London 2012 Olympics - How to Apply For Tickets

only use official ticket suppliers, you have been warned

From Tues 15 Mar until 11:59pm on 26 April 2011 the applications for over seven million Olympic 2012 tickets are open. If you’re planning to apply there’s a few things you should be aware of to avoid problems: 

Where to apply

In the UK the only way to buy tickets is through the official London 2012 site, via a paper application from any Lloyds TSB branch (or public library in Northern Ireland) or via one of the official hospitality providers (Thomas Cook, Prestige Ticketing Ltd and Jet Set Sports).

Tickets from anywhere else are not authorised and are likely to be fake so don’t shop there!

It’s expected scam websites will be set up to try and part you with your cash but if at all unsure use the London 2012 url checker to see if someone is a genuine ticket seller and report it to London 2012 if you think it's a fake.

Plus see the 25 Ways to Stop Scams for more scam beating tips.

The process is different if you’re buying from outside the UK, but you must go via your National Olympic Committee, or their authorised retailer (see Ticket Eligibility for more info).

When to apply

There is no advantage to submitting your application on the first or the last day, they are not allocated on a first come first served basis, so plan your application carefully.

It's expected the site will be busy in the first few days so don't be afraid to come back later rather than look for alternative sites that may not be genuine.

See the full schedule of events and prices before applying.

What do they cost

Ticket prices start at £20 and go up to several £100s for the main events and £2,000 for the opening ceremony.

There are also some special prices available for young people (those aged 16 and under, on 27 July 2012, will pay their age for a ticket) and seniors (those aged 60 and over, on 27 July 2012, will pay £16).

If you can’t afford tickets, there are some free events such as the marathon, race walk and road cycling.

What happens next

All your applications will be put into a ballot if the event is oversubscribed and chosen at random. This could mean you get all of the tickets you’ve applied for, in which case you need to pay for them all, or none.

How to pay

When it’s been decided which tickets you’ve been allocated payment will be taken between Tuesday 10 May 2011 and Friday 10 June 2011, so when you apply online ensure your payment card is valid beyond that date.

The only ways to pay are:

Online - Via a Visa card (debit, credit, prepaid or virtual cards - where you don’t actually receive a physical plastic card but you're provided with the details to be able to shop online), as Visa's a sponser of the games.

Paper applications - via cheques or postal orders made payable to London 2012.

What if you can’t afford all the tickets

Don’t apply for too many tickets as you may be given them all and payment taken in one swoop. The only way to get rid of tickets afterwards is via London 2012, it’s illegal to sell them in any other way.

The resale process won’t open until the end of 2011 so you could be stuck with them for a while.

Fantastic Leisure Activities and Cheap Days Out

We would like to wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Below we have some fantastic cheap days out and Leaisure activities you can take advantage of in the next few months.

Ripley's Believe It or Not 2 for £29Print voucher

Get two tickets for £28.80 to Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in Piccadilly Circus, London.
Tickets are normally £22.95 each for adults and £20.95 for children, and this offer includes two Mirror Maze passes and guidebooks.
How do I get it?
Print off this Ripley's voucher and hand over at the ticket office. One voucher is valid for up to six people.
What is Ripley's Believe It or Not?
It's a museum which exhibits lots of bizarre displays (i.e. a Tower Bridge replica made from matchsticks), as well as lots of strange events and facts that are almost unbelievable.
The deal: Two tickets for £28.80. Valid: Mon-Sun. How: Print voucher. Expires: Sun 6 Feb. Excludes: Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Year's Eve & Day. Offer from: Ripley's Believe It or Not. Restrictions: Six people per voucher.

Free 6 week golf beginner's courseRegister online
Get a free £60 six week golf beginner's course at four UK locations with World Of Golf, as well as a free 7 iron golf club worth around £15. The courses are available at the Glasgow, New Malden, Croydon & Sidcup centres and run from January to end of February but more dates will be added later.
To book a course, simply visit the World Of Golf booking page, select your centre and then the date you wish to start the course. The course comprises of 6 x1 hour lessons, which are to be on the same day and time every week for six consecutive weeks. You will receive an email confirming your place on the course two weeks before it is due to start.
There are over a 1,300 places for adults and 345 places for children, and it's on a first come first served basis, so it's advised you book as soon as possible. For every lesson, you'll need to hire a medium bucket of golf balls, which is £4.20-£4.50, depending on the centre.
The deal: Free 6x 1hour beginner's gold lessons at 4 UK locations. Valid: 01 Jan 2011 - late Feb '11, though more dates will be added. How: Pick a venue and book online. Expires: Mon 28 Feb, though will be extended. Excludes: N/A Offer from: World Of Golf. Restrictions: You need to hire a bucket of golf balls for every lesson. Lessons will take place on the same day each week at the times indicated for 6 consecutive weeks, unless otherwise stated. Limited to one course per customer. Subject to availability.

