If you plan to travel to Düsseldorf, Germany, to attend K 2016, you might want to check out these helpful tips.
Getting to the fairgrounds:
1. Public transportation is recommended to get to the fairgrounds. From downtown Düsseldorf, Tram No. U78 goes to the North Entrance, Tram No. U79 to the East Entrance and Bus No. 722 serves the East and South Entrances. From the airport, Bus No. 896 connects to all fairgrounds entrances. Visitor, exhibitor and press entrance passes to the show allow free use of all public transportation on all days of K 2016 within the Rhine-Ruhr regional network (VRR) of Düsseldorf and the Rhine-Sieg (VRS) transportation network which includes the neighboring cities of Bonn, Cologne, Dortmund, Krefeld and Wuppertal. Exhibitors can also ride free of charge two days before and after the show.
2. Taxi fares are made up of a basic flat rate plus a charge per kilometer; fares are generally higher than in the U.S.; for tips: round up to the next full Euro amount (maximum 10%). Taxis must be boarded at taxi stands.
3. Rental cars are available from Avis, Europcar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Sixt and other companies; offices are located at the Düsseldorf airport, the main train station and several downtown locations. On the main streets in Düsseldorf, “Messe Düsseldorf” signs show the way to the fairgrounds; parking signs will lead to one of the fairgrounds’ 12 parking lots.
At the show:
4. K will take place from October 19 - 26, 2016 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.
5. Entrance passes and show directories can be purchased online at www.k-online.com at reduced rates. The online price for a 1-day ticket is Euro 49 instead of Euro 65 on show site and a 3-day ticket is available online for Euro 108 instead of Euro 135 purchased at the show.
6. The KATI electronic visitor guidance and information system makes it easy to find the location of every exhibitor and product category; KATI terminals are located in every hall.
7. The exhibit halls are linked by protected walkways, moving sidewalks and shuttle buses.
8. Located in the middle of the fairgrounds is a food store, hardware store and telecommunication store (where vouchers for wireless access can be purchased) as well as a currier office and travel agency.
Germany in general:
9. Shops are generally open from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm Monday through Friday and from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday. Larger department stores are often open until 8 pm on weekdays and until 6 pm on Saturday. All stores are closed on Sunday.
10. Banks are generally open from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm and from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm (Thursdays to 5:30 pm); the Euro is the single currency for the European Union Nations, including Germany. The Euro comes in denominations of Euro 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 bills and Euro 1 and 2 and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents coins.
11. Restaurants: Asking for a quick service in a non fast-food restaurant is considered impolite; water does not accompany the meal but can be ordered by the bottle; tipping: service charge is included in the bill (but a small tip should be handed to the waitress/waiter directly).
12. A brochure about German business customs and practices can be ordered from Messe Düsseldorf North America free of charge.
For further information on visiting or exhibiting at K 2016, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601. Telephone: (312) 781-5180; Fax: (312) 781-5188; E-mail: info@mdna.com; Visit our web site http://www.mdna.com; Subscribe to our blog at http://blog.mdna.com; Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/Plastics_MDNA
For hotel and travel information, contact TTI Travel, Inc. at (866) 674-3476; Fax: (212) 674-3477; E-mail: info@ttitravel.net; www.traveltradeint.com
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