HEPiX 2009 Spring - Getting around in Umeå

An alternative is to call for a Taxi, which are more expensive than buses. Taxis also accept credit cards.

If the weather is good, walking is also an option. From the hotels in the city center to the university where the Hepix meeting is taking place it takes 20-30 minutes, depending on how fast you walk.

The Swedish part of the website has a page of links to individual time schedules and an overview map ("Linjekarta") here. This also has "Biljetter & Priser" which is the prices for the city buses. Of interest is 22 SEK for a single trip or 17 SEK per trip on a multi-trip card.

Update: The local buses in Umeå are planning to stop accepting cash on the buses as of June 1st. This does not directly apply to the Hepix week, but if you are staying a bit longer, do consider getting a multi-trip card. You will also likely be "reminded" by bus drivers when paying cash that this will not be possible as of the following week. A positive side effect of this is that they are running a drive where the 25 SEK deposit on multi-trip cards is not needed when buying in kiosks and other sales places not on the bus.

Buses stop at bus stops if there is someone (visibly) there and doesn't appear too disinterested (turning around and walking away from the road when the bus approaches is a sign you don't want to get on that particular bus).

Payment is given to the driver either by cash or bank/credit card when entering, or by bleeping your multi-trip card at the reader next to the driver.

Multi trip cards can also be purchased on the bus or in the "Ultra Information" kiosk/store at Vasaplan and range from 6 to 20 trips in an rfid card that you use by having it close to the reader for a little bit and giving the area a light push. Holding your wallet against the reader usually works well.

Most credit cards are accepted on the buses but some are not, in particular Visa Electron and Maestro cards that require online verification even for small purchases are not accepted on the buses. All common credit and debit cards are accepted in the "Ultra Information" store on Vasaplan though.

To get off the bus, push the "stop" button to make the driver stop at the next bus stop. Most buses automatically open the doors, but on some you need to push a door opening button at the exit when the bus has stopped.

There is free changing between buses within one hour from the first ride starts, just bleep your card again or show the single ticket to the driver when getting on.

The bus to the airport follows the most recent PDF schedule linked on this page (Ultra, 80) and the bus leaving an hour before scheduled departure gives sufficent time at the airport (~30 minutes).

Taxi from the Airport is either pre-booked or (if you're lucky) available at the lane for unbooked Taxis, furthest away from the exit. Taxi to the airport is not a long drive, but needs to be booked (numbers found in the registration material). Expect somewhere around 150 SEK for a trip between the airport and the university possibly slightly more to the hotels.

As an option there is a bus stop called "Järnvägstorget" across a small square where you can catch bus 9 or 69 in the direction "Östra Ersboda" that goes past the University. But these buses only run every 30 minutes, so most of the time it will likely be faster to walk over to Vasaplan (or call a Taxi).

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If the weather is good, here are some nice walks around Umeå.