Accommodation & Transportation

CSF 2013 will be held at Tulane University, in New Orleans, Louisiana. See the registration page for information on how to register for CSF 2013 and co-located events.

This page contains information on Accommodation and Transportation.

Note that CSF has some student travel scholarships available, to help cover costs of travel. More information here. Deadline for applications is Friday May 31st.

Accommodation

Housing for participants at the MPS-LICS-CSF conferences is available at the conference hotel, or at dorm rooms on the Tulane campus. Here is the information about how to make arrangements for each of these options:

• Hotel rooms: The conference hotel is the Astor Crowne Plaza, 739 Canal St., New Orleans. The Astor is located on the corner of Canal St. and Bourbon St., at the edge of the French Quarter. Conference participants can obtain rooms at the Astor at the discounted rate of $119/night plus 13% tax, but this rate is available only for reservations made by May 20. Reservations made after that date will revert to the hotel's book rate, which is substantially higher. (Suites are also available, for $275/night + tax.)

  • Online reservation: Please use this link to make an reservation online. To obtain the group rate be sure to use the group code IEE when making your online reservation.
  • Phone reservation: Call the Astor Crowne Plaza hotel at +1 888-696-4806 and ask for the IEE group rate. Phone access is available from 8am until 8pm daily, and 8am to 4pm on weekends, Central Daylight Time.

  You must make every effort to inform the Hotel in advance of any changes to your planned length of stay.

• Dorm rooms: A limited number of dorm rooms are available on the Tulane campus during the conferences. The room rate is:

  • Single occupancy (includes linens): $42 per night.
  • Double occupancy (includes linens): $34 per night.
  You can make a reservation by sending an email to Turn on JavaScript to view the email address . You should include your name, your arrival and departure dates, and whether you want a single or double room. If you request a double room, also include the name of the person with whom you will be sharing the room. Be sure to include your email address and a phone number where you can be reached. You will then be contacted by the Housing Office to complete the registration process and for billing information. The Housing Office also will provide you with information about check-in.

Transportation

To New Orleans

The closest airport to the conference is the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (airport code: MSY). It is served by several major carriers, including AirTran, American, Delta, Continental, JetBlue, Northwest, Southwest, US Airways, and United.

Airport shuttle: The Airport Shuttle service charges $20 each way from Louis Armstrong International Airport to either the Astor Crowne Plaza hotel or Tulane University. A round trip is $38. You can purchase tickets in advance by visiting the Airport Shuttle website or upon arrival at the baggage claim area. The Airport Shuttle van stops at the Tulane Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life.

Taxi cab: A cab ride to and from the airport is $33 for 1 to 2 people, and $14 per person for 3 or more people.

Other options: Information about additional transport options from the airport, including public transit, are available on the airport website.

Hotel to/from Conference

We will be running shuttle buses between the hotel and Tulane University. Refer to the Program for the times of the buses.

The St Charles Streetcar Line is one block away from the Astor Crowne Plaza hotel, at the corner of Canal St. and St. Charles Avenue. The streetcar runs right by the university; the trip takes 30-40 minutes. The conference venue is a 10 minute walk from the front of the campus where the streetcar stop is located. However, the St. Charles Streetcar is currently under repair. The streetcar runs between Canal St. and Lee Circle, and from there city buses take passengers along the St. Charles route. The trip takes approximately 30-40 minutes each way, and you have to have correct change to pay for the ride. You can purchase a multi day pass at the hotel, if you're planning to use the streetcar regularly.

You can also take a taxi from the hotel to the campus. The ride should take 20 minutes, and the cost should be about $15. Sharing a cab is a good option if you miss the shuttle bus. If you take a cab, ask the driver to take you to the Freret St. location of the university, which is a 5 minute walk from the conference venue.

We advise against walking from the hotel to the campus or back. The weather is very hot and humid, and New Orleans is not a city where it is safe to wander unaccompanied.

To emphasize the last point, we recommend that participants enjoy the French Quarter that's adjacent to the hotel, as well as other areas of the city, but that you do so in groups. Please be especially cautious visiting cemeteries, and also be careful at night. Traveling in groups is imperative.

Dorms to/from Conference

The university dorms are within a 5 minute walk from all of the venues for conference talks and breaks. There are social events planned at a local restaurant and at the Astor, which would require taking the streetcar or a taxi.