Wikimedia Conference 2018/Travel and Hotel Booking Information

WMCON 2018	Core Conference Program	Fringe Events	Registration & Participants	Location	Logistics	Contact	Documentation, Reports, Reviews
	Schedule Program Program Design Process Reading material (for the Movement Strategy track)	Pre-Conference Learning Days Pre-Conference Boards Training Workshop Social Events Thematic, regional, language-specific meetups	Registration Information Eligibility Criteria How to Select the Delegates Buddy Project Participants' List Friendly Space Policy	Conference Venue Hotel	Conference Guide Travel and Hotel Booking Information Visa Process and Assistance	Logistics and Event Coordinator Program and Engagement Coordinator Event Curator	Budget Grant report Movement Strategy track documentation Further reports Sweets of the world

Prepare for your travel

1.	Check the entry requirements/travel advice for Germany on the website of your country's department of foreign affairs. If you require documents for immigration, please contact us via wmcon@wikimedia.de.
2.	Review your travel plan and check if there are any entry requirements for your transit countries (Please specifically look for transit requirements.)
3.	Verify that checked baggage is included with your ticket. Make sure you comply with the size and weight restrictions.
4.	Check-in online on the website of your airline. Please note that some low-cost airlines (e.g. Ryanair, easyjet, Wizz Air, airBaltic) do not allow you to check-in at the airport free of charge.
5.	Verify your flight times on your airline’s website shortly before your departure.
6.	Take an adapter (plug type F, Schuko plug) with you.
7.	Have all important travel documents as well as documents you might need for immigration in your carry-on bag.
8.	Arrive sufficiently early at the airport to have enough time to check-in and to go through the security check. We suggest arriving three hours before flight departure for international travel. Make sure to not miss your flight!
9.	Welcome to Berlin! In order to find your way from the airport/Central Station to the conference venue (Mercure Hotel Berlin Tempelhof Airport), please read the ‘How to get around’ section in the Conference Guide for directions. For a further map of the public transport services in Berlin please click here.
10.	Have a valid credit card or Euro (€) at hand, as you’ll need to purchase a public transport ticket to the conference venue (2,80 € / 3,40 €).
11.	To have some orientation at your final destination, please find a map of the surroundings of the conference venue.

Should you experience any problems during your travel, do not hesitate to contact us (wmcon@wikimedia.de). In emergencies please call +49 170 1135851 (Michelle).

General booking process information

Depending on which participants’ group you belong to, the hotel and travel booking process varies. Please check the eligibility status overview, showing each affiliate's eligibility status, group belonging and the respective booking process.

Travel and hotel bookings will be managed as follows:

Group 1: Representatives of Chapters, Thematic Organizations and User Groups with a full process annual plan grant (APG via FDC process) and Allied Organizations. Participants from this group have to arrange and pay for their travel/accommodation by themselves.
Group 2: Representatives of Chapters, Thematic Organizations and User Groups which do not receive funding via an annual plan grant (APG via FDC process). This group includes organizations who receive funding through Simple Annual Plan Grants (Simple APG). We also included individual community members who come from underrepresented communities and who have demonstrated project or community leadership. WMDE will do the travel arrangement and hotel booking based on the information provided in the registration form.
Group 3: Representatives of the committees WMF Board of Trustees, FDC, AffCom or WMF staff. Travel and accommodation for this group will be organized by the WMF travel department.
Group 4: Additional participants invited by the Program and Engagement Coordinator to complement the conference program. Travel and accommodation for this group will be organized by WMDE.

Hotel booking information

WMDE has blocked a high number of single and twin bed rooms at Mercure Hotel Berlin Tempelhof Airport. For all conference participants the earliest arrival date is Thursday, April 19, latest departure date is Monday, April 23, 2018. Further rooms as of Tuesday, April 17, have been reserved for the participants of the pre-conference program.

Group 1

The following room types are reserved for group 1, which have to book and pay their hotel individually:

Single room: 95,00 € per room/night
Twin bed room: 121,00 € per room/night (60,50 € per person)

All rooms include Wifi and breakfast and have their own bathroom.

