- The International Association of Physics Students is organising a trip to CERN, the European Center of Nuclear Research, which includes the LHC (Large Hadron Collider), ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS), CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid), ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) and LHCb as well as other particle physics experiment.
The confirmed dates for the trip are Monday 16th – Thursday 19th of April 2012.
- The LHC has caused quite a controversy since it was switched on and we’re going to go and see what all the fuss is about. Please note that due to safety regulations, radiation levels and minute possibilities of liquid Nitrogen and liquid Helium leakages, we will not be permitted to go underground.
- The trip is targeted at undergraduate students although everyone with an interest in physics, the LHC, CERN and Geneva is welcome to attend. We have planned a variety of lectures from pHd students currently in research groups that make frequent use of the CERN facilities.
Once you have been accepted and paid for this trip, you may start booking plane and train tickets as the dates are definite and have been confirmed.
- Please let us know if you require a visa for both France and Switzerland. You will need to let us know of this as soon as you register. Everyone will need to bring their own ID cards or passports when visiting all the CERN facilities. The currency in Switzerland is CHF also known as the Swiss franc although some major superstores and eating places like MacDonalds will accept euros but the change you will be given back will be in Swiss francs.
- Payment deadline: 1st of March 2012.
- Registration deadline: 1st of February 2012.
- Thanks to a sponsorship grant from the European Physics Society (EPS), the cost of the trip is now €100.
If you are not yet an IAPS member, the cost of the trip will be €110.
The participants’ fee will cover costs for:
- Accommodation from the afternoon of Monday 16th April 2012 to the morning of Thursday 19th April 2012 (3 nights and 4 days).
Any extra days stay will be at your own cost but the hostel normally has some space for individual travellers. Please email the organisers as we will be able to reserve any extra nights, which you can pay for through an increase in your participant’s fee. Otherwise, you can call or email the hostel and make a separate booking on your own for the extra nights.The address of the hostel we will be staying at is:
Auberge de Jeunesse
30, rue Rothschild
1202 Geneva
Phone number: +41 22 732 62 60
- Geneva Transport Card
This transport card is provided with the hostel fee and allows you to travel freely on all buses, trams and mouettes (small yellow boat) in all of Geneva for the complete duration of your stay at the hostel. This transport card also allows you to travel freely between the Geneva Airport train station and Geneva “Gare Cornavin” train station.
- Iaps2cern participants t-shirt and pen
- Mouette (small yellow boat) trip on final day
This will be a small yellow boat from Quai du Mont-Blanc, which faces the Jet D’Eau on the large Geneva Lake where we will also hold the certificate ceremony weather permitting.
- Tour coach around CERN for both days
There are certain of parts of CERN, which can only be accessed by coach transport around the area. The coach trip will involve being in both Switzerland and France. Therefore, if you require a visa for this trip, this must be for both Switzerland and France.
- United Nations Tour
We will be visiting the United Nations by tram, which has some beautiful architecture and the giant chair, which symbolises the opposition to land mines and cluster bombs.
- Participants certificates
Of course, you will be rewarded for attending this event and will provide evidence in the future to show that you have been to CERN as a participant of this trip and attended some lectures at CERN.
Please note that the participants’ fee does not cover lunches and dinners during the trip. However, there are plenty of cafes, bars, pubs, restaurants, grocery stores and fast foods places in the area surrounding the hostel. Also, we will have lunch at CERN for 2 days, which is really cheap.
CERN Trip Practical Information Booklet for Participants
Other possible optional visits include
- International Exhibition of Inventions taking place in Geneva during 18th to 22nd April 2012. More information available here.
- Geneva museum of art and history. More information available here.
- Botanical Gardens. More information available here.
- Geneva Natural History Museum. More information available here.
