Bootstrap 2026

Practical Information

General London information

Public transport:

1. Tickets: You generally do not need to buy tickets for public transport. You can pay using a contactless card or your phone payment (Google Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay). This includes London Underground, London Overground, buses, trains close enough to London, etc.
   1. You need to Tap In and Tap Out from most public transport services to avoid being overcharged. Usually the access is gated so it is easy to follow, but some stations do not have gates and you need to find a terminal to Tap In or Tap Out with the same card.
   2. You do not have to Tap Out on buses.
   3. Daily caps are automatically applied with contactless payments if you use the same card (either physical or on your phone).
2. Airports: You can also use contactless payments on trains going between London and all major airports. (However, contactless payments may not be valid for trips farther from London than the airports.)
3. Oysters: If you don't have a contactless payment option, you may want to purchase an Oyster card, but note that its validity is different from contactless options.
4. Buses: At a bus stop, you need to wave to stop a bus, and you must get in through the front door, where the payment will be collected. Inside a bus, you need to press the Stop button before your stop. You do not have to Tap Out when you leave a bus.
5. Bicycles: There are many services that allow you to hire bicycles on demand (Santander, Lime, Forest, etc), and they are a very convenient way for getting around the city centre. They generally require an app to use. You may be able to hire Santander bikes with a physical card at a dock station. If you choose to use one of these services, examine the various subscription/prepayment options as these may make sense even for a week of use.

 

General information:

1. You virtually never need cash in London, and most businesses will not accept cash.
2. London is generally safe, but it is a big city and you need to exercise reasonable caution. Petty crime happens, especially in touristy areas.
3. The UK uses Type G 3-pin plugs (230V / 50Hz). Bring an adapter if traveling from outside the UK.
4. A 12.5% discretionary service charge is usually added automatically to sit-down restaurant bills. Extra tipping is not expected.

City (3 to 7 August)

The main conference venue is the Oliver Thompson Lecture Theatre 101 (OTLT) in the Tait Building at City St George’s, University of London.

The entrance is through Northampton Square Garden, as indicated by the arrow on the map below.

 

After entering through the gate, take the stairs on your left. At the top, turn left and continue across to the Tait Building. You should then easily find the foyer and the entrance to the Oliver Thompson Lecture Theatre (OTLT).

 

Registration and coffee breaks will take place either in the Pavilion, immediately after the gate, or in the OTLT foyer.

 

 

The following rooms will be available for discussions and collaborative work:

• B103
• B104
• ELG08
• ELG09
• ELG11
• ELG13
• ELG14
• ELG15
• EM01

We have also booked B200, a larger room that can be used in the afternoons for spontaneous discussions or group meetings involving more participants. Please feel free to use it whenever you need a bigger space.

 

Lunch

We have planned a 90-minute lunch break between the morning and afternoon programmes, giving you plenty of time to explore the surrounding area.
The map below shows three areas with street-food stalls and restaurants: Exmouth Market, Angel and Whitecross Street Market. I have also marked a few places nearby that I personally enjoy, but please feel free to explore!

 

Imperial (10 to 14 August)

Talks will be held in Blackett Building Lecture Theatre 1.

Coffee breaks will be immediately outside the main lecture hall.

Reception on Monday will be in the 8th floor common room.

You can enter through the gate on Prince's Consort Road (see Google Maps link).

Once you enter, you will see the Blackett Building foyer in front of you. We will hold the coffee breaks and registration there.

In case there are any difficulties with continuous access to Blackett from the Prince Consort Road, there is an alternative route via Sherfield Building (West):

Enter the building, go up the stairs to Sherfield Walkway, turn left towards the Huxley Building, and then continue straight through Huxley to Blackett without changing floors. This route is usually open access and should not require an Imperial College ID card.

The Sherfield building is also where the SCR Dining Hall is, which is where lunch can be conveniently purchased.