Internet Engineering Task Force                                W. George
Internet-Draft                                         Time Warner Cable
Intended status: Informational                          January 10, 2012
Expires: July 13, 2012


      IETF meeting attendees' Frequently Asked (travel) Questions
                       draft-george-travel-faq-02

Abstract

   This document attempts to provide a list of the common Frequently
   Asked Questions (FAQs) that IETF meeting attendees often ask
   regarding travel logistics and local information.  It is intended to
   assist those who are willing to provide local information, so that if
   they wish to pre-populate answers to some or all of these questions
   either in the IETF Wiki or a meeting-specific site, they have a
   reasonably complete list of ideas to draw from.  It is not meant as a
   list of required information that the host or secretariat needs to
   provide, merely as a guideline.

Status of this Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF).  Note that other groups may also distribute
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   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on July 13, 2012.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2012 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
   (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
   publication of this document.  Please review these documents
   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect



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   to this document.  Code Components extracted from this document must
   include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
   described in the Simplified BSD License.


Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
   2.  Why is this document necessary?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
   3.  Helpful information  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
     3.1.  Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
       3.1.1.  Transit between the airport and primary hotels . . . .  5
         3.1.1.1.  Taxi information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
         3.1.1.2.  Mass Transit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
       3.1.2.  Getting to and from the conference venue . . . . . . .  6
     3.2.  Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
       3.2.1.  Restaurants  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
       3.2.2.  Other Food items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
     3.3.  International considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
       3.3.1.  Health and Safety  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
         3.3.1.1.  Water availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
       3.3.2.  Money  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
     3.4.  Communications and electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
     3.5.  Weather  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
     3.6.  Fitness  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
     3.7.  Tourism and Souveniers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
   4.  Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
   5.  IANA Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
   6.  Security Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
   7.  Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
   Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11



















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1.  Introduction

   IETF attendees come from all over the world.  The typical IETF
   meeting has representatives from in excess of 50 countries.  As such,
   it is quite likely that a large portion of the participants in any
   given IETF are newcomers to the specific location where it is being
   held, even if an IETF meeting has been held in the same location in
   the past.  It is also possible that this is their first trip to the
   country or region.  As such, they are going to have questions
   regarding their own personal travel needs and logistics that may only
   be answerable by someone who has either been to the area before,
   someone who lives there, and/or someone who speaks the local
   language.

   While the IETF, its secretariat, and any local host organizations
   responsible for the logistics of making IETF meetings happen are not
   travel agencies, there is a set of information that most travelers
   wish to have while they are planning their trip.  This document
   attempts to cover the most commonly asked questions and categories
   for information.  This document is not intended to provide answers to
   these questions for every possible location in which IETF meetings
   may be held.  Rather, it is intended to provide a set of FAQs for use
   by the hosts and others who have experience with the area where the
   event is being held, so that the questions and answers can be handled
   more efficiently than waiting until someone sends an email to the
   XXattendees@ietf.org list in the days leading up to the meeting.


2.  Why is this document necessary?

   In reading this document, one may ask, "why would such a
   technologically advanced and internet-savvy organization need such
   help?  Isn't that why search engines exist?"  And the answer is that
   yes, we can sometimes find what we're looking for with search
   engines, but that results in hundreds of people spending their time
   searching, which is not very efficient.  In addition, despite the
   widely held belief that if it is published on the Internet, it
   therefore must be true, sometimes the information that is available
   is either inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date, so it may well be
   less reliable than firsthand info from someone who has been there.
   Also, no matter how good online translation is getting, some of the
   most informative sites may be difficult for non-native speakers to
   navigate and find information - navigation buttons, graphics, and
   other active content are typically not machine-translatable, and non-
   native speakers may not realize when machine translation is
   inaccurate in a critical way.  Lastly, while the companies which
   serve as hosts for IETF meetings often have participants at IETF, it
   is not always the same folks who are responsible for handling the



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   details of hosting an IETF.  Therefore, this document is intended to
   be something that cam be provided to host event organizers who may
   not have much familiarity with the IETF, so that they have a better
   sense of the information that attendees will find helpful.

