2012 Olympic Games London

The Olympic Gameswere first celebrated in 776 BC in Olympia (hence the name) in Greece. According to legend, Hercules is the originator of The Olympic Games. Legend says they were created to honor Hercules father, Zeus.

They were celebrated until 393 A.D. Pierre Fridy, Baron de Coubertin, revived the Olympics in their modern form in 1896. The Olympics are a contest of multiple sports and are divided into the Summer and Winter Olympics. The Winter Olympics are a much smaller event than the Summer Games.

In 1896 there were 241 participants from 14 nations. This number grew until there were 11,100 competitors from 202 countries in The 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The Olympics are a huge media event. Well over half the world watched the Olympics in Sydney in 2000 (3.8 billion to be exact).

The growth of the Olympics is one of the major problems of the Olympics today. Sponsorships solved financial problems in the 1980's. Today the large number of athletes, media and spectators make it difficult and expensive to host the Olympics. A great amount of infrastructure is needed.

London is to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The games are to be held from 27th July to 12th August 2012, to be followed by the Paralympic Games. An Olympic Village has been proposed to be built with 17,320 beds providing a comfortable and spacious environment for athletes.

There is to be a massive redevelopment of public transport. This includes the expansion of the London Underground's East London Line, upgrades to the Docklands Light Railway and the North London Line, and the new "Javelin" service. The organizers aim to make 90% of venues accessible by at least three forms of public transport and 93% of training facilities to be within 30 minutes of travel of the athletes housing. Park and ride schemes are included among the many plans to decongest traffic. Some concern has been expressed on the logistics of travel outside London.

The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will use a mixture of newly built venues, existing and historic facilities, and temporary facilities. Some locations are well known such as Hyde Park and Horse Guards Parade. The land in the east end of London chosen for the site needs decontamination and major remedial work before it can be fit for the games.

What is going to be involved in the development proposal are compulsory purchases of some businesses. This has caused some amount of angst with businesses not being happy with the compensation offered. With all these logistical issues, it seems the cost for the 2012 London Olympics could rise to nearly four times the figure set out during the bid.

From an initial figure of 2.35 billion pounds, what is being discussed now is a staggering cost of 9 billion pounds. Construction alone could now cost 3.3 billion pounds. 2 billion pounds have been allocated as a contingency fund. Regeneration costs of 1.8 billion and a 1 billion pound VAT bill have also been added to the costs. Security costs have grown to 900 million pounds. The causes for a rise in costs include rise in commodity prices, adjustments to transport figures to reflect 2012 prices and a revised estimate for inflation on construction costs.

Accommodation for the 2012 Olympic Games

Although they are a long way off the 2012 Olympic Games will be upon us before we know it. Those that are planning on making the trip to the London 2012 Olympic Games know all to well, from past Olympic Games, that many people leave it to the last minute and end up having to stay in Hotels out of the city because everything is fully booked. When that happens, you can be sure that you will end up with nothing but problems; a long traveling distance to get to the daily events; and you will also fail to experience the buzz that will be present around London at the time when the event is on.

Lodging 2012 London Olympic Games

Lodging is one option for the 2012 Olympic Games; however it certainly has its disadvantages as well as advantages. On the up side you may be able to stay in a place right next to the city; however lodging usually suggests renting a room on a short term basis from a house that is not usually meant for playing the role of a hotel but has the hospitality not experienced in a hotel. For those reasons your accommodation may be relatively primitive in comparison to other facilities expect in a hotel. On the upside you will be able to live with people who really know the city, and as such they will be able to introduce you to the culture and the essence where you are staying.

Rented accommodation 2012 London Olympic Games

Rented accommodation is one great way to experience the 2012 London Olympic Games. Many people prefer the relaxed nature of living in a home, rather than a hotel, and they also like being able to go to sleep when they like, eat when they like and come home whenever it pleases them. With this option the price may be expensive considering how busy London will be at that time, however it will not be as expensive as a hotel and certainly more enjoyable experiencing a home from home lifestyle..

Guest house London 2012 Olympic Games

Staying at a Guest House for the London Olympic Games could be a great option for you to explore. It is almost certain that all of the available Guest House Accommodation will be used up pretty soon, however getting in early is one way of ensuring that you manage to get your Guest House accommodation at the best price.

Hotel London 2012 Olympic Games

Hotels are going to be more expensive during the London Olympic Games than they are at any other time of the year. That is why, unless you have a large budget, you should be considering other forms of accommodation. However if you have the money, and you enjoy being served hand on foot, then this is the best option for you. If you book now then you might be able to take advantage of early bird offers.