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London 2012

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    This article is a travel topic

The Games of the XXX Olympiad, the Summer Olympic Games of 2012 [1], will be based in London, with selected events held throughout the United Kingdom. The official 16 days of the games will be July 27 through August 12, though events will begin to occur before the official opening ceremonies.

The games will be followed two weeks later with the Summer Paralympic Games, August 29 through September 9. Most of the paralympic events will be held in the same olympic venues.

This will be the third time that London has been an Olympic City, having hosted the games previously in 1908 and 1948.

Get in

General information about traveling to London appears in the London article. All types of transportation, including trains, buses, air flights, and cruiseships will be adding services during the Olympic period to meet the expected heavy demand.

By rail

By road

By bus

Get around

General information about getting around London appears in the London article. Information about special services designed for the Olymnpic period will appear here. Additional trains and buses will be available to transport visitors between venues.

The Olympic organizers have a goal of 100 percent of visitors to the Olympic Park arriving either by public transportation or on foot. To achieve this goal, parking lots for visitors' cars will be substantial distances away from the Park.

By rail

By road

During the Olympics, special parking and driving restrictions will be in place around most Olympic areas. Penalties for illegal parking will be increased dramtically during the Olympics.

By bus

See

The site will be home to Britain's tallest sculpture, ArcelorMittal Orbit, designed by artist Anish Kapoor and engineer Cecil Balmond.

Where

The events will be in several cities, from Glasgow's Hampden Park in the north to Portland Harbour in the south.

The venues include:

  • All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club: Wimbledon. Tennis.
  • Aquatics Centre: Olympic Park, London. Diving, Swimming, Synchronised Swimming, Modern Pentathlon.
  • Basketball Arena: Olympic Park, London. Basketball, Handball.
  • BMX Circuit: Velopark, Olympic Park, London. BMX Cycling.
  • City of Coventry Stadium (also known as the Ricoh Arena): Coventry. Football (soccer).
  • Earls Court: London. Volleyball.
  • Eton's Dorney Lake: Dorney. Rowing, Canoe Sprint.
  • Eton Manor: Olympic Park, London. Wheelchair Tennis.
  • ExCeL: London. Boxing, Fencing, Judo, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Wrestling.
  • Greenwich Park: London. Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, Modern Pentathlon.
  • Hadleigh Farm: Essex. Mountain Bike.
  • Hampden Park: Glasgow, Scotland. Football (soccer).
  • Handball Arena: Olympic Park, London. Handball, Goalball, Modern Pentathlon.
  • Hockey Centre: Olympic Park, London. Hockey.
  • Horse Guards Parade: London. Beach Volleyball.
  • Hyde Park: London. Triathlon, 10k Open Water Swim.
  • IBC/MPC: Olympic Park, London. Press and broadcast center.
  • Lee Valley White Water Centre: Hertfordshire. Canoe Slalom.
  • Lord's Cricket Ground: London. Archery.
  • Millennium Stadium: Cardiff, Wales. Football (soccer).
  • North Greenwich Arena (also known as the O2 arena (formerly the Millennium Dome): London. Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline, Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball.
  • Old Trafford: Manchester. Football (soccer).
  • Olympic Marathon Course: London. Marathon.
  • Olympic Stadium: Olympic Park, London. Athletics, featuring Running, Jumping, Throwing and combined events.
  • Olympic Village: Olympic Park, London. Athlete quarters.
  • Regent’s Park: London. Road Cycling.
  • Royal Artillery Barracks: London. Shooting.
  • St James' Park: Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Football (soccer).
  • Velodrome: Velopark, Olympic Park, London. Track Cycling.
  • Water Polo Arena: Olympic Park, London. Water Polo.
  • Wembley Arena: London. Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics.
  • Wembley Stadium: London. Football (soccer).
  • Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour: Dorset. Sailing.

Do

Buy

Some of the most popular shopping sites in London include:

  • Bond Street
  • Covent Garden
  • Dover Street Market
  • Fortnum & Mason
  • John Lewis
  • Harrods
  • Harvey Nichols
  • House of Fraser
  • Liberty
  • Lillywhites
  • Oxford Street
  • Peter Jones
  • Picadilly Circus
  • Regent Street
  • Selfridges
  • Soho and Chinatown
  • Topshop
  • Wesffield London
  • Westfield Stratford City
  • Wolf & Badger

Eat

Drink

Sleep

London has hundreds of options for accommodation to suit all budgets from hostels through historic bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), mainstream chain hotels and apartments all the way to some of the most exclusive luxury hotels in the world such as The Savoy, The Ritz and Claridges where a stay in a top suite will cost upwards of £1,000 per night.

In general, most people tend to stay within "Zone 1" of the underground, however do your research carefully - sometimes being that extra five minutes away from a station can make the difference in cost and quality and local food and drinking options. In any case, you can always catch a bus anyway - by the far the best way to see the city and get about generally.

However, the Olympics are having a strong effect in the accommodation environment in London. Rooms are filling up very quickly, prices are going up permanently, and many Londoners are leaving their homes to rent them during the Games. Industry experts say rental prices have rocketed fivefold as spectators from more than 200 countries descend on London to watch their sporting heroes in action.

Since London was confirmed as the Olympic host, many websites have sprung up offering owners the chance to rent out their homes. Additionall, hotels, hotels, and accommodation companies such as The Games Accommodation also launched their specialized websites or minisite such as just targeting tourists and athletes coming for the Olympics.

Get out

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