Despite its size, Cologne is a fairly compact city and all major points of interests are in walking distance from the conference hotels and conference venue. For those interested in venturing further out, public transport ("Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe - KVB") offers a reasonably dense network of trams (partly underground in the city centre) and buses. Trams and buses do not operate 24/7 and with a limited schedule late in the evening or very early in the morning. Tickets are available from the KVB app or from ticket machines at the stops or on the buses and trams.

As an alternative to public transport, cabs and Ubers are available in Cologne. While the yellow-colored cabs can be flagged down, Ubers must be pre-ordered. Check-out the taxi drivers association's website for details on fares and a link to an app with with taxis can be ordered online like an Uber.

Most city centre shops in Cologne are open from 10 a.m to 8 p.m. Some supermarkets open earlier and stay open until 10 p.m. or midnight. On sundays, shops (including supermarkets) are closed. Located right between the two conference hotels "Dorint" and "Motel One" is a REWE supermarket that is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Cologne's largest department store GALERIA (which offers a slightly upscale supermarket in the basement) and Cologne's largest fashion store Peek & Cloppenburg.

While credit cards are widely accepted in Germany, it is not as credit card friendly as many other countries and often payments are made in cash or by debit card. Generally, you will be fine with a Mastercard or Visa but may occasionally run into difficulties when asking to pay with Amercian Express or Diners. Some smaller cafes and restaurants operate on a cash-only policy, so make sure to check with them if you can pay with your credit card.

Prices in Germany are shown including all taxes. The VAT rate is 19 per cent. If you are travelling from outside the EU and plan to purchase goods and bring them to your home country, you can benefit from VAT free shopping. For more details, please check here.

To exchange foreign currency into Euros is not as straightforward as it used to be as many banks no longer offer this service or only for an unreasonable commission. At Cologne's manl railway station ("Köln Hauptbahnhof"), an outlet of "Reisebank" ("Travel Bank") specializes in currency exchange. It is, of course, also possible to exchange money upon arrival at a German airport.

If you exchange money abroad, please note that many locations are not happy or even unwilling to accept 200 and 500 EUR bank notes/bills. Unlike in other Euro countries, Germany still circulates 1 and 2 cent coins and sums are not rounded.

Should you be travelling with cash - in any currency - with a value greater than the equivalent of 10.000 EUR, you must declare this upon arrival when crossing a EU border.

While tipping in restaurants or hotels is customary in Germany, tips are lower than in, for example, the US. In restaurants, a rule of thumb is to tip 10 per cent for a bill of up to 100 EUR and less for a higher bill. Small single digit amounts, e.g. for a coffee or an ice cream in a cafe, are usually rounded up to the next full Euro amount.

Taxi drivers can expect to be tipped 5 - 10 per cent, room maids between 2 and 5 EUR per day, depending on the star rating of the hotel.

Should you visit one of the famous Cologne beer halls, please note that local beer is served in small 20 cl glasses and waiters will serve you glass after glass without an explicit order until you stop them by placing your coaster on the top of your glass. And be prepared to receive an earful of friendly banter from a waiter should you dare to order a non-local type of beer, a hot drink or a juice (although they will of course serve it if you insist).

Cologne is a relatively safe city. The area around the train station, the nearby square and the Cologne Dom has a reputation for being frequented by pickpockets, so use some extra caution there. In case of an emergency, call "110" for the police or "112" for emergency services and/or the fire brigade.