   As stated in the introduction, the format of this document was chosen
   so that it captures the Frequently Asked Questions, but usually not
   their answers.  This is because IETF RFCs are typically static and
   infrequently updated, which does not make them a particularly
   suitable format to contain location-specific information.  The
   questions found in this document are a result of informal survey of
   multiple past meeting attendees mailing lists and the feedback of
   many individuals, and are believed to be reasonably static from one
   meeting to the next.  This document is not necessarily all-inclusive,
   but should serve as a reasonable baseline such that a static format
   like an RFC is appropriate.  It is likely that the RFC will need to
   be revised periodically - a clue that this is necessary will be when
   multiple additional questions on the attendees list that are not
   covered by this document start becoming frequently asked questions
   over the course of multiple meetings.

   The answers to this document's questions are expected to be stored in
   a location which is more easily updated by multiple parties, so that
   site-specific information can be refined and updated as often as
   necessary, thereby creating a living document.  There are several
   options as to where to store the location-specific living document.
   For some past IETF meetings, the hosting organization has set up a
   special website, usually containing "IETF" and the number of the
   meeting (e.g. ietf75.se [STOCKHOLM], ietf71.comcast.net [PHILLY],
   etc).  This has been a source of much additional information about
   the location, and is always quite helpful.  If the host decides to
   set up a site like this, the hope is that this document will provide
   guidance as to the sorts of information with which to populate such a
   site.  However, it is by no means a requirement that the host set up
   an external website.  Further, not every IETF meeting has a local
   host, or even a host at all.  In these cases, the need for the same
   set of information is not lessened, but the IETF will be more reliant
   on the willingness of those with experience in the area where the
   meeting will be held to share the benefit of that experience with
   others.  The IETF has provided a hosted Wiki [WIKI] which can simply
   be populated with the same sorts of information.  This has the added
   benefit of having a single location where additional information can
   be provided by experienced travelers, locals, and host
   representatives alike, and is therefore not completely reliant on the
   host.  In the case where the IETF-hosted Wiki is to be used, this
   document may serve as a framework of categories that could be pre-
   built when the site-specific page is set up, so that others can begin
   populating the information.



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3.  Helpful information

   There are a number of general categories of information listed below.
   Some of it is necessary for travel, the rest can be considered nice-
   to-have at best.  All of it has come from actual frequently asked
   questions from the attendees mailing lists.

   Much of the needed information may already be available in another
   form online.  There is no need to reproduce information that can be
   found on external websites, so simply providing pointers to
   information already available in other locations is quite
   appropriate.  However, it is very helpful if some validation and
   vetting of the provided information is performed in order to avoid
   outdated or inaccurate information.  Additionally, because this is a
   static and location-agnostic document, it's quite likely that some
   questions are either irrelevant or confusing for some locations.
   Therefore, "not really relevant here" and "we don't know" may be
   valid answers to some of these questions.  In those cases, it's
   better to say this explicitly than to simply omit the section, as
   this will confirm that the information was not simply omitted.  The
   main thing to remember when providing information in these categories
   is that those traveling to the event have not been there before, and
   so one should not assume a high level of background knowledge about
   the area, its customs, etc.

3.1.  Travel

   o  Recommended airport(s) for domestic and international connections
      - include the appropriate IATA Airport code(s) whenever possible
      to avoid confusion.

3.1.1.  Transit between the airport and primary hotels

   Information in this section is especially critical if the airport is
   significantly distant from the venue or use of a taxi is otherwise
   impractical or not recommended (e.g. if attendees must use a train or
   long-distance bus to get to the venue locale from the airport)

   o  estimated travel time

   o  Shuttles (if applicable)

   o  Arranging transit directly with the hotel (if applicable) - hotels
      sometimes provide car service or are willing to pay taxi bills
      upon your arrival so that the charges can be added to the hotel
      bill instead of requiring local currency.  It is helpful to know
      in advance if this is common or uncommon in the local area.




