The ISMC – GEWEX SoilWat meeting will take place at:
University of Reading
Building tbd
Whiteknights Campus,
Reading RG6 6UR,
United Kingdom
There are many types of accommodations in different price ranges in Reading City Center and a few in the vicinity of the meeting venue. Please use your own preferred accommodation booking method.
By air from London Heathrow Airport
You can travel directly from Heathrow airport to Reading by using the RailAir coach. This will bring you directly to the bus stop at the central railway station in the center of Reading. To travel to the University campus by bus see below under “ONCE YOU ARRIVE IN READING”. RailAir coaches run frequently throughout the day. For more information, timetables and tickets, please visit the RailAir website.
We recommend you purchase your ticket online ahead of arriving in the UK. The cost of an online 90-day return ticket is £36 (November 2024).
Tickets can also be purchased from the driver on boarding the coach using contactless payment or using the First Bus app.
Directions from the terminal to Heathrow Central Bus Station to board the RailAir bus
RailAir coaches depart from the Heathrow Central Bus Station.
Arriving at Terminal 2 and 3
From flight arrivals:
Make sure you take the RailAir coach and not the National Express coach which does not come to central Reading.
Arriving at Terminal 4
Arriving at Terminal 5
Follow signs for ‘Local Buses’ upon exiting arrivals. The RailAir coaches stop at Stand 9 and you can get a ticket either from the driver or in advance online.
View an interactive map of Heathrow airport.
By air from Gatwick Airport
There is a direct train from Gatwick airport to Reading (Map of Gatwick Airport). It takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. More information including train times can be found on the Gatwick airport website. If you are traveling by train you can plan your journey and buy tickets in advance via the National Rail website or you can buy your ticket at the Gatwick train station when you get there. See section ONCE YOU ARRIVE IN READING to continue your travel to University of Reading’s Whiteknigt Campus.
By train from Europe via Eurostar
From Belgium, France and The Netherlands you can take the Eurostar Train to London.
Once you have arrived at London St. Pancras International station, home to the Eurostar, travel to Paddington Station using the London Underground System. You can take the Circle (yellow) or Hammersmith & City (pink) underground line to Paddington Underground Station (Map):
ONCE YOU ARRIVE IN READING
If you are traveling to Reading by taxi (best booked in advance), you can ask them to take you straight to your accommodation. If you arrive in Reading by bus or train, you will arrive at Reading train station. View a map of Reading station. From there you have the option of taking a bus or a taxi (e.g. using UberX).
Taking the bus
From Reading train station and town centre, the main bus routes to and from University of Reading’s Whiteknights Campus are the Whiteknight 20 and Claret 21 . If you arrived at the Reading train station by:
Buses ride every 7-8 minutes (Mon to Fri, daytimes during semester time). The Claret 21 runs 24/7 so you will never miss the last bus. For more information on buses and timetables please see the Reading Buses website. A single ticket costs £2.25 (November 2022). To pay the fare you can tap on and tap off with your debit or credit card.
Taking a taxi
There is a taxi rank outside the train station near the RailAir coach stand or you could use UberX.
The fare is about £12-20 to the University, and to most accommodations in Reading.
Your identity document (for example your passport or identity card) will be checked when you arrive at a UK port or airport to make sure you’re allowed to come into the country. It should be valid for the whole of your stay.
You may also need a visa to come into or travel through the UK, depending on your nationality.
Check which documents you’ll need to come to the UK.
Note that as of March 5, 2025, the list of Nationalities that can apply for an electronic travel authorization (ETA) will be expanded.
Call 999 in case of all type of emergencies (health, fire, law enforcement, etc.).
For non-urgent service call 101 to reach the police.
All attendees and participants are expected to conduct themselves with integrity and in a manner that is professional, respectful, tolerant and responsible. A zero-tolerance approach will be applied to any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment and bullying.
Discrimination is any unfair treatment or arbitrary distinction based on a person’s race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, language, social origin or other status. Discrimination may be an isolated event affecting one person or a group of persons similarly situated or may manifest itself through harassment or abuse of authority.
Harassment is any improper and unwelcome conduct that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offense or humiliation to another person because of inter alia, an individual’s gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, ethnicity, national origin, age, or religion. Bullying is unwelcome, aggressive behavior involving the use of influence, threat, intimidation, or coercion to dominate others in the professional environment.’
Harassment or bullying may take the form of words, gestures or actions which tend to annoy, alarm, abuse, demean, intimidate, belittle, humiliate or embarrass another or which create intimidating, hostile or offensive professional environment.
Sexual harassment is a specific type of prohibited conduct. It is any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment may be any conduct of a verbal, including via electronic or telephonic means, nonverbal or physical in nature and may occur between persons of the opposite or same sex.
In the event that a participant of this meeting, feels that an issue has arisen regarding disrespectful treatment, harassment bullying or discrimination, regardless of whether it rises to the level of breach of this conduct, the member or event participant is encouraged to discuss it in confidence, with anyone in the list below, as appropriate:
or send a message to contact@gewexevents.org with your contact information and a short description of the issue.
In the event of a clear or perceived breach of the code of conduct, it may be reported in writing to the Director of the International GEWEX Project Office, or the Chair(s) of the GEWEX SSG. Once this is received, a GEWEX SSG member will be appointed as point of contact, who will first discuss with the complaint on how they wish to proceed.
All reports and allegations of breaches to this code of conduct will be handled sensitively and in confidence. The immediate priority will be to protect the privacy of the person(s) exposed to the breach of conduct and the need for further action will be assessed carefully on a case-by-case basis.
The organizers cannot accept liability for personal accident, loss, or damage to private property, which may be incurred as a result of your participation in the ISMC – SoilWat meeting. Participants are, therefore, advised to arrange appropriate insurance coverage.
The organizing committee will not accept liability for damages of any nature sustained by participants or loss of or damage to their personal property as a result of event.
