The Games of the XXX Olympiad are coming to London, making it the first city to host the modern games three times (1908, 1948, 2012).  For years, London has been upgrading and building to host these games, and by all accounts they’re  set to be amazing. Millions of people already have tickets to see the world’s greatest athletes battle it out for Olympic gold and millions more will be doing everything they can to get a taste of the action. Whether that means watching on TV or making the effort to get into London in order to soak up the atmosphere – all of the United Kingdom, and the world, are counting down the days until it begins.

The Games already have 120 nations with qualified athletes and that is expected to rise to over 200 before the torch is lit. The sheer quantity of people means that travel will get expensive and booked quickly. Although London is doing everything it can to increase capacity; rooms, flights and tickets are selling out quickly, making it an absolute necessity to use discount travel websites. Easily accessible to the action, there are some deals to be had with a Gatwick hotel and parking package, making sight-seeing in town and on the road mega easy.

Be sure to check out more than just the Olympic Games if you do make it to town. Besides the athletic events, London is also hosting the Cultural Olympiad, which has already begun. It’s a four year arts festival that will culminate with the big London 2012 festival. Performances feature international artists from musicians to actors, dancers and visual artists from all over the world. Besides the cultural arts, the Olympics are also going green! Olympic Park will incorporate 45 hectares of wildlife (and upgrades) and organizers have even planned to run the Olympics on as much as 20% renewable power! The really nice part of these Olympics, just like many others, is that they will be spread out not just in the main city center. It’s easy to hop around and get to know parts of the country not served by the Underground (which is also being upgraded for the games). Many of the main events are outside of the center, so check out hotels outside of central London for some of the best deals. Good deals are sure to be had at Stansted airport hotels, Dublin airport hotels and even discount Manchester airport hotels, which offer quick access to transportation all over the British Isles.

The Olympics aren’t just for foreigners, either! The UK Olympic Committee has made sure that the people of Great Britain aren’t going to be priced out for events, so even if you live in the UK now is the time to find a good hotel or travel package. The Games will be an amazing spectacle and a huge portion of the country will want to be involved. Countless more from across the world will want to do the same. It’ll make London a fantastic place to be next year and beyond. Finding affordable lodging and transportation are the keys to getting to the Games.

Photo Credit: Telegraph UK