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3.1.1.1.  Taxi information

   o  credit cards accepted (yes/no and which ones, if yes)

   o  Foreign currency accepted?

   o  Estimated costs for Taxis

   o  description of "official" taxis if appropriate

   o  Links to websites or phone numbers for remote/pre-booking Taxis

   o  printable local-language address card to show taxi driver in case
      of language barrier

   o  Ride sharing - the IETF Wiki usually has a section where attendees
      can post arrival times and work out Taxi sharing

3.1.1.2.  Mass Transit

   navigating an unfamiliar mass transit system can be challenging.
   Things that seem obvious to the locals may not be as obvious to out-
   of-town travelers.

   o  English map

   o  How and where to purchase farecards/tokens

   o  How to use tickets/tokens (where to insert them, get them stamped,
      how to transfer, etc)

   o  how trains/buses are labeled and how to identify the destination
      of a particular train/bus

   o  nearby stations

3.1.2.  Getting to and from the conference venue

   The same info relevant for airport transit will likely be relevant
   here.

   Additional items:

   o  Parking availability and costs for those driving to the venue or
      hotel

   o  Walking directions if the venue is not co-located with the hotel




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3.2.  Food

   The nature of IETF's schedule means that food and drink provide both
   a welcome break as well as a venue to continue discussions with
   colleagues, either related to IETF work, other shop talk, or
   "anything but shop talk."  During IETF's lunch break, somewhere
   approaching 1000 people are simultaneously looking for reasonably
   priced lunch options, with timeframes ranging from "grab and go" for
   a working lunch to 75 minutes for a sit-down meal.  When meetings are
   done for the day, because of the wide variety of attendees, people
   are looking for all types of food, all price ranges, and atmosphere
   ranging for someplace suitable for an in-depth conversation to "table
   at the bar."  The more information is available about the food and
   drink options nearby, the better.

3.2.1.  Restaurants

   It's generally helpful to note whether restaurants require/recommend
   reservations, if they have busy/rush times that should be avoided or
   planned for, etc.

   It's helpful for Restaurants to be categorized by:

   o  price

   o  proximity to venue - It's useful to highlight quick options for
      lunch breaks.

   o  type of cuisine - This is a great place to highlight local
      specialties and favorites.

   o  special dietary needs

      *  Vegan/Vegetarian

      *  Halal/Kosher

      *  methods for communicating this to restaurant staff when
         ordering

      *  a more in-depth discussion of this can be found in
         [I-D.barnes-healthy-food]

3.2.2.  Other Food items

   o  Local grocery/convenience stores - for attendees who cannot find
      restaurant options which meet their dietary needs




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   o  Coffee shops and Tea Houses nearby - specifically, where can we
      find the best espresso/cup of tea?

   o  Bars/pubs nearby

   o  restaurants/pubs with private rooms or large seating areas for big
      groups

3.3.  International considerations

   o  Plug type/voltage - this can simply be a reference to
      electricaloutlet.org [PLUGS] unless there are specific exceptions
      or details that need to be highlighted

   o  Visa requirements, pointers regarding travel documents

   o  Languages commonly spoken

3.3.1.  Health and Safety

   o  phone numbers to access local emergency services (e.g. 911, 999,
      etc)

   o  areas of high crime to avoid

   o  common local scams

   o  hostile flora and fauna and how to identify/avoid

   o  smoking rules

      *  are most bars/restaurants smoking or non-smoking?  Separate
         smoking section?

      *  Rules on smoking in public places?

      *  Rules on smoking outdoors?

3.3.1.1.  Water availability

   o  is local tap water potable/drinkable (if not, is it truly unsafe
      because of impurities or contamination or does it simply taste bad
      by local standards?)

   o  How does one differentiate between tap water and bottled in a
      restaurant when ordering?





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   o  are water fountains/bubblers or watter bottle refill taps commonly
      available in public places?

3.3.2.  Money

   o  General credit card acceptance in common locations, including any
      restrictions (requires a PIN or chip, no AMEX, etc)

   o  ATM locations near the venue, at the airport - note whether these
      accept foreign cards, which systems they participate in, whether
      they have an English language option

   o  Tipping customs, particularly for Taxis, restaurants, and hotel
      staff

   o  Currency conversion rate - a reference to a currency converter
      site, e.g.  Yahoo!  [CURRENCY] will suffice unless there are
      specific conversion details that one believes to be relevant

   o  Where foreign currency is accepted either for purchase or for
      exchange, note whether this is recommended or not due to favorable
      or unfavorable exchange rates, etc.

