Admitted REU students: Before arrival to CERN

The information here may be updated as CERN releases details about the 2025 program. All information given is based off the 2024 program requirements.

Passport and Visa

As of 2024, visas are not required for most US citizens if you stay for less than 90 days. However this is subject to change for the upcoming program. Thus we recommend you to prepare for applying for a Swiss visa. To start the application process check out the following link to determine which embassy you need to go to: https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/usa/en/home/visa/entry-ch/up-90-days/where-to-apply-schengen.html. 

If you are a permanent resident and need to have a visa to enter Switzerland, please let us know. We need to arrange an invitation letter from the ATLAS  (http://atlassec.web.cern.ch/atlassec/Secretariat.htm). This letter will then be mailed to you so that you can contact the nearest Swiss embassy to apply for the visa. 

Flights / Plane tickets

Students' travel to CERN will be covered by the program and arranged by the student office at the University of Michigan.  The ticket will be purchased from our travel agent at Collegiate Travel Planners (CTP) and charged directly to the NSF grant that funds your participation in the program.  If you purchase an airline ticket yourself we will not be able to reimburse you. If desired you can call earlier and arrange for travel through CTP before the program does so using the following steps:

• 1. Please call the dedicated toll-free line for UoM, (877) 804-3688. 

  2. Choose the prompt for International Travel. 

  3. Identify yourself as a participant of the CERN REU Program. 

  4. Discuss your flight options with an international corporate agent. Once your flight has been determined, the agent will work with us for final ticketing and approval.

The restrictions on your ticket purchased are (a) Your ticket must be on a US/Swiss/EU carrier and be from your US home city to Geneva and return (b) All ticket purchases are approved by UM faculty.  CTP will contact us with flight/fare plans and, after we approve the ticket, it is charged directly to our NSF grant. You can go over before the program starts and come back later if you plan to travel in Europe. Accommodations at CERN are only available for the duration of the program.

Coding Background

Projects assigned to students are often matched based off what the accepted student asks to work on. For those asking for coding projects, it is good to have a background in python or C++. CERN operates heavily on python, C++ and ROOT, but not all projects require using it. Projects using other software such as Julia, madgraph, and other softwares are available. 

For those assigned a C++ project and are unfamiliar with the language, the link here provides some resources to become familiar with the language and the documentation.  The objects and classes are discussed in Chapter 6. ROOT is the data analysis tool developed by CERN, you can look at CERN's website at https://root.cern.ch/drupal/, user's guide can be found at https://root.cern.ch/drupal/content/root-users-guide-600. Some short introductions of ROOT can be found at http://www.phys.hawaii.edu/~philipvd/0904_root_course.pdf, http://www-root.fnal.gov/root/CPlusPlus/index.html.

Information for admitted REU students: Arrival to CERN

Airport Pickup

All students will arrive the Geneva airport on one Saturday or Sunday before the program starts. The current program managers will wait outside the two exit gates on the ARRIVAL terminal.  A picture about the Geneva airport and the place we will wait for you can be find here. There will be communication via email to ensure you are picked up when you land. Please wait for the program coordinator to find you at the airport lobby to take you to CERN, even if you do not find them immediately.

Information for admitted REU students: Staying at CERN

Accommodation

A map of all buildings at CERN is here, and the CERN hostel website, where participants stay, can be found here.

Our students will stay in CERN hostels, building 38, 39 and 41.  The CERN cafeteria is building 501, and the ATLAS/CMS office buildings are building 40 and 42. The main CERN building is building 50 where you can find ATM machines and stores.  The library is building 52.  All buildings are within walking distance.

In order to guarantee stay in the CERN hostels look out for an email from CERN where you will sign up for housing. There are different style rooms at different prices per night, which the student can choose which room style fits their needs best. Most students choose a single room with a bed and individual bathroom - with toilet, sink, and shower. Hostel rooms fill up quickly so don't wait when the email is sent out. Rooms are all individual.

Hostel buildings 38 and 39 have communal kitchens, while building 41 does not. The kitchens are shared amongst all the summer students, so note that cooking is more difficult due to small fridge space, pantry space, and waiting for stovetops. There are multiple grocery stores in San Genis and Meyrin that are easily accessible via tram and bus.

Travel around the Geneva area

Some tips for new comers can be found by clicking here.  Another website that contains useful information for US LHC visitors can be found by clicking here.

Public transportation around the Geneva area is excellent if you live relatively close to the city.  Complete information on schedules, routes and how to get from point A to point B can be found on the TPG website. Single-ride tickets can be purchased at the machines at each stop.  BEWARE: these machines DO NOT GIVE CHANGE.  You can also purchase a yearly or monthly pass. Look into getting a monthly Swiss pass through the SBB mobile app to travel on all busses and trams.

Phone calls at CERN:

Please read this page to find more information for phone calls at CERN: http://uscms.web.cern.ch/uscms/Telephone101.html.  All CERN phones have a 5-digit internal number that can be called directly from outside by dialing 00+41-22-76xxxxx from abroad or 022-76xxxxx from Switzerland.  CERN GSM/Mobile phones are 6-digit numbers in the 16xxxx form. You can call these directly from CERN photons.  When calling from outside CERN dial country code if necessary and then dial 76-487-xxxx.

Clothes:

CERN is an international lab, most people just wear casual clothes. The final presentation will be recorded and later be available on the internet, thus it will also be good to bring some formal clothes with you.  The temperature difference between days and nights is large, so bring some warm clothes with you. Lake Geneva is easily accessbile via tram and bus, so it is recommended to bring some beach clothes as well for the weekends.

Electronics:

The voltage that Switzerland used is 220 V, and electronics based on 110 V will not work.  Switzerland uses a different electrical outlet than much of the rest of Europe.  The two pins are narrower and spaced slightly further apart.  The receptacles are built so that the full plug has to fit, not just the pins.  The standard long oval shaped converters often will not fit.  A picture of the Swiss plug and socket can be found at http://www.about.ch/various/power_outlet.jpg.  It will be good for each of you to prepare one or two for the electronics you bring with you. 

Money and Credit card:

It will be good to bring a few hundred US dollars with you so that you can get some CHFs at least for the first few days.  There are ATM machines close to your hostel, but they will charge some extra service fee. It is recommended to call your bank companies and inform them you will be abroad in Europe for the next three months.

The CERN Summer Student program provides a debit card to all registered students that covers the hostel and daily living expense bills. If you have money remaining on the card at the end of the summer you will be able to transfer it to your bank account.

Postal address

The postal address at CERN is:

Student Name

1211 Geneva 23

Switzerland