Booking deadline:
The deadline for booking your hotel room is Monday, February 19, 2018. Rooms are only blocked until that date. We cannot guarantee any availability after this deadline.

Booking form:
Please only use the WMCON18-specific hotel booking form for making a reservation. Your credit card details need to be provided within this form to make a firm booking.

Cancellation deadline:
Please note that free cancellation of individually booked rooms is only possible until 14 days before your arrival.

Group 2

Based on the accommodation needs that are provided in the registration forms, WMDE will arrange the hotel room booking for group 2. All rooms include Wifi and breakfast and have their own bathroom. As accommodation is funded by a grant for this group and we are trying to keep expenses down, please be aware that you will need to share a twin bed room. If you do not feel comfortable sharing a room, please indicate your reasons (especially disability requirements) in the comment field on accommodation in the registration form. In the registration form, you can name a person you would like to share the twin bed room with. We will try our best to fulfill your wish. Please note that preference is given to those persons that have matching arrival and departure dates due to cost efficiencies.

Information on deviant travel dates:
In case you want to deviate from the approved travel dates, you are required to make your own hotel reservations for the extra days of your stay. The additional accommodation expenses have to be paid by you.

Group 3

Based on the accommodation needs stated in the registration form, WMF’s travel department will book and pay the hotel rooms. All rooms include Wifi and breakfast and have their own bathroom.

Group 4

Based on the accommodation needs stated in the registration form, WMDE will book a single room for you. If you are willing to share a twin-bed room (equipped with two separated beds) with another participant, please indicate so in the registration form. Moreover you can name a person you would like to share the twin bed room with. We will try our best to fulfill your wish. Please note that preference is given to those persons that have matching arrival and departure dates due to cost efficiencies. All rooms include Wifi and breakfast and have their own bathroom.

Information on deviant travel dates:
In case you want to deviate from the approved travel dates, you are required to make your own hotel reservations for the extra days of your stay. The additional accommodation expenses have to be paid by you.

Travel booking information

Group 1

As the expenses related to WMCON18 are covered via the annual plan grant (APG), participants of group 1 will need to book and pay for their own travel.

Group 2

WMDE will assist group 2 with their travel booking. The information given in the registration form will serve WMDE to propose and send a travel plan. Please make sure to confirm this travel plan within 24 hours. Only then, the actual flight ticket is booked. If you are in need of a visa, please note that WMDE will only book your flight after the notification of your successful visa completion. For this reason, it is crucial that you inform us via wmcon@wikimedia.de that the visa is approved and you accept the proposed travel plan, which has been sent to you after your registration by the travel team. If you have chosen a bus or train as travel means,WMDE will also contact you with further instructions on how to proceed.

Information on deviant travel dates:
Please note that if you plan to deviate from the approved travel dates personal costs may incur. If your desired travel plan causes greater expenses than travelling on approved travel dates would, you are asked to pay for the total travel costs in advance. You will get reimbursed for the approved amount by WMDE.

Group 3

The WMF travel department will assist you with your travel booking. The information given in this registration form will allow the WMF to propose a travel plan, which needs to be confirmed by you within 24 hours of receiving same. If you are planning to arrive by train or bus you may need to book your own travel. Further instructions are sent to you by WMF. Should you need to book your own travel, you get reimbursed. Please use the WMF Reimbursement Form for this purpose, which is published on Meta.

Group 4

WMDE will assist group 4 with their travel booking. The information given in the registration form will serve WMDE to propose and send a travel plan. Please make sure to confirm this travel plan within 24 hours. Only then, the actual flight ticket is booked. If you are in need of a visa, please note that WMDE will only book your flight after the notification of your successful visa completion. For this reason, it is crucial that you inform us via wmcon@wikimedia.de that the visa is approved and you accept the proposed travel plan, which has been sent to you after your registration by the travel team. If you have chosen a bus or train as travel means, WMDE will also contact you with further instructions on how to proceed.

Information on deviating travel dates:
Please note that if you plan to deviate from the approved travel dates this may result in costs that you will have to cover yourself. If your desired travel plan causes expenses greater than travelling on approved travel dates would, you are asked to pay for the total travel costs in advance. You will then get reimbursed for the approved amount by WMDE.