Pre-Arrival

Location of the Physics/Astronomy Building
The Physics/Astronomy building is located on the North-East corner of the intersection of 15th Ave NE and NE Pacific Street. The physical address of the building is 3910 15th Ave NE  Seattle, WA 98195-1560. The Physics main office is located in C-121.

The Physics/Astronomy Building is marked on this campus map (www)
More maps of the UW campus can be found here (www)

Visitors from Outside the U.S.
Information about US Visas and Visa-related issues is available at the
UW International Students and Scholars web page (www)

Airline Reservations
The University has access to special contract rates with multiple air carriers covering most common routes to and from Seattle. These contract fares are sometimes preferable to fares found through airlines or through travel websites.
2010-2012 State Contract Airfares (effective 4/1/10-3/31/12)

Lodging

The University Inn
Many visitors to the Physics Department stay at the University Inn (www) located at 4140 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105. The Inn is within easy walking distance of the Physics/Astronomy Building and includes a complimentary breakfast and wireless internet. The phone number of the inn is (206) 632-5055 or 1-800-733-3855. Check in is at 3 PM and check out is at noon.

Other Hotels
The UW Mathematics department has a good list of hotels near the University (www) (including the University Inn) along with room rates, distances from the University, and driving directions. Please note that the distances given are to the Mathematics department in Padelford hall, not to the Physics department in the Physics/Astronomy Building.

The UW Astronomy department also has a list and map of hotels (www) near the University.

The Institute for Nuclear Theory has an extensive list of check in and check out times (www).

The Applied Physics Lab has provided driving directions to three hotels (www) near the University from I-5.

UW Dormitories
UW dormitories are available to visitors during the summer quarter only. Additional information on campus dormitories is available on request.

Transportation from Sea-Tac Airport to the UW
Sea-Tac International Airport is located about 20 miles from the University. Driving from the airport to the University or vice-versa usually takes less than a half hour.

Taxi
A taxi ride from the airport to the University usually costs approximately $50.

Bus
You can take the Metro Transit (www) buses 174 or 194 to downtown Seattle, then transfer to a bus to the University district. The fare is $2 to $2.50 during rush hours. Please refer to the bus section under Transporation Options for more information on riding the Metro Transit in Seattle.

Shuttle
Shuttle Express (www) provides 24-hour door-to-door van service to and from the airport. Courtesy phones are available at Sea-Tac airport for Shuttle Express. For reservations call (206) 622-1424 or 1-800-487 RIDE. The cost is $37 per person plus $8 for every additional passenger. Cash, Travel's checks, and major credit cards are accepted. To ensure shuttle availability, it is strongly advised that you make your reservation from the airport to the University and from the University to the airport before your trip.

Other Transportation
Rental cars and limousines are also available at Sea-Tac airport (Limousines charge about as much as a taxi to the University District). For further information on airport services and airport operating conditions, please call the Airport information line at (206) 431-4444 and/or visit the Sea-Tac website (www).

Driving Directions from Sea-Tac Airport to the UW

• Exit the airport and follow the signs to the I-5 freeway
• Head North on I-5
• After passing through downtown Seattle and crossing the Ship Canal on a high bridge, take the exit marked NE 45th Street/NE 50th Street (Exit 169)
• Turn right (East) on NE 45th Street
• After 8 blocks, you will be at 15th Avenue NE and at the boundary of the UW campus
• Turn right (South) onto 15th Ave
• At the intersection with 40th St NE turn left into the west gate (Gate 5)
• Daily permits for parking on campus cost $15 and will be issued at the gate. They will tell you the best place to park for the Physics Astronomy Building

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During Your Stay

On Arrival
Please see your host. If you do not know where your host is located, please come to the Physics front office in room C-121 and the staff will direct you.

Computer Access
Your host can provide you with a guest id and password to use the desktop computer in your assigned office or provide you with a guest wireless network account. If you have a laptop which requires a wired connection, please do not unplug the network connection of the desktop computer (or shut it down). Ask to use one of the department's network hubs instead.

