Thank you for choosing to participate in the System Dynamics Based Development Planning course. We are confident this will not only be a great opportunity to strengthen your planning skills, but also a pleasant and exciting experience in the World Heritage City of Bergen. The friendliness of the Norwegian people, of the Faculty and of the participants, together with the astonishing natural beauty of the country, will leave you with an unforgettable experience. The following paragraphs provide a few suggestions to make the transition to living in Bergen a lot easier and pleasant.

The easiest way to travel to Bergen from abroad is by plane. Bergen has an international airport with direct connection from Copenhagen (1h20min), Amsterdam (1h30min), London (1h10min) and other important European hubs. KLM and SAS are the most commonly used airlines to fly to Bergen. For additional options see http://www.visitnorway.com

Visitors from outside the Schengen area might need a visa to enter Norway. For details see http://www.visitnorway.com/MWTemplates/QWArticle.aspx?id=176007

The Bergen airport is about a 20 minutes drive from the city centre. The simplest way to reach the city centre is via the “Flybussen”. The Flybussen departs from the airport every 15 minutes (bus stop is just in front of the arrivals). If in doubt, do not hesitate to ask someone on the street: Norwegians are very kind people and most of them speak are fluent in English.

Bergen offers a variety of accommodations, from on-campus housing, to hotels and rental apartments. On-campus housing is the cheapest and more efficient solution for participants who do not mind living in a students’ environment. Fantoft Studentby is often the first choice of our participants, offering simple accommodation, affordable prices, and a good connection with the city centre. Fantoft is also well connected to the airport: every other Flybussen from the airport stops at about 200m from the main building. For more information about Fantoft, visit http://www.sib.uib.no/english/accommodation/international-students/fantoft

The University of Bergen can facilitate your booking at Fantoft. For information on how to book, please contact ao@millennium-institute.org. For other accommodation options please visit http://www.bergen-guide.com/hotels.asp

Bergen offers a variety of international cuisine to satisfy every appetite.  You will find many restaurants offering Indian, American, Italian, African, and Chinese food. For a comprehensive list of restaurants, visit http://www.bergen-guide.com/restaurants.asp

For those who prefer to cook, the city has a variety of groceries shops and supermarkets where you can find all you needed to prepare a special meal, either typical Norwegian, or typical from your country.

Spring is time of change in Norway. Days become rapidly longer, snows melts, and nature blooms. The weather in this season is also rapidly changing and unpredictable. Temperatures vary from 15 degrees Celsius to even less than zero during the night. Luckily, there are plenty of bars where one can have a hot chocolate to keep you warm. Anyway, do not forget to bring warm and waterproof clothing, and a good umbrella. For the current weather conditions, visit: http://met.no/english/index.html 

The University of Bergen is a young, modern university. Most of its premises are concentrated in the heart of the city of Bergen. There are about 16,000 students enrolled, and 2,500 faculty and staff. The University's academic landscape is characterized by its great variety and breadth. Seven faculties cover most of the traditional university disciplines. Within the faculties are 90 different specialized departments, centers and institutes. Despite the rather large area on which UiB buildings are located, after a couple of days in the city, you will find it easy to orientate. For additional information visit http://www.uib.no/info/english/

The city of Bergen offers an excellent public transportation service. Buses cover all the main traffic arteries and they run very frequently. If you live in the city center, you will not need public transportation to reach UiB, or to do your daily shopping and enjoy the nightlife – everything can be found within a 10-15 minutes walking distance.  If you live in Fantoft, you will need a bus to reach the city centre and UiB. The bus ride is under 15 minutes, and costs about USD 2. Bus fares are discounted for students. For more information see http://eng.tide.no/

The official currency in Norway is the Norwegian Kroner. As of February 28, 2008, one United States Dollar exchanged for 5.22 Kroner, and one Euro for 7.85 Kroner. For most current exchange rates, see www.oanda.com