4th International Conference on
Natural Products Utilization



From Plants to Pharmacy Shelf


29 May - 01 June 2019
Albena resort, Bulgaria


REGISTER

Useful Info

GETTING THERE
By plane
Albena's closest airport is the International Airport of Varna (http://www.varna-airport.bg) which welcomes around 1.5 million visitors every year, many of whom are traveling from the main European airports. Varna’s international airport, located 40 km away from Albena itself, is a busy place with scheduled and charter flights from Europe (mainly Vienna and Istanbul), as well as regular flights to and from Sofia.
 
Burgas Airport (https://burgas-airport.bg/) is an International Airport which is located in 150 km from Albena resort (2h 30 min by car).
 
Bucharest Airport (http://www.bucharestairports.ro/en) is an International Airport which is located in Romania, in 320 km from Albena resort (3h 40 min by car).

By car
Albena is right on the Black sea coast of Bulgaria, which is neighbored by the countries of Romania to the North, Greece to the South and Macedonia and Serbia to the West. This means that one could travel from any of these countries into Bulgaria.
GPS coordinates of Paradise Blue Hotel: 43.368090211608570, 28.082706928253174
 
By bus
Albena Resort could be reached also by bus to Varna (from Sofia or Bucharest), where one can order an individual transfer or a taxi to Albena. 
 
ORGANIZED TRANSFERS

The conference secretariat will organize transfers on a shuttle basis from Varna Airport to the conference hotels and back. Please kindly keep in mind that due to the distance, pre-booked transfers may incur a waiting time at the airport. Places in shuttles will be limited to the number of requested transfers. On spot requests might, unfortunately, not be served.
 
In case you would like an individual transfer without any waiting time at the airport, please kindly request this service at mira@cmebg.com.
 
Schedule of transfers:
Varna Airport – Albena Resort (conference hotels only)
Monday, 27 May – upon request
Tuesday, 28 May at 04:00, 11:00, 14:30, 16:30, 19:00 and 22:00
Wednesday, 29 May at 04:00 and 14:30
A CME representative will wait at the Arrivals Area of Varna Airport 30 minutes in advance to meet you and guide you to the transport vehicle.

In case your arrival time does not match any of the offered shuttles, kindly get in touch with Mrs. Mira Bonova @ mira@cmebg.com for further arrangements.
 
We would like to kindly remind you that the check-in time is 14:00 at the day of arrival. In case of early check-in, we would kindly request you to pre-book your room.
 
Albena Resort (conference hotels only) - Varna Airport
Saturday, 1 June at 00:50, 07:30, 10:30 and 19:30
Sunday, 2 June at 06:30, 10:30 and 15:30
Monday, 3 June – upon request
 
Cost per person in one direction is 12 Euro. Please address your requests to Mrs. Mira Bonova @ mira@cmebg.com and provide arrival time in Varna and flight number at the time of booking. Payment can be done either by credit card or on-site at the Conference Registration Desk in Paradise Blue Hotel.

PASSPORTS & VISAS
Bulgaria has the European Union's Common Visa Policy as a member country accepting European citizens freely. All non-EU citizens are required to have a passport to enter the EU with the appropriate visas. You can find out more about visas at https://www.mfa.bg/en/services-travel/consular-services/travel-bulgaria/visa-bulgaria. If you need an invitation letter, please send a mail to mira@cmebg.com.
 
MONETARY SYSTEM
The national currency is the Bulgarian Lev. Bank notes of the following denominations are in circulation: 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 Levs. 1 Euro = 1,95583 BGN.
There are foreign exchange offices and ATMs around the resort. It’s always prudent to carry a little cash, however, in case you can’t find an ATM or bank office nearby. You can always change cash at the hotel, though the commission will be high.
Make sure you have enough of the national currency when you plan to visit local markets and shops.
 
TIPPING                                                        
When a gratuity is not included in your bill, which is usually the case, 10% is customary. If service is outstanding, you could go as high as 15%. With taxi drivers, you usually just round up the sum if you have been happy with the ride or for the sake of convenience.
 
CLIMATE
The climate in Bulgaria is moderate continental with beautiful blooming spring, dry and hot summer, long and pleasant autumn, and mild winter with lots of opportunity for skiing.
In late May the average temperature is 25 ºC, which is very pleasant both for work and leisure.
 
TIME                          
Summer time: GMT + 3 hrs. (April through October)

ELECTRICITY   
220 Volts, 50 Hz
Bulgaria uses CEE 7/4 (German "Schuko") power plugs and sockets