Phones
For UW numbers, just dial the last 5 digits of the phone number. For local calls, dial 9 + area code + number. For long distance use, please see your host for an authorization code. For faxes, please check with your host regarding the number to use. When having a fax sent to you, please ask the sender to specify who the fax is for (i.e. by writing "ATTN: Your Name" at the top of the first page)

Phone numbers of major campus services (www)

Video Projectors
Please let your host know in advance if you need a video projector for your presentation

Expense Reimbursement
If your expenses are being reimbursed by the University of Washington, you will be asked to sign a Travel Expense Voucher (TEV) form when you arrive. Please save all receipts for expenses over $50 and give those receipts to your host.

Foreign visitors: If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, we must also make a copy of your passport and the I-94 form attached to your passport! Without this we cannot reimburse you. Additionally, if you have a J-1 Visa we will need a copy of the DS2019 and a permission letter from your sponsoring institution authorizing money to be released to you.  If you have a F-1 Visa you need to turn in an I-20 form.

Please contac the Fiscal Specialist with any questions.

Libraries
The Physics/Astronomy Building has a library devoted to the topics of Physics and Astronomy located on the 6th floor of the C-wing tower.
Physics/Astronomy Library website (www)

The University of Washington Library system ranks among the top research libraries in North America. For information about the other libraries on campus, please see the UW Libraries homepage (www).

Dining Options
The University and the University district have many inexpensive and moderately priced restaurants. The Simpson Center for the Humanities has a good list of dining options (www) on and around the University. The UW Math department also has a good list of places to eat around the University (www), including many restaurants on University Way (also know as "the Ave")

Transportation Options
Bus
The King County Metro Transit (www) operates more than 200 bus routes in Seattle and provides an excellent way to get around without a car.Buses on routes 74 and 355 stop right in front of the University Inn and run to/from downtown Seattle.

Fares are $2 to $2.50 during rush hours. Some bus routes will also take you through the UW campus. Please be aware that the driver does not carry any change onboard, therefore you must pay with exact change. If you need to tranfer buses, ask for a free transfer ticket. This transfer ticket, good for 90 minutes, will allow you to ride another bus in the same zone for free.

Car
If you rent a car (or bring your own) please refer to UW Parking Services (www) for parking permits and information.

For Puget Sound (Seattle and the surrounding area) traffic conditions, please refer to the Washington Department of Transportation website for traffic conditions (www).

For Driving Maps of Seattle, please see the Visit Seattle webpage (www)

Local Culture and Entertainment
On Campus
The University of Washington has an abundance of arts and entertainment- from museums and exhibits to sports and recreation. The Institute for Nuclear Theory has an extensive list of things to do on campus (www).

Off Campus
Seattle has a rich culture and you will find no shortage of entertainment and activities to explore during your stay. The UW Computer Science and Engineering Department has a thorough and extensive list of activites to do in Seattle (www).

Lists of entertainment and activities can also be found on the UW Particle Theory Research Group's website (www) and the UW Astronomy Department's website (www)

Weather

Please see UW Atmospheric Sciences (www) or The Weather Channel (www) for current Seattle weather and forecasts.

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Departure

Keys
If you have borrowed keys from the department, please do not forget to leave them with the department! Either lock them in the office provided to you or give them to your host.

Getting to Sea-Tac Airport
Shuttle
You may call the Shuttle Express (www) at 206-622-1424. It is strongly advised that you make a reservation with the shuttle before your trip.

Taxi/Private Car
You many call Puget Sound Dispatch at 206-622-6500, Farwest Taxi at
(206) 622-1717, or Orange Cab at 206-522-8800 for a taxi. You may call Seattle Town Car Service at 206-444-5400 for a private car.

Upon Return Home
If the University of Washington is reimbursing you for your expenses, please fax receipts for expenses over $50 to the fax number provided by your host. if you host did not provide you with a fax number, please fax the receipts to the main Physics Department fax line at (206) 685-0635. Make sure to write ATTN: Travel along with your name and the name of the conference on the fax! Processing of reimbursement checks typically takes 3-4 weeks.

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Other Useful Links and Information

The University of Washington Visitor's Information Center (www)

University of Washington Travel Information (www)

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