There will be a Model WTO "Welcome Desk" set up at the St. Gallen main train station. The oikos members there will hand out your badge and assign you to your host-student where you will stay. You will receive a Welcome-Package including a city map of St. Gallen, Altstätten and Geneva. In Switzerland, you'll get used to what "walking distance" means.

 

Accomodation

We will make provisions for your accommodation and notify you as soon as you have been accepted as a participant. Participants will be allocated to a host-student from the University St. Gallen; eventually some might be placed in the St. Gallen Youth Hostel (no extra costs for you!). The following days, all participants will be accommodated in Altstätten, where the negotiations will take place. In Geneva we will be staying at the Youth Hostel which is in walking distance of the WTO.

If you want to stay a second night in Geneva you should book yourself at http://www.genevahostel.ch/en/index.html We will of course make reservations on your behalf should you require it.

Dress Code

For the negotiations in Altstätten, the dress code is business casual. For the last day at the WTO, formal dressing is mandatory.

 

Visa

Residents of most countries outside Western Europe need a visa to enter Switzerland. Although the visa application process could be a bit complicated in some cases, don't hesitate to apply: We will help you to arrange a visa! Applicants who need a visa should notify this in the application form. If you are accepted as a participant of the Model WTO you will receive all necessary supporting documents for your visa from oikos. Remember that the process of getting a visa needs time, eventually some weeks, so don't apply too late if you need one.

 

 

Travelling via EU-countries: Most people who need a visa for Switzerland need an additional one for the European Union. In this case, it is better not to travel via the EU but flying directly to Switzerland. If you have to travel via EU, you normally have to apply for a visa in the first EU-country you will enter.

Get more detailed information about an EU-visa.

This information is about german visa regulation, but it is also valid for other EU-countries (except Great Britain).

 

Travelling via Great Britain: Although Great Britain is a member of the EU, the visa situation is a bit different because Great Britain is no member of the 'Schengen co-operation'.
 

 

Getting there and away

 

By Air

The main destination airport is Zurich, being the nearest to St. Gallen where the first three days of the Model WTO will be held. From Zurich Airport take a direct train to St. Gallen. Trains are running about every 30 minutes and need less than one hour. One-way-fee is 24 CHF. All main airlines fly to Zürich.

There are also some low-cost-airlines flying to Switzerland: EasyJet flies to Geneva (only Europe); Buzz (http://www.buzzaway.com) flies London-Geneva.

There are some other airports: You may also fly to Basel and take a train from Basel to St.Gallen. Calculate 3 hours to go from Basel to St.Gallen. Another airport is Friedrichshafen, located in Germany, about 20 km north of St. Gallen. Ryanair, a low-cost-airline, flies daily from London Stansted to Friedrichshafen. If you book early, you can fly nearly for free from London to Friedrichshafen. You have to book online, so check their website: www.ryanair.com . From Friedrichshafen you can go to St. Gallen by train and ferry which is a nice trip of about 2.5 hours, one-way fare is about 20 CHF.

  

Another possibility could be Munich / Germany, located about 250 km east of St. Gallen, or Stuttgart / Germany, about 200 km north. One-way fare from there is about 75 CHF (Munich) or 70 CHF (Stuttgart) one way by train.

 

Flying back home

The event ends in Geneva. You can either fly back from Geneva airport or take a train back to the airport where you arrived. The normal one-way fare by train from Geneva to Zürich Airport is 79 CHF. Travel time from Geneva to Zürich Airport is about 3.5 hours and trains are running about every 30 minutes, except during night hours (see details on www.sbb.ch/en ).

 

By train

There are good train connections from neighbouring countries to Switzerland. For fares, ask at a train station in your home country. For timetables, look at www.sbb.ch/en . There you will find international connections to most european countries.

Check if you need a visa when travelling through different countries.

 

By Coach

There is an european-wide network of coaches. In many cases, travelling by these coaches is a lot cheaper than travelling by train, and sometimes it is faster, too. There are direct coaches from many eastern-europe countries to St. Gallen, and they stop at the St. Gallen train station. Check the relevant timetables on www.eurolines-schweiz.ch (for direct coaches to Switzerland) or www.eurolines.com (for all coaches within europe). A combination of coach and train may also be a good option.

 

By car

When travelling by car, don't forget to buy a 'vignette' when you drive on motorways in Switzerland. It costs 40 CHF.

Parking in St. Gallen is not a problem, but you have to pay for (about 6 CHF a day). Check with your host-student if you can park on his/her private parking area for free.

 

Hitchhiking

For some of you, this may be an option, but hitchhiking is not much common in Switzerland. There is a german agency for arranged lifts on www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de. Check if you find someone who can bring you to St. Gallen or one of the cities around (Zürich, Bregenz, Konstanz, Friedrichshafen, Lindau) from where you can take a train to St. Gallen.

 

Information about St. Gallen and the University of St.Gallen

 
St. Gallen is the biggest city in the eastern part of Switzerland. It has about 70.000 inhabitants and is located in a hilly landscape, around 15 km south of the Lake of Constance one of the biggest lakes in western europe. Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein are located in a short distance. St. Gallen has a historic city center and is famous for a monestary with a medieval library. If you are interested in getting more information about St. Gallen, this website might be useful: www.st.gallen-bodensee.ch/en/welcome.cfm?

 

The first day of the Model WTO will take place at the University of St.Gallen, which is located in walking distance from city center/railway station. The Model will than be held in Altstätten, which is not far from St. Gallen (by train).

 
Here you will find a portrait of our University.

Information about Geneva

Geneva has about 180.000 inhabitants and there is a huge number of international organisations located in this city, e.g. the United Nations, WHO, Red Cross, WIPO, ITC and, of course, the WTO. Geneva is  lying at the beatiful Lake Leman, and is one of the most beautiful cities within Switzerland. With more than one third of foreigners, it has a strong international atmosphere.

For more information: www.geneve-tourisme.ch

 

Staying longer in Switzerland

It could be a nice option to stay some additional days in Switzerland. Don't forget that Switzerland is an expensive country. For cheap accomodation, check the Youth Hostels. One night will cost 20-35 CHF. For further information about travelling in Switzerland check the following websites:

• www.myswitzerland.com (Swiss tourist information)
• www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/switzerland/
  

 

Travelling to one of the neighbouring countries is another possibility, but check if you need an additional visa for these countries.