London is renowned for putting on a good show and the London 2012 Olympic Games could turn out to be the greatest show on earth.
Millions of spectators will flock to London and across Britain to witness the Olympic Games, testing Britain’s already crowded roads and transport network to the limit.
If you’re attending the Games then it’s never too early to book event tickets and make travel arrangements. Research is the key to good planning so know where you need to travel for each event.
London Olympic Games 2012 – London Venues
Olympic Park, East London
The new purpose-built stadium in East London will host the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies and athletics. Swimming, synchronized swimming, diving and water polo events will take place in the state-of-the-art aquatic centre in the Olympic Park. The park also includes a veldodrome for track cycling and a BMX track for BMX cycling events. Other events at Olympic Park include hockey, basketball, modern pentathlon, volleyball, fencing and handball.
Greenwich Arena , South East London
The Greenwich Arena on the south side of the River Thames will host rhythmic gymnastics and badminton. Nearby Greenwich Park will be the focus for equestrian events and modern pentathlon. At nearby Woolwich, the Royal Artillery Barracks will host the shooting events.
Wembley Stadium, North London
It’s the home of English football and the English national team so Wembley Stadium is the obvious choice to host the football finals.
Wimbledon, South West London
Wimbledon is world-famous for the annual tennis tournament organized by the Lawn Tennis Association. It’s a fitting venue to host the tennis events.
Lord’s Cricket Ground, Central London
This famous cricket ground will be pressed into use for a different purpose for the Games. The ground will host the Olympic archery events.
Horse Guard’s Parade, Central London
Often the centerpiece of formal events in London, the Horse Guard’s Parade ground will swap the trooping of the color for the entertaining spectacle of the Olympic beach volley events.
Central London
Hyde Park in central London will host the triathlon while nearby Regent’s Park is the focus of the road cycling event.
ExCel Exhibition Centre, East London
Table tennis, wrestling, boxing, weightlifting, judo and taekwondo events will take place at the ExCel Exhibition Centre. Gymnastics, trampolining and some basketball events will be staged at The Dome.
London Olympic Games 2012 – United Kingdom Venues
Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
Just to the north of London, Broxbourne is blessed with lakes and it has been chosen to host the canoe slalom event.
Eton Dorney, Berkshire
Just to the west of London in the Royal County of Berkshire, the Eton Dorney Rowing Centre will host the rowing, flatwater canoe and kayak events.
Weald Country Park, Essex
The sprawling Weald Country Park in Essex, bordering London to the north-east, will host the Olympic mountain biking events.
Weymouth and Portland, Dorset
Nestling beside the English Channel on the south coast, Weymouth and Portland provide the setting for Olympic sailing events.
Football Events
Although Wembley Stadium in London is the focus for the football finals, men’s and women’s football events will take place at stadiums across the U.K. Hampden Park, Glasgow; The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff; Old Trafford, Manchester; St James's Park, Newcastle; and Villa Park, Birmingham will all host football events.
Travel to London Olympic Games Venues
The United Kingdom government is investing billions of pounds to increase the accessibility and capacity of the country’s creaking public transport network. It’s laying on additional train and London Underground services to cope with the influx of crowds and a special road coach service will link the London venue to the other Olympic venues across the U.K.
The organizers of the games want as many people as possible to travel by public transport. “Our aim is for 100 percent of spectators to get to the Games using public transport or by walking or cycling,” says the official London 2012 Olympic Games website.
Those planning to attend the Games can buy travel tickets a year in advance. Anyone who buys a Games event ticket will also receive a Games Travelcard that covers all London Olympics events and venues.
Resources
London 2012: "Location of Venues" (Accessed March 15, 2011)
Adrian Grahams - Adrian currently writes for several online and offline publications and specializes in communications, technology, business, media, ...
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