Volunteer Summer Summit 2022

Q: How long does it take to get to Belgium?

A: – This depends on your location. We recommend using www.google.maps.com to find your route.

–  When possible we recommend looking into alternative means of travel to flying. This can be trains, busses, ferries, private cars, bikes, etc. These are all more sustainable ways to get to the VSS and this makes our green hearts happy.

– Websites like https://www.omio.com/, www.skyscanner.net or google flights help you book your travels in case you are flying.

Q: Can you arrange pick-up at the airport?

A: – All participants will have to travel individually to the meeting point in Brussels-Midi (Zuid) Train Station, EFIL will organise a bus from there to the venue. Make sure to plan your travel to be at the meeting point between 3-6 PM on August 08th.

For information about transport to and from the venue please refer to the Arrival and Departure section of the website, as well as the info booklet (published a few weeks before the VSS) which we encourage you to have on your phone or printed with you during your travels to the venue.

Q: I changed my travel plans after completing the registration, does it matter? 

A: – YES! Please make sure you send the most up-to-date travel information via e-mail (vss@afs.org) so we can plan arrivals and departures accurately. Should you change your plan after you complete the registration make sure to let us know. 

Q: Who do I contact if my flight is delayed and what do I do in that case?

A: – If your flight is delayed by a short time and you will still make it to the meeting point on time there is no need to notify anyone.

– In case your delay is long enough to affect your transfer to the venue on arrival day please contact Simay (simay.tunckilic@afs.org) or the EFIL emergency phone.

Q: When can I leave on the 12th of August?

A: – There will be buses leaving the venue on the morning of Friday 12th of August taking participants to Brussels. In order to organize departure properly, we need accurate information so make sure to fill in this part of the registration carefully. 

– We advise you to book flights that leave after 12:30 on the 12th of August. If there is an urgent reason for you to leave with an earlier flight please contact Simay (simay.tunckilic@afs.org) before you book.

– For information about transport to and from the venue please refer to the Arrival and Departure section of the website, as well as the info booklet (published a few weeks before the VSS) which we encourage you to have on your phone or printed with you during your travels to the venue.

Q: Is it possible to book your own accommodation outside the venue?

A: A part of the VSS is staying together at the venue and in the offered accommodations. It is not an option to stay outside of the venue.

Q: Can you recommend any budget hotels for before and after the VSS?

A: – We recommend checking www.booking.com, www.hostelworld.com, www.airbnb.com, or other similar web pages to find budget hotels to stay at before and after the event. 

– Such bookings have to be made individually and the EFIL Secretariat or AFS Belgium (Low Lands & Programmes Interculturelles) are not a part of this process.

Q: How will the weather be at the VSS?

A: – Unfortunately the EFIL secretariat does not have an especially tight bond with the weather gods.

– What we can tell you is that the event is hosted in the second week of August and the average temperature at the venue at this time of year has an average of 22°C / 72°F during the day, while at night it averages at 13°C / 55°F. There is a chance of rain and it might get quite cold in the evenings. If we are lucky it might also be sunny and nice.

– We recommend preparing for different weather. Dress like an onion, then you can rather take off layers if it gets too warm than being cold.

– We also recommend keeping an eye on the weather. You can find the weather forecast here:  https://www.meteo.be/en/belgium 

Q: What is the attire for the event? Formal? Casual?

A: The attire is completely up to you. There is no dress code at the VSS but people tend to dress rather casually at this event. On the other hand, we do recommend taking the weather into consideration when packing, as well as the Bazaar night (you can wear something traditional) and the theme for the final party.

Q: Can I bring my spouse or other family members to the event?

A: – If they are AFS volunteers and have registered, gotten confirmed, and paid the registration fee: Yes!

– If not: The VSS is an event held exclusively for AFS volunteers that are registered participants. It is therefore not possible to bring external people to the event.