Olympics 2012

The fateful month is nearly upon us, the flags in the west end were hung up last week and the torch is gradually snaking its way closer to the capital as I’m typing.

 

Many peoples opinions of the olympics 2012 were very negative at the beginning of the year. We were hearing lots of worrying stories in the news which didn’t help at all and most people were dreading the summer. However, I feel the excitement is starting to brew this month, with the queens jubilee celebrations a few weeks ago people seem to be getting excited about another chance to have some fun.

The Jubilee was a great opportunity to see what lies ahead for the 2012 games, a ton of people flocked to the city to see the flotilla, the concert or to catch a glimpse of the queen on her way around town. All in all the weekend went quite well, there were a tiny number of arrests and everyone seemed to be in a great mood.

But for some reason, I’m still a bit worried. I’m not in the country over the Olympics which is a plus for me but there are still a few points that I feel need to be adressed and here are a few tips that I think might help during the Olympic period.

• Be organised – Know where you are going and do some research before you travel. The Underground system in London is fairly simple but when tubes fail it can get quite confusing as to where you go next. Find out the tube lines and bus routes that will get you to your destination and look for alternative routes (just in case). Depending on how far you are away from the event you might even be able to walk or hire a Boris bike.

• Be early – This could be quite a big one, I suggest that you try and miss the rush of people during peak time. Get there as early to make your journey as stress free as possible.

• Food and Drink – Take food and drink with you, I don’t believe that you are able to take anything like that into the events themselves but for before the actual event get something to nibble on. Food at the park is likely to be very expensive (At some events in London I’ve been charged £6 for a Jumbo Hotdog and £5 for sandwiches). If you want to be money concious, take some food with you!

• Keep connected – Luckily in this day and age we have access to mobile phones, many of which allow us to check the problems around town whilst on the go. When you are out and about download some apps or keep an ear open on the radio for traffic and travel problems. If you hear about it before you get to the problem that will be sure to save you some time.

• Be prepared for the weather – Over the past few years we’ve had some really weird weather, at the time of writing we are covered in grey skies and waiting for the rain to pour (at the end of JUNE!) but by the time the Olympics comes around we might be swanning around in shorts and sandals. Main point here, pack for all weather types!

It’s 37 days before the opening ceremony, so make sure you are ready!

Are you looking forward to the Olympics? Are you travelling to watch from abroad or are you from the UK and staying well away?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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