50% off Shakespeare housesClick 'n' print voucher
Get a 50% off ticket for The Shakespeare Houses, Stratford-Upon-Avon, with this instant click 'n' print Shakespeare's Houses voucher. The deal's available until 31 Jan 2011.
There are five different 'houses' and you can use this voucher to visit them all.
The houses include:

• Shakespeare's Birthplace
• Dig for Shakespeare at New Place (closed until April 2011)
• Hall's Croft
• Anne Hathaway's Cottage
• Mary Arden's Farm (closed from 1 Nov - 21 March 2011)

The ticket usually costs £19.50 so this'll make it £9.75, plus it gives you unlimited entry for a year. The deal: 50% off. Valid: 12 months. How: Print voucher. Expires: Sun 31 Jan. Excludes: Family tickets. Offer from: Shakespeare's Houses & Gardens. Restrictions: Not valid with other offers.

OR...

2for1 Shakespeare HousesClick 'n' print
Get 2for1 entry into The Shakespeare Houses, Stratford-Upon-Avon, with this instant click 'n' print Shakespeare Houses voucher. The ticket'll give you unlimited entry for 12 months.
There are five different 'houses' and you can use this 2for1 voucher to visit them all.
The houses include:

• Shakespeare's Birthplace
• Dig for Shakespeare at New Place (closed until April 2011)
• Hall's Croft
• Anne Hathaway's Cottage
• Mary Arden's Farm (closed from 1 Nov - 21 March 2011)

As usual, buying one full price adult ticket will get someone else in for free. An adult 'five houses' ticket usually costs £19.50, so it's a good saving if two adults attend.
The deal: 2for1 entry. Valid: On the day. How: Print voucher. Expires: Sun 31 Jan. Excludes: Family tickets, special events/exhibitions. Offer from: Shakespeare's Houses & Gardens. Restrictions: Not valid with other offers.

2for1 'Big Wheels' ticketsClick 'n' print
Get 2for1 adult tickets for 'Big Wheel' rides at Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester and Weston-super-Mare.
Simply print off this 2for1 voucher from moneysupermarket.com and hand it to the ticket office at any of the locations. It cannot be redeemed with online ticket purchases.
The Manchester Wheel and Liverpool Wheel usually cost £7.50 at the gate for standard adult tickets, whilst Sheffield and Weston-super-Mare cost £6.50, so it's not a bad little saving. Click the links for individual opening times.
The voucher is valid till Feb 2011 for Manchester and Liverpool, Oct 2010 for Sheffield and Sept 2010 for Weston-super-Mare.
The deal: 2for1 adult tickets. Valid: On the day. How: Print voucher. Expires: Various, see above. Excludes: Online bookings. Offer from: moneysupermarket. Restrictions: Adult tickets only.

Playgolf free £10 ball credit at HarrowSign up to newsletter
Get £10 free golf ball credit at Playgolf Northwick Park (Harrow), on the driving ranges.
Just sign up to the Playgolf Northwick newsletter to get the offer.
After registering you'll be sent an email (check your junk box) with the offer to print off and take to the ticket office to redeem.
It applies to new newsletter registrations only, and you can only use the £10 ball credit once and within a month of the email.
The offer is pretty good, as 100 balls on the driving range normally costs £7.50, meaning with this deal you'll get them free and have credit left over.

Rileys free memberships for 12-18 year oldsIn store offer
Rileys is giving out 147,000 free memberships (usually £5) for 12-18 year olds to join its pool and snooker clubs.
To get the offer, just visit your local Rileys and ask for 'Ronnie's giveaway offer' (the promo's being lead by Ronnie O'Sullivan). Memberships last for one year.
There are 120 Rileys clubs throughout the UK. Find your nearest Rileys.

Free swims with Schweppes Abbey Well waterGrab selected bottle tops
Get free swims Mon-Fri at c.500 UK pools with Scwheppes Abbey Well water bottle tops.
All 500ml/750ml bottle tops are valid for the promotion. A 500ml bottle costs anything from around 40p - 70p (currently 43p at Tesco), depending on where you get it.
For your free swim, just take the bottle top (it should say Sch...wim cap on the top) to your nearest participating pool during valid free swim sessions (see below). Sportscaps on 750ml still bottles don't have Sch...wim cap on the top but are still valid for a free swim.
Each pool has its own set of T&Cs on the offer, so once you’ve selected your pool, click on 'opening times & more info' and the next page will show you what times you can swim for free at that pool.
The bottle caps are valid until 02/02/2011 and they can't be used with any other offers.
The deal: Free swims. Valid: See individual pool T&Cs. How: Hand Schweppes Abbey Mills Sch...wim cap bottle tops to ticket office. Expires: 02/02/2011. Excludes: Weekends. See individual pool T&Cs. Offer from: Schweppes. Restrictions: Mon-Fri only. See individual pool T&Cs.

