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12 winning ways to enjoy the Olympic Games on a budget

  • 25 Jan 2012
Sailing Academy from Portland.

There are just six months to go to the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. The excitement is building and the athletes are training hard. So if you’re making your own preparations to visit Britain this summer, here are some top tips about how to enjoy the spectacular events and soak up the atmosphere without spending a fortune

Free Events

1. Olympic and Paralympic Cycling Road Races
July 28 – August 1, 2012
There are lots of ways to enjoy the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games without a ticket. Some of the most iconic events will be able to be viewed from great vantage points at no cost. The men’s and women’s Road Races will begin on The Mall, a popular backdrop for formal ceremonies and major sporting events throughout the year. From The Mall, the riders will head southwest through London, cross the famous River Thames at Putney Bridge and continue out through Richmond Park past Hampton Court Palace. Before the riders make it back to The Mall for a dramatic finish, they will head to Surrey, travel north through Leatherhead, Esher and Kingston.
(www.london2012.com/cycling-road) And LOCOG have just announced that they are increasing the capacity for spectators at one of the best viewpoint - Box Hill – from 3,500 to up to 15,000 http://www.london2012.com/news/2012/01/more-spectators-will-enjoy-best-views-of-olympic-cycling-road-race.php

2. Olympic Marathons
July 5 and 12, 2012
The Olympic and Paralympic marathons will start and finish at The Mall, an iconic location in central London most recently famous as part of the wedding route for the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Each race will have around 80 athletes taking part, making it a heart-pumping spectacle worth watching.
(www.london2012.com/athletics)

3. Olympic Sailing
July 29 – August 11, 2012
The deep sapphire blue waters of Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour will play host to 10 sailing events over the course of 14 days during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. These free events will offer fans excitement and drama as they watch teams race in the beautiful but testing waters on the southern coast of England.
(www.london2012.com/sailing)

4. Olympic Race Walks
August 4 and 11, 2012
Known for its regal beauty and nature, visitors can watch the Race Walks which begin and finish at The Mall in St James’s Park. Along the 2 kilometre race loop, visitors can take in the sites of Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the Queen, and the Commonwealth Memorial Gates.
(www.royalparks.org.uk/London2012.cfm)

5. Olympic Live Sites
With large screens carrying live broadcasts of the Olympic events, visitors in at least 20 locations around the UK will have the best seat in the house to watch their favourite event. Screens will feature a broad range of UK-wide and local content in partnership with community, arts and media organizations.
(www.london2012.com/get-involved/live-sites/index.php)

Affordable Attractions

6. Museum of London Docklands
Occupying a Georgian warehouse on the banks of the West India Quay in trendy East London, home to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Museum of London Docklands is a great place to take the kids and entry is free. Visitors can explore 12 galleries of artefacts, paintings, engravings and photographs that chart the history of the area from the Romans to present day.
(www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands)

7. Mudchute Farm and Park
Europe’s largest urban farm is overlooked by Canary Wharf’s skyscrapers in East London. With 34 acres of open parkland, in the heart of the Isle of Dogs, visitors can easily be in the British
countryside just miles away from central London. The farm and park offers visitors the experience to ride horses and pet sheep, pigs, ducks, geese and llamas. Picnics are welcomed and entry is free.
(http://mudchute.org)

8. The London Pass
The London Pass is a great way to experience London like never before. Travellers who purchase this pass at VisitBritain’s online shop prior to going overseas can save on the retail price. The pass allows visitors free entry into over 50 top attractions in London, which can save those on a budget up to £500 on entrance fees. Top attractions include Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, London Zoo, St Paul’s Cathedral, Wembley Stadium and Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum.
(www.visitbritainshop.com/usa)

Affordable Accommodation

9. 3 star accommodation is available during the Games at St Giles Hotel in the heart of the West End / Bloomsbury for only £199 per room per night including breakfast and VAT for up to two persons sharing, while studio accommodation is available at Citadines Barbican from just £150 per night on a self catering basis.
http://www.stgiles.com/
http://www.citadines.com/uk/london/barbican.html

10. citizenM, Glasgow, Scotland
Recently opened in 2010, citizenM offers travellers on a budget an affordable luxury hotel in the heart of Glasgow’s city centre. This high-technology accommodation allows guests self check-in on touch screen terminals and has a food and beverage outlet, canteenM, that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Guestrooms are outfitted with a light and sound system that can be controlled with the touch of a button.
(www.citizenmglasgow.com)

11. Cambridge Colleges – Bed and Breakfast, Cambridge, England
Cambridge, a city of all seasons, may be a small city but it still packs a punch and offers
affordable accommodations just 45 minutes from London via rail. Trace the footsteps of college
graduates such as Newton and Darwin and stay in a room at one of the Cambridge colleges.
Staying in an historic Cambridge college accommodation during the London 2012 Games is a
unique opportunity that offers bed and breakfast service.
(http://www.cambridgerooms.co.uk/

12. Camping
There are lots of camp sites being set up in and around London specially for the Olympic Games. For example Camp In London, set in a lovely, 19-hectare green field in Walthamstow, East London is being transformed into one of the largest campsites that London has seen. It is just 4 miles from the heart of the city of London and less than a 10 minute free shuttle bus ride from the Olympic Park. It has great facilities and its own international festival running throughout the duration of the Games. You can stay in a pre-erected tent for just £40 pppn or pitch your own tent for just £15 pppn.
(http://www.campinlondon.com/)

For other great ways to experience the magic of the Olympic Games on a budget go to www.visitbritain.com

For more information contact:

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