3.4.  Communications and electronics

   o  Places to purchase local SIMs, and types of mobile voice/data
      service supported, (e.g.  GSM, LTE, UMTS, CDMA, etc)

   o  places to get replacement electronics and accessories (e.g. power
      cords, adaptors, batteries, etc)

   o  Public Wi-Fi access (outside of hotel and venue) including Wi-Fi
      availability in the recommended airports, mass transit, etc.

3.5.  Weather

   o  link to a site or brief info on temperature and humidity norms for
      the time of year when the meeting will be held, e.g Weather
      Underground [WEATHER]

   o  If this is an area know for extreme weather, note any amenities to
      make travel easier, such as enclosed walkways or indoor passages
      between buildings

   o  this also refers to indoor weather: what is the common indoor
      temperature?





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3.6.  Fitness

   o  Soccer: If the weather cooperates, it is common for some IETFers
      to try to hold a "soccer BoF" - a pick-up soccer game sometime
      during the week of IETF.  If you know of a field appropriate for
      soccer in proximity to the venue, this is useful information to
      have.

   o  Running/walking paths or routes - some folks prefer this method
      for exercise over using a treadmill

3.7.  Tourism and Souveniers

   While this is certainly not necessary information for the primary
   goal of an IETF attendee, many attendees earmark a day or two on
   either side of the conference for sightseeing, and this is an
   opportunity to highlight local attractions.  Links to sites
   containing information about walking tours, local tourist attractions
   and the like are certainly appreciated.

   Additionally, many attendees choose to purchase souvenirs as gifts or
   for personal use.  In addition to the standard "tourist-trap" items
   such as t-shirts and knick-knacks, many attendees are looking for
   items that are locally crafted, local specialties, or otherwise
   significant to the local area and culture.  This is another area
   where the local area can be highlighted in the information provided
   to attendees.


4.  Acknowledgements

   Thanks to the following folks (and probably others the author has
   unintentionally forgotten) for their valuable feedback.

   Dave Crocker, Simon Perreault, Joe Touch, Lee Howard, Jonathan
   Lennox, Tony Hansen, Vishnu Ram, Paul Kyzivat, Karen Seo, Randy Bush,
   Mary Barnes, John Klensin.


5.  IANA Considerations

   This memo includes no request to IANA.


6.  Security Considerations

   This document is not a protocol specification and therefore contains
   no protocol security considerations.  However, some of the above



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   items refer to the physical security of IETF participants and their
   property.  This document is not intended to be a comprehensive
   discussion of physical security matters for IETF attendees.


7.  Informative References

   [CURRENCY]
              Yahoo!, "Yahoo! Currency Converter", 2011,
              <http://finance.yahoo.com/currency-converter/>.

   [I-D.barnes-healthy-food]
              Barnes, M., "Healthy Food and Special Dietary Requirements
              for IETF meetings", draft-barnes-healthy-food-04 (work in
              progress), October 2011.

   [PHILLY]   Comcast, "IETF 71 Philadelphia microsite", 2008,
              <http://ietf71.comcast.net>.

   [PLUGS]    electricaloutlet.org, "Reference site for plug types by
              location", 2011, <http://electricaloutlet.org/>.

   [STOCKHOLM]
              .se, "Internet Wayback Machine version of ietf75.se",
              2009, <http://web.archive.org/web/20100812231105/http://
              www.ietf75.se/>.

   [WEATHER]  Weather Underground, "Weather Underground", 2011,
              <http://http://www.wunderground.com/>.

   [WIKI]     IETF, "IETF hosted meeting-specific Wiki pages", 2011, <ht
              tp://www.ietf.org/registration/MeetingWiki/wiki/doku.php>.


Author's Address

   Wesley George
   Time Warner Cable
   13820 Sunrise Valley Drive
   Herndon, VA  20171
   US

   Phone: +1 703-561-2540
   Email: wesley.george@twcable.com







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