Free football coaching for kidsBook online or by phone

The FA Tesco Skills Programme runs at 36 venues across England during school holidays, excluding Christmas. You don't need to buy anything - just book online or by phone at least two days in advance. Each session lasts two hours, from 10am-12pm or 1pm-3pm, over one or two days.
The deal: Free football coaching. Valid: During school holidays, 5-11 year olds only. How: Find venue, book online / by phone. Expires: Ongoing. Excludes: Christmas holidays. Offer from: FA Tesco Skills. Restrictions: Subject to availability. Max. 1 session per day. Kids must be signed in by a parent / guardian.

York Castle Museum 2for1 kids go freeJust turn up!

Up to ten kids (under 16s) can go free with one paying adult at the York Castle Museum. No need for vouchers, you just need to turn up on the day (no advance bookings available). Child entries are usually £4 so if you're lucky enough to have ten kids, then this could save you £40. Adult entry is £8. It’s valid on the day until at least 31 Mar 2011. The offer isn't valid for organised groups. Check out the York Castle Museum site for opening times.

The deal: Up to 10 free child entries with a paying adult. Valid: On the day. How: Just turn up! Expires: 31 Mar '11. Excludes: Organised groups. Offer from: York Museum Trust. Restrictions: 16s & under must be accompanied by a paying adult. Organised groups excluded.

Yorkshire Museum 2for1 kids go free
Kids go free with one paying adult to Yorkshire Museum when it re-opens on Sun 1 Aug. Standard adult tickets cost £7.
This doesn't require any voucher, it is an offer put on by the museum after a refurbishment and will last until at least the end of the year. The child tickets used to be £4.
Children are classed as under 16.
The deal: 2for1 kids go free with paying adult. Valid: On the day. How: Just turn up. Expires: Dec 31. Excludes: Organised groups.Offer from: York Museums Trust. Restrictions: Children must be accompanied by full paying adult.

I

London - Attractions Not To Miss Out On

By Mark Walters

There are many, many attractions that tourists in London visit annually but there are several that every London visitor has to see.

- Big Ben: the bell in the clock at the north end of Westminster Palace. Big Ben is the largest chiming clock with four faces in the world. It is the largest free standing clock tower in the world.

- The Tower of London: is on the north bank of the River Thames. It was founded in 1066 during the Norman Conquest. The White Tower, from which the castle takes its name, was built by William the Conqueror. It became a prison in 1100 and has been used as one since. The tower of London is a group of building set within two concentric rings of walls and a moat that surrounds it.

- London Bridge: spans the River Thames. It connects London City and Southwark in central London. The present bridge opened in 1793, one of many bridges to have appeared at the same site. In fact, a bridge has existed at or near the present site since the time of the Roman occupation, which was nearly 2,000 years ago.

- The Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard: London's number one tourist attraction. In 1702 it was built as the London Home of the Duke of Buckingham. The state rooms of Buckingham Palace are open to the public from late July to September. The military groups that guard the royal residences in London are the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Life Guard.

- The London Eye (Millennium Wheel): is the largest Ferris wheel is Europe. It stands 443 feet or 135 metres tall. The number one paid tourist attraction in the UK, it is the largest Ferris wheel in Europe. It is on the South Bank of the Thames in the borough of Lambeth at the western end of Jubilee Gardens.

- Princess Diana's Memorial: was officially opened in July 2004 by Queen Elizabeth II. It was designed to express Princess Diana's love of children. It is in the southwest corner of Hyde Park.

Any visitor to London could be kept busy 24/7 visiting exciting places. The ones mentioned above are just the "tip of the iceberg" of things to do and see when visiting historic London.

About the Author:

More : Budget Hotel London

River Thames Sightseeing Cruise and London Eye

If you want to leave the tube to the stressed-out commuters for a more relaxing way of travelling around London, enjoying the sights on a river cruiser along the Thames. Board your city cruiser and head down the river to Greenwich.

The cruise gives you a real insight into the layers of history that have built up along the river, an amazing mixture of old and new, with great views of the Houses of Parliament, Tate Modern, St Paul's and many more London landmarks.

Any time you want, you can hop off the boat at any one of four piers, explore and then hop back on later. You can then make your way to the London Eye where you may have to queue a bit, but it'll certainly be worth it when you climb aboard your (air-conditioned) capsule. The Eye slowly turns, giving you sensational panoramic views across London from 135 metres up. Whether you're new to the capital or a born and bred Londoner, this is a fantastic way to enjoy the sights from two unique perspectives

Check out the promtional video below and we have added some Key info too

Key Info

Availability:
Operates every day of the year except Christmas Day. The London Eye is closed on Christmas Day and for annual maintenance between 10 - 21 January. The London Eye opening times April - September are 10am - 9pm daily and October - March from 10am - 8pm daily.

