To get in the spirit without paying an Olympic price, we’re encouraging supporters – of whatever home country – to participate in the Games.
Check out free events
Although most of the events are ticketed there are some that are free to attend – along the way that is. Show up early to bag your spot. The men’s marathon (central London on 5 August) and women’s marathon (central London 12 August) are free to view but ticketed at The Mall (where they start and finish). The men’s 20km race walk (central London 4 August), men’s 50km race walk and women’s 20km race walk (central London 11 August) are also ticketed at The Mall but free to see along the way.
The cycling portion of the women’s triathlon (4 August) from Hyde Park, through Wellington Arch, Constitution Hill and Birdcage Walk are free to view. The same goes for the men’s triathlon (7 August). In the men’s cycling road race (28 July) parts of the route from The Mall via west London and out to Surrey and back are open to spectators.
Portions of the women’s cycling road race (29 July) are also free to view. The men’s and women’s individual road cycling time trials (1 August) start and end at Richmond’s Hampton Court Palace and there’s no charge.
Check out the London Visitor Charter
Buy from companies that are listed in the London Visitor Charter. The likes of Eurostar, the Tower of London, Tom Aikens’ restaurants and Indian restaurant chain Masala Zone have all pledged “fair pricing and practice during the Games”.
Join the crowds at the London Live Sites
From the big three locations in London – Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square and Victoria Park – to the 20-plus other locations across the United Kingdom, there will be big-screen viewings of medal ceremonies and competitions, free concerts and contests – all designed to include locals and visitors alike in the Olympic experience as it unfolds.
Skip London altogether
For smaller crowds and cost, try events taking place outside of London. Some venues, such as those for mountain biking, kayaking, rowing and canoeing are a mere 20-50km away. A tad further away, Wales, Scotland and spots along the British coastline and across the countryside will host Olympic events. Football tournaments (in Manchester, Coventry, Glasgow, Newcastle and Cardiff) and sailing events (in Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour) will make for a very different summer getaway destination to London.
Take a pre-Olympics tour of London
London has been undergoing a preparation frenzy as it gets ready to host the world at the upcoming Games. The city will look its best in the weeks leading up to the Olympics and, with last year’s Royal wedding and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (early June) as feathers in its cap, London is ready to take centre stage. With billions of pounds invested in updating and readying the city – from public transport to landmark destinations to the creation of the Olympic Park – this is a chance to see the best of London and get an insider’s view of the final preparations for the main events and venues.
Follow the torch
The Olympic Flame will come within ten miles of 95 per cent of people in the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey and local communities will seize the opportunity to celebrate. It will arrive in the UK on 18 May and this interactive map shows the thousand-plus cities, towns and villages that the Flame will visit, and the locations of the evening celebrations.
Visit a past Olympic host city
Visit one or more of your favourite Olympic host cities. From Athens and Tokyo to Montreal and Sydney, the summer Olympics have been held in every corner of the world. Any Olympics lover can find a moment in sports history to revisit. From Beijing, with its eye-catching Water Cube, home to Michael Phelps’ awe-inspiring eight gold medal run, to Berlin, where Jesse Owen dominated as a sprinter to defy local authorities in the heart of Nazi Germany in 1936, there are countless layers of history at any Olympic site.
One of our most popular routes to past Olympic cities includes flights to Athens from London.
Surround yourself with adorable Olympic paraphernalia
London 2012’s creative team has obviously had a field day coming up with memorabilia and keepsakes that even those not attending the Games are bound to stock up on. The British flag’s red, white and blue colours are painted on toys big and small (our personal favourites are the cute rubber duckies), and logos are plastered on sporting equipment and key rings alike. From lanyards to fine jewelry and stationery to soccer balls, the London 2012 logo is bound to appear in the hands of fans far beyond London.
Play virtual Olympics
The first official Olympic video game hit the shelves back in 1992 for the Barcelona Games. Olympic Gold brought out the competitive edge in gamers around the globe, giving them a chance to compete virtually in archery, sprinting, swimming and pole vaulting. In the past decade, an official video game has been released to coincide with every Olympics, from Sydney 2000 to Beijing 2008. This year, check out Sega’s London 2012 or Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games – a controller in hand will put you right in the Games.
(Image: hertzen)
