Local Information

DISC 2023 will be held in L’Aquila, Italy, at Gran Sasso Science Institute. The conference will be held on October 9-13, 2023. 

How to reach L’Aquila

The best way to reach L’Aquila is to go to Rome (where there are 2 international airports, Fiumicino and Ciampino), and then take a bus from Rome to L’Aquila (more info about this below).

Another option is to take a flight to Pescara, and then take a bus (https://tua.mycicero.it/TPWebPortal/en) from Pescara to L’Aquila.

Reaching Rome by Train

There are two train companies that you can use to reach Rome by train: Trenitalia (https://www.trenitalia.com/) and Italo (https://www.italotreno.it/). Please note the following:

  • A ticket is valid for a specific train: one cannot take another train of the same company with the same ticket, since seat reservation is mandatory. If you miss a train, you need to go to the ticket office and reschedule your train.
  • A reschedule is not possible if the reason for missing the train is a delayed train of a different company.

Reaching L’Aquila from Rome

Reaching L’Aquila by train is not recommended, since it takes a very long time and you have to change trains several times.

We will organize a shuttle from Rome to L’Aquila, and we will ask more information about this in the registration form. The shuttle will be available on the day in which the majority of the participants will travel.

If you do not want to wait for the organized shuttle, there are several buses that go from Rome (either from the airports, or from the Tiburtina railway station) to L’Aquila. We suggest to buy tickets in advance (though, some companies may not sell tickets too much in advance). Since the last bus of the day is quite early, in order to avoid being stuck in Rome for the night, please check the bus schedules before booking your plane.

From Rome Fiumicino (Airport) or Rome Ciampino (Airport) or Rome Tiburtina (Railway Station) to L’Aquila (Hotel Amiternum)

There are two bus companies that serve the route Fiumicino – Ciampino – Tiburtina – L’Aquila (Hotel Amiternum):

How to reach the bus:

  • In Fiumicino, they both depart from Terminal 3, just outside of the Arrivals (note that there are two floors in Rome Fiumicino, and the arrivals are on the floor below).
  • In Ciampino, they both depart from just outside the airport (it is a small airport).
  • In Rome Tiburtina railway station, one has to reach the Tiburtina bus station (Autostazione Tibus). It is about 300m far from Tiburtina railway station.

These buses stop in L’Aquila at Hotel Amiternum. Please note that, sometimes, the buses of Flixbus have a livery that is entirely unrelated to Flixbus, and may have a destination written on it that is not L’Aquila (you may find written, e.g., that the bus goes to Ancona), so please check the bus number and its direction on your ticket.

From Hotel Amiternum to the city center

The best way to reach GSSI (or the city center) from the Hotel Amiternum, is to get a taxi cab. Taxi cabs are normally available at the Hotel Amiternum. You can also call the company Radio-Taxi (+39)086225165 (other info at http://www.radiotaxilaquila.it). This service is available every day from 07:00 to 00:30, additionally you can book a run after 00:30 if you call before 19:00. It costs roughly 10 euro. If you want to pay the taxy by credit card, please ask the driver in advance whether this is possible.

From Rome Tiburtina to L’Aquila (Collemaggio)

Anothe option to reach L’Aquila is with the bus TUA (https://tua.mycicero.it/TPWebPortal/en). If you happen to be in Rome Tiburtina, this is the best option, since it reaches Collemaggio (instead of Hotel Amiternum), and from Collemaggio you can reach the city center by walking about 10 minutes.

Additional Options

If you really want to reach Collemaggio instead of Hotel Amiternum, you can reach Rome Tiburtina from Rome Fiumicino by using Rome local transportation (it takes roughly 50 minutes by using train + metro).

Hotels

The DISC venue is within walking distance from any hotel or B&B in the city center of L’Aquila.

Visa Support Letter

If you need a visa support letter please write to alkida.balliu@gssi.it from an institutional email, well in advance, indicating:

  • Given name
  • Surname
  • Passport origin
  • Date of birth
  • Passport number
  • Occupation
  • Title of an accepted paper at DISC you are a coauthor of, if any