VS-Games 2013, the fifth outing of the International Conference on Games and Virtual Worlds for Serious Applications will be hosted at Bournemouth University, UK. The institution became a University in 1992 and currently has approximately 17,000 students. With a very rich tradition in creative industry education, Bournemouth University houses for over two decades now the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA), the UK’s leading centre for computer animation education and research boasting from a recent Queen’s Anniversary Prize to many high profile graduates in this area.
VS Games 2013 will take place at Kimmeridge House on the main Talbot campus, this is a building which was completed in 2011 and uses state of the art audiovisual technology in order to provide not only a high quality student experience when used as lecture theater but also ideal conference facilities for conferences such as this one.
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Bournemouth itself is situated in Dorset, in the south west of England and is a coastal town approximately 2 hours away from London (via train). It is a very popular domestic touristic resort, particularly during the summer months, because of the many beaches and also impressive surrounding locations such as the New Forest. Being a holiday destination there are many hotels, particularly in the centre of the town and near the seafront. Bournemouth also has an airport which carries out international flights (plus there is also a nearby one at the city of Southampton).
Travelling to Bournemouth
As a seaside resort, Bournemouth is well connected to the rest of the UK with regular trains to London and the north of the UK, coaches to all major airports and destinations in the UK. Bournemouth is served by four international airports: London Heathrow (LHR), London Gatwick (LGW), Southampton (SOU) and Bournemouth (BOH).
Arriving by air
Heathrow Airport (LHR)
London Heathrow, south west of London, is the UK's largest airport and a major international hub, with flights connecting to most of the world. The easiest way to travel to Bournemouth from Heathrow is to use the regular National Express coaches (http://www.nationalexpress.com) that operate a direct service to Bournemouth and Poole (if you intend to pre-book your coach, you should leave at least 60 minutes between the scheduled landing and the departure of the coach), running every 90 minutes from 6AM to 10PM. Coaches from Heathrow take about 2 hours to reach Bournemouth. Coaches will arrive at Bournemouth Travel Interchange, which includes Bournemouth train station and links to public transport by bus or taxi. If you prefer to travel by train you need to take the Heathrow Express (http://www.heathrowexpress.com) to Central London (Paddington Station) and change to the tube (London Underground) to get to Waterloo Station, which serves as the rail hub for trains to the South West of England.
Gatwick Airport (LGW)
London Gatwick, south of London, is the UK's second largest airport and an international hub, with flights connecting to most of the world. The easiest way to travel to Bournemouth from Gatwick is to use the regular National Express coaches (http://www.nationalexpress.com) that operate a direct service to Bournemouth and Poole (if you intend to pre-book your coach, you should leave at least 60 minutes between the scheduled landing and the departure of the coach), running every 2 hours from 6AM to 10PM. Coaches from Gatwick take about 3 1/2 hours to reach Bournemouth. Coaches will arrive at Bournemouth Travel Interchange, which includes Bournemouth train station and links to public transport by bus or taxi. If you prefer to travel by train you need to take the Gatwick Express (http://www.gatwickexpress.com) to Central London (Victoria Station) and change to the tube (London Underground) to get to Waterloo Station, which serves as the rail hub for trains to the South West of England.
Southampton Airport (SOU)
Southampton International Airport is located about 32 miles (ca. 50 km) East of Bournemouth and connects to several European and domestic destinations. The airport connects to the main train line from London and the North of England, which means that there are direct connections to Bournemouth several times per hour from morning to evening (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk). Trains take about 30-40 minutes to travel to Bournemouth and will arrive at Bournemouth Travel Interchange, which includes Bournemouth coach station and links to public transport by bus or taxi.
Bournemouth Airport (BOH)
Bournemouth Airport is a local airport served mainly by low-cost airlines. There are several European destinations, some of which are seasonal and may not be available at the time of the conference. There is a direct shuttle bus that takes about 15 minutes to reach Bournemouth Travel Interchange, which includes Bournemouth train station and links to public transport by bus or taxi.
Arriving by train
Bournemouth train station is served by regular trains (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk) from Central London (Waterloo Station) and several cities in the North of the UK. Trains from London take about 90 minutes to reach Bournemouth. Bournemouth train station is part of Bournemouth Travel Interchange, which includes Bournemouth coach station and links to public transport by bus or taxi.
If you plan to travel to the UK by Eurostar trains (http://www.eurostar.com), these will terminate in Central London (St. Pancreas International) where you will have to change to the tube (London Underground) to get to Waterloo Station, which serves as the rail hub for trains to the South West of England.
Arriving by coach
Bournemouth Travel Interchange, which includes Bournemouth train station and links to public transport by bus or taxi, is served by coaches from all over the UK (http://www.nationalexpress.com and http://uk.megabus.com). There are direct coaches to London airports and to Central London (Victoria Coach Station). Coaches from London take about 2 1/2 hours to reach Bournemouth.
