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olympic games asks...
i would like to go to the olympic games when it comes to london
there are 4 of us who would like to go and see the opening ceremony and some events -
we like cycling and athletics best but would need to see something actually in london as we won't have a car
how can we book tickets for the ceremony and find out what events are on?
is the games on in august like the chinese ones were?
can you book a hotel in advance and also train tickets to and from london?
how much will it coist for tickets and if we pre-book a otel/train etc will it be cheaper?
What we suggest...
Hi olympic games
Thank you for your enquiry to q2a about the London Olympics in 2012.
We guess that you have been watching the television coverage of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, that have just finished. Possibly it is the enthusiastic participation of the athletes, the spectacle of the ceremonies and excellent organisation that have encouraged you to want to be part of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The London 2012 Olympic Games will take place from 27th July to 12th August 2012 and the Paralymics from 29th August to 9th September 2012. The opening ceremony for the Olympic Games will be held in the main stadium in London but there will be venues for different events throughout the United Kingdom.
You tell us that you particularly enjoy watching the cycling and athletics. The athletics and cycling events will be based in London. The VeloPark will be built in the north of the Olympic Park and is made up of a Velodrome and BMX Circuit. The permanent 6,000-seat Velodrome will host the indoor Olympic and Paralympic Cycling events.
Tickets will go on sale from 2011 and, subject to availability, remain on sale until the start of every event. The details of how to purchase tickets will be announced nearer the time. Ticket prices will be announced nearer the time but it is intended that they are priced fairly so that as many people as possible will have the chance to be there. Also each ticket will also include free travel on public transport in London for the day of the event. This is to encourage spectators to use public transport and see all the other things that are happening in the city.
As you are thinking of going to stay in London whilst the Olympic Games are on, you should definitely book your accommodation in advance as there will be a high demand for places to stay. You also should take care when booking accommodation as some of it may be very highly priced because of the demand. It's quite likely that you will be able to buy a package that will include accommodation, travel and maybe even tickets to events. The best people to speak to about this will be your local travel agent. It is going to be sometime before you are able to book anything but keep at look out for announcements in travel agents' windows and the local press.
There is an excellent website http://www.london2012.com/ that gives lots of information about all the preparations for the games. There will be lots of events happening over the next four years and the website will keep you up to date. There is a section on the homepage headed 'News' for this purpose. Also, if you have regular access to the internet you can follow a link from the homepage to sign up to receive regular news updates. A link from the homepage called 'Storymap' will give you access to an interactive map that shows what's happening at all the venues.
However, you don't need to wait until 2012 to enjoy watching your favourite sports. There will be athletic events in the local area and there is the Velodrome in Manchester to watch major cycling events. For more information about the Velodrome have a look at http://www.manchestervelodrome.com/ Also you will find more information about other sporting events in the local area such as athletics @ http://www.sportengland.org/northwest_index.htm
You never know, your enthusiasm for the Olympics might motivate you to become involved in a sport yourself. There will be opportunities in your local area and for more information you can go to http://www.lancsycs.org/go4it and select Ribble Valley. There are quite a few cycling and athletics clubs locally.
We don't know whether you would be interested or not but there will be plenty of opportunities for people of all ages to get actively involved through volunteering. There will be a need for people with specialist skills and those with more general skills. If you feel that it is something that you might like to do, you will find information on the 2012 Olympic website if you click on 'Get Involved' at the top of the homepage. It's a way of seeing what goes on, sort of close up, feeling you are contributing to the event, gaining a valuable experience and even though it will probably be hard work, it will be thoroughly enjoyable.
We hope that you have found our response helpful and please get in touch with us again if you would like any further information or advice.
We are sure you will thoroughly enjoy going to London in 2012 to the Olympic Games whether you go for just two or three days or maybe even the whole event.
Good Luck
Best Wishes
q2a
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