renting a Vehicle

There are plenty of hotels within walking distance of the Eliopoulos Conference Center, so renting a motorized vehicle is not required to attend AREADNE 2024. It is a 20-25 minute walk from the center of Adámas to the conference center.

Nota Bene: If you are planning on renting a two-wheeled scooter or a motorcycle, you must have a proper motorcycle license and an International Drivers Permit (IDP) for those outside the EU. Four-wheeled vehicles (ATV style) are available for those without motorcycle licenses, but IDPs are still required for non-EU citizens. Helmets are mandatory by law. Renting a car for non-EU citizens also requires an IDP, supplemented by a national driver's license.

Money, Electrical Power and Internet Access

The unit of currency in Greece is the euro (EUR). The majority of shops accept credit cards, especially ones with touchless features, although a few still are cash-only. If you see a cryptic sign about "POS", it refers to the abililty to accept point-of-sale credit cards. There are ATMs at banks in Milos. If your bank has a daily limit on ATM withdrawls, please bear in mind that the last day of the conference falls on a weekend, and weekend days (Friday-Sunday or Saturday-Monday) are considered a single day for ATM access by some institutions, so plan accordingly.

Electrical power is 220 Volts at 50 Hz using standard European plugs (most commonly like this or like this). Most laptop, tablet and phone chargers are designed for global use, thus only require a small plug adapter and not a transformer (more info here from the US perspective).

While nearly every establishment offers wireless wireless service, the conference will be providing only limited connectivity. This is a conscious decision to encourage attendees to participate in the conference and reduce the distractions. The response from previous attendees on this policy has been overwhelmingly positive. Please bear in mind that normal internet connections in the Greek islands are comparatively slow and can be somewhat unreliable. We have experienced days-long interruptions in connectivity during previous conferences.

Mobile Phones

Greece has an extensive mobile phone network. Pay-as-you-go SIMs are available from many vendors throughout the country, and top-up cards are available at nearly every kiosk.

For US attendees, if you wish to use your mobile phone with its native phone number, you will first need to verify that yours is an international or world phone. Then you will need to contact your service provider before departing the US to enable international roaming. Be sure to inquire about rates while abroad as there are often substantial surcharges! If you wish instead to get a local pay-as-you-go SIM, you will need to unlock your phone. Please contact your service provider for information on doing that. Allow a few weeks for either of these two changes. Also, be particularly careful to understand the roaming and data costs associated with travel abroad to avoid unpleasant surprises when you return home.

While cell coverage is quite good throughout Greece, coverage can be spotty on the islands. A map of Greek mobile coverage can be found for each of the major companies at NPerf Speed Test (select one of the three carriers and the zoom in on Athens or Milos).

Handicapped Access

As a rule, the lower parts of Adámas can be navigated by wheelchair, but much of the town is hilly and will be highly challenging. Many of the pathways are cobblestone, with frequent steps or other substantial surface irregularities. The Eliopoulos Conference facility is wheelchair accessible. Please inquire directly with hotels and restaurants to assess their accessibility levels. Also, please send email to the conference organizers at info@areadne.org to inquire about details.