Getting There
How do I get to Bochum?
Bochum is situated at the heart of the Ruhr area, a central hub and heavily populated region in the West of Germany. Düsseldorf airport is only 40 minutes away with trains to Bochum departing roughly every hour. Check trains from Düsseldorf Airport to Bochum Hbf (= Central Station) here. Bochum central station is also easy to reach for anyone visiting Bochum by train (with the possible need to change trains in nearby Dortmund, Essen, or Hamm). Anyone coming to the conference by car will find Bochum easily accessible via multiple highways.
How do I get to the conference venue?
The conference will be held in the university’s Event Center or “Veranstaltungszentrum (= VZ)” on the Main Campus. The campus can most easily be reached via the Subway line U35, which departs from Bochum main station in the direction of “Querenburg/Hustadt” every couple of minutes. You reach the campus (with the station called “Ruhr-Universität”) at the 7th Stop or roughly after 10 minutes. To reach the VZ, turn right from the subway station, and just walk across campus until you reached the VZ building. There will be signs to guide you along and you can find a map here. While you’re on campus, make sure to enjoy the brutalist architecture from the 1960s.
Do I need a ticket for the subway?
Indeed, you do. Buying a subway ticket in Germany is a nightmare, so you will find a ticket in the conference bag we will have for you at the welcome desk at the conference venue.
But wait – how am I supposed to get to the conference venue if I only get the ticket there?
You are referring to the great conference-public-transport-paradox that even the smartest researchers have been unable to solve since the beginning of time. All we came up with is that you may have to buy a ticket for that one trip after all. Dodging the fare is not recommended (but not unheard of).