Practical information

The INFORM EU 3rd Plenary Meeting will be held at the Convento do Espinheiro situated in Évora, the biggest city of the region of Alentejo in Portugal.

Adress:
Convento do Espinheiro
7005-839 Évora
Portugal

Location:

Please note that you are responsible for booking your own flight. We recommend that you book your flight to Lisbon and your bus/train ticket to Évora as soon as you receive the confirmation of your participation by email. The European Commission cannot be held responsible if there are no more places available.

To help you with the flight search you can use sites like:

• www.google.com/flights/
• www.edreams.co.uk/
• www.expedia.com/
• www.skyscanner.net/

16th November - Lisbon Airport (LIS) to Évora – Transfers provided by Portugal as member host.
The bus leaves at 11.30 a.m. from Lisbon airport and goes directly to Convento do Espinheiro. Estimated time to arrive: 1 p.m. Pre-registration is mandatory. Only one bus transfer will be offered and it will leave on time. If you do not pre-register for the bus transfer or miss it, you have to organise going to Évora by your own means. See below for more options.

Lisbon Airport (LIS) to Évora by bus
The bus journey time between Lisbon and Évora is around 1h45 and covers a distance of around 131 km. Operated by Rede Expressos, the bus to Évora departs from Sete Rios station and arrives in Évora city. Typically 14 buses run weekly, although weekend and holiday schedules can vary so check in advance.
From Lisbon Airport, you can take the metro red line (11 stops around 20min) to São Sebastião stop and take the metro blue line (2 stops around 3min) to Sete Rios station.

Lisbon Airport (LIS) to Évora by train
The train journey time between Lisbon and Évora is around 1h33. Operated by CP-Comboios de Portugal, train service departs from Lisbon Oriente and arrives in Évora city.
From Lisbon Airport, you can take the metro red line (3 stops around 6min) to Oriente train station.

Taxis - Taxi service is always an option too, and with airport taxis available 24/7 from outside of the airport, you never have to worry about finding one. Should you wish to book a taxi to take you back to the airport at the end of your visit, there are a number of reliable taxi services.
Taxis can also be booked via many taxi apps such as Uber, but also Bolt, Free Now or Izzy Move.

For those interested in hiring a vehicle, you can either book a car online or rent one directly at the airport. Whether you’re looking to hire a vehicle for the entirety of your stay, or simply for one excursion, there are a number of rental options available. Car hire is also possible here.

All participants are required to check the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal here to see whether they are required to obtain a Portuguese visa when entering Portugal.

Participants from EU countries and countries that are part of the Schengen Agreement do NOT need a Visa in order to travel to Portugal.

Participants from EU countries and countries that are part of the Schengen Agreement do NOT need a Visa in order to travel to Portugal.

List of Schengen countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

Please note that participants are responsible for booking their own accommodation.
We recommend that you stay whether at the Convento do Espinheiro (meeting venue) or at the Évora Hotel where shuttles to the venue and project locations will be provided. If you choose another hotel, it will be your sole responsibility to get to the various locations on time.

Preferential rates on hotels:

Convento do Espinheiro>
Single - 120€ / Double - 140€
Promocode: INFORM EU.PT
E-mail: reservations@conventodoespinheiro.com

Évora Hotel
Single room: €70,00 / Double room: €80,00
Promocode: INFORM
www.evorahotel.pt/en/

Vila Galé Hotel
Reservations: Exclusively made through hotel website, with a 10% discount on all types and not combinable with another campaign. It should be noted, and since the array of values is not fixed, there may be changes in values over time.
Booking period during which it is possible to apply INFORM discount: From 14 to 19 November
Promocode: INFORMEU

Did you know?
Évora is often called Portugal’s “Museum City” because of its preserved architecture. Evora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to more than 2,000 years of history plus an escape from damage in the 1755 earthquake that nearly leveled Lisbon.

Évora was considered a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1986. According to this organisation, Évora is a museum-city with roots dating back to roman times. The golden age happened in the 16th century, when the portuguese kings lived here.

Some of the highlights in Évora are the architecture of the white houses, the tiles and the balconies. These features make Évora the best example of a city in the prime of the History of Portugal after the destruction of Lisbon in the 1755 earthquake. It was also in Évora that the inspiration was found to build portuguese cities in Brazil, such as Salvador da Bahia.

Unesco also mentions other strong reasons to visit Évora: the old wall, the Agua de Prata Aqueduct, medieval buildings like the cathedral, convents, palaces, churches, squares.

Currency
The Portuguese currency unit is the Euro. International credit and debit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners' Club are accepted in Portugal in almost all hotels, shops and restaurants.

Safety and Emergency Services
Portugal is considered as being a very safe country but as with anywhere else, it's worth taking sensible precautions. The three most commonly used emergency services in Portugal are the police, fire service and emergency medical service. If you need to contact any of the services in the case of an emergency, dial 112. These calls can be made from any phone and are free of charge – only use them in a real emergency.

Getting around
The Meeting venue is not located in the city centre, so bus transfers will be provided from/to Évora hotel to the Meeting venue, please check the programme to see detailed bus transfers per day.

Évora is a relatively small city. So, it is very easy to go from the bus and train stations to Évora city centre. You can even cover the distance on foot.

You may visit the website Visit Évora to plan your journey, or you can book a taxi by many taxi apps such as Uber, but also Bolt, Free Now or Izzy Move.

Health and safety
COVID-19 | Measures implemented in Portugal
As of July 1, 2022, passengers entering national territory (including Azores and Madeira) are no longer required to present proof of carrying out a test to screen for SARS-CoV-2 infection with a negative result or to present a COVID-EU digital certificate or vaccination or recovery certificate issued by third countries, accepted or recognized in Portugal.
Measures in force may be reviewed in accordance to the evolution of the pandemic.

IMPORTANT: Before traveling, it is important to confirm the entry formalities and procedures with the airline company and the Portuguese border service - SEF (www.sef.pt / gricrp.cc@sef.pt), the entity responsible for the border control.

RULES IN MAINLAND PORTUGAL (valid on 16 September)

Mandatory mask:

• in public transports, taxis and similar passenger transports;
• access and visits to care and nursing homes and health facilities.

General behavior guidelines

• Social distancing;
• Frequent hand washing;
• Respiratory etiquette.

It is your responsibility to be aware of the latest health and safety obligation in place in Portugal. In case you do not comply with them, the European Commission will not be responsible, so make sure you anticipate your travel.

Official Languages
The working language of the meeting is English; no interpretation services will be provided.

Photography and video recording
Photography and filming will be taking place at this event. Therefore, by coming to this meeting, you may be filmed and have your picture taken. Kindly be informed that your registration to this meeting implies your irrevocable consent for being filmed, recorded and photographed throughout the duration of the event, as well as giving the European Commission the right to use this media at its sole discretion.

Useful Contacts, Links
Portugal Tourism Authority: www.visitportugal.com/en
Visit Alentejo: www.visitalentejo.pt/en/
City of Évora: https://www.cm-evora.pt/en/
National health services (Sns24): Emergency contact
The health services can all be accessed by phone in English.
Dial 808 24 24 24 and choose option 9. They are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (clinical services).

For any query, please contact the INFORM EU team at informEU@teamwork.fr.