On this page, you will find information on

  1. Organising my travel to the ESRF
    1. General principles
    2. Travel request & booking
    3. Important deadlines
    4. Reimbursement claim
  2. ESRF Travel Management Application
  3. ESRF Travel Rules for Users

1. Organising my travel to the ESRF 

1.1. What are the general principles for user travel at the ESRF?

  • The user is expected to demonstrate a responsible use of the public funds from the ESRF member and associate member countries that provide the financial support for eligible ESRF users, combining the most economical and best ecological travel options when purchasing tickets.
     
  • Public transport should be used. Priority is given to trains for short journeys (<6h) and planes for longer journeys unless a train ticket is available for an equivalent or cheaper cost.
     
  • Expense caps are applied to the purchase of tickets or travel by private car if approved, depending on the location of the user’s home laboratory (France, continental Europe, outside Europe). Local ground transport costs (e.g. bus, metro, shuttle) to/from airports and train stations are not included in the caps.
     
  • Expense caps are intended to simplify travel for the users, allowing a wider range of options within the accepted price range. In return, users are expected to select the most economical options taking into account ecological and other constraints.

1.2. Travel request and booking

Airplane and train bookings must be made through the travel agency selected by the ESRF, using the online booking tool in the ESRF's travel management application, or directly through the ESRF Travel Office if the desired option is not available in the online booking tool and confirms to the ESRF rules.

In exceptional circumstances, the ESRF may refund tickets booked and paid for by the traveller, in particular for reasons of lower cost or when such tickets are not available from the ESRF travel agency, on the condition that prior validation of this option has been obtained from the ESRF via an approved travel request. 

A 2-step process is required:

  1. Complete and submit your travel request for authorisation by the ESRF;
  2. Once the travel request has been approved, make your online booking and submit for authorisation.

For travel by private car, or if the plane/train ticket will be booked directly by the user or by the Travel Office, step 2 is not required as long as the travel request is approved.

  1. Create and submit your travel request via the travel management application; the request will be authorised or rejected within a few hours if submitted in a timely manner on a working day and you will be informed by email.
     
  2. It is not necessary to add local ground public transport between the laboratory/ESRF and train stations/airports to your travel request (e.g. bus, tram, shuttle, metro), these will be reimbursed on reception of your reimbursement claim and receipts.
     
  3. Once your travel request is authorised, make your online booking in the travel management application.
    • Expense caps are implemented; travel options that fall within these expense caps are compliant and can be booked.
    • Requests for non-compliant bookings require a justification that will be authorised (either for full or for partial reimbursement) or rejected on a case-by-case basis.
       
  4. Submit your booking for approval - the tickets will be booked automatically when the travel request is approved by the ESRF, and you will be informed by email. Please take note of the important deadlines below!

1.3. Deadlines

IMPORTANT DEADLINES!! Please read carefully!

Pre-reservation deadlines:
Tickets are only pre-reserved until the authorisation of your travel booking and their validity is limited. Ensure you submit your booking before 4pm on a working day to avoid losing your pre-reservation and having to re-book.
For example, pre-reservations on train tickets are typically only valid until midnight - a booking submitted in the evening will no longer be valid when the Travel Office tries to approve it the next day, and you will have to re-book and re-submit.

Less than 14 days before the outgoing travel date:
Neither travel requests nor bookings can be made in the ESRF travel management application less than 14 days before the outgoing travel date, nor will they be refunded. The ESRF contribution will be limited to accommodation costs and meals.
Please therefore ensure you submit your travel request in plenty of time to allow you to complete your booking (including approval by the ESRF) before this deadline. Remember that the ESRF may reject your travel request or booking if not compliant and you must ensure to allow sufficient time to resubmit a revised version.

1.4. Reimbursement claims

The reimbursement claim and associated receipts/proof of purchase must be submitted via the travel management application and linked to the associated travel request.

  1. Reimbursement claims must be submitted within 30 days of the end of your experiment.
  2. Only expenses with associated receipts will be reimbursed.
  3. Only electronic receipts are authorised, no paper copies will be accepted.
  4. They must be uploaded to the application as pdf files or photos. No certification is required so either the desktop application or the app can be used for the upload of the receipts.

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2. ESRF Travel Management Application

The ESRF uses the travel agency Ailleurs Business and the travel management application Vertical Expense.

You will find below How-To Guides for the following actions:

  1. Prepare your trip to the ESRF
    • Create and submit your travel request
    • Make and submit an online booking
  2. Submit your reimbursement claim

How to access the Travel Management tool?

Access the tool by logging into the ESRF User Portal (http://smis.esrf.fr): Tab "Proposals/Experiments", then "A Forms/Sessions". For experiment sessions where you are registered as a reimbursed user, you can click on the travel management icon . Log in with your ESRF account username and click on the "Automatic Connection" button.

Can I personalise my travel preferences?

Use the Personal Settings in the bottom left of the tool to personalise the tool for yourself: date of birth and nationality are mandatory for any bookings but you may also add your home address, frequent traveler programs, flight and train preferences and upload your passport.

Available actions for my travel request

In your list of travel requests, you can: 

  • Book a trip associated with that travel request using the online booking tool
  • Submit a reimbursement claim
  • See the status of your travel request
  • View the timeline to see actions performed and any comments made during the approval workflow
  • Download a pdf of the request
  • Recall a travel request that has not yet been approved, so that it can be modified. An approved travel request cannot be recalled or deleted - contact the Travel Office  Contact the Travel Office  if required.

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3. ESRF Travel Rules for Users

See our 'ESRF Travel Rules for Users' in the 'User Policies and Rules' section.

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