As the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games approach, VisitEngland, the country’s national tourism board, is offering a host of promotions for any budget as part of the “2012: England’s Year” campaign.
As demand for hotel room rises, the Camping and Caravanning Club will be setting up four temporary sites in central London, two of which will be 10-15 minutes from Olympic Village. Pitches start from £30 per night. Campinmygarden.com offers a unique travel experience- private gardens available for rent as affordable micro-campsites. Meanwhile, the Pop-Up hotel creates hotel-style accommodation in temporary structures.
With over 100,000 total hotel rooms in London, hotel stays are still available. Another option is staying outside the capital in Essex or Kent, which offer public transportation options to the games.
Olympic events aren’t limited to just London- soccer matches will take place in Coventry, Manchester and Newcastle. Weymouth will host sailing events, Surrey will host cycling, Eton Dorney will host rowing, Essex will sport mountain biking and Lee Valley will enjoy a canoe slalom.
Opening June 21, 2012, the London 2012 Festival will offer cultural events for non-sports fans. Alan Ayckbourn, David Hockney, Cate Blanchett, Tracey Emin, Yoko Ono and Damien Hirst will participate in events across England as part of this festival, which will run until September 9, 2012. The festival will see the premier of the 76th play by Alan Ayckbourn, as well as a revival of one of his classic works, at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough and the Chichester Festival Theatre. The Tate Modern in London will host the first substantial survey of Damien Hirst’s work ever to be held in the UK, and Tracy Emin will have an exhibition entitled “She Lay Down Deep Beneath the Sea” at the Turner Contemporary in her hometown of Margate. Visit www.festival.london2012.com
During the Games travelers will be able to see several sporting events without tickets, including the sailing race in Weymouth, the cycling race in Surrey and the marathon through central London. The BBC will also be running official Big Screens in 22 locations throughout England. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/bigscreens
Visit www.visitengland.com