Participant Guidelines:
Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a participating adult. We are pleased to advise that the sightseeing boats and London Eye offer full wheelchair access.

Duration:
From Westminster Pier, the earliest departure is at 10am with others throughout the day (you are free to hop on or off the cruiser during any of the many stops). Your flight on the London Eye lasts 30 minutes and can be taken anytime during the day.

Numbers On Day:
The river cruiser carries a maximum of 250 passengers.
Spectators: Spectators are welcome to wave you off from the river bank

If your visiting London soon, we highly reccomend The River Thames Sightseeing Cruise and London Eye Tour as one of your leisure activities. Visit the link today for nore details!

Leisure could be one of UK's fastest growing industries in the next 10 years!

Recently mentioned in the Daily Telegraph, Leisure business leaders have urged the Government to back Britain's £115bn tourist industry with tax breaks and fresh investment in recognition of the role it can play in kick-starting the economy.

New research by accountants Deloitte shows that tourism could be one of Britain's fastest growing industries over the next decade, with the visitor economy expected to account for 2.9m UK jobs by 2020, up 250,000 on today. Tourism's gross value added contribution – a measure of its economic impact – is expected to rise by 3.5pc a year. That compares to 2.9pc across the total economy.

Leading leisure companies – such as Premier Inn-owner Whitbread and Merlin Entertainments, which owns Madame Tussauds, Alton Towers and a string of leisure attractions around the world – believe the growth would be faster if there was targeted Government support and a more proactive approach from the Treasury.

Alan Parker, Whitbread chief executive, said he believed ministerial responsibility for tourism was currently in the wrong department, and urged Britain to follow the lead set in continental Europe and cut VAT to boost investment.

"We have been lumped in with sport in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. I think tourism needs to be part of a business department," said Mr Parker, pointing out that tourism was Britain's fifth biggest industry. He said the Treasury had "always been a drag because it regards everything as a cost rather than a benefit". He urged the spending department to take a more enlightened approach to taxation to boost investment in new hotel stock.

"Why is it that every other major economy in Western Europe has been cutting VAT on hotel accommodation, while we are paying 17.5pc and it's probably going up," he said. He cited Germany's cut from 19pc to 7pc and France's reduction from 19.6pc to 5.5pc. In Spain, the rate is 5.5pc.

His arguments were supported by Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin.
"The UK deserves a level playing field for tourism because the current situation puts us at a serious value disadvantage against our international competitors," he said. "Cutting VAT would boost tourism's earning power which, in turn, would allow us to create thousands of new jobs. "If the Government really wants to make a difference in these straightened economic times, our sector has a key role to play. The UK's tourism trade deficit has rocketed from £3.9bn in 1996 to £19.4bn today and is forecast to rise to £25bn by 2020.

"This means that for every five people who travel out from the UK as tourists, only two come back the other way. We believe that the Government's refusal to acknowledge our basic uncompetitive position is the key driver behind the falling tourist rates to this country and yet another example of the lack of political support for this key UK industry."
Mr Parker and Mr Varney were speaking on the eve of British tourism week – an opportunity, according to VisitBritain chairman Christopher Rodrigues, for the country to showcase the industry.

The week will see various celebrations of premier UK attractions, including last night's illumination of Hadrian's Wall – Britain's longest historic monument – where more than a thousand volunteers helped light the 84-mile path stretching from coast to coast.

Mr Rodrigues called for a "relatively modest" £10m increase in VisitBritain's £40m budget, arguing that the Treasury could make back its investment in tourism eight times over via proceeds from air passenger duty (APD) and VAT receipts alone – before even considering the spin-off benefits to other parts of the Economy. He said it cost about £40 to attract a long-haul visitor, but half of that sum came from foreign carriers that matched any promotional spending by the UK Government. "That generates £168 in VAT and APD alone," Mr Rodrigues said. "That's an eight times return on the Government's investment. If you could do a private equity deal and buy in-bound tourism revenue you would do it tomorrow." He said, however, that "last year we could not match foreign carrier desire to spend. We had the best part of £10m that we couldn't match." With the pound weak against the euro and the dollar, the strong interest in visiting Britain is likely to increase.

"In the short term, if you want to pump some adrenaline into the economy, tourism gets a lot of ticks. There is a very clear business case for a modest investment in tourism - say another £10m," Mr Rodrigues said.

However, he admitted:

"We have not yet won the battle with the Treasury. It should be a slam-dunk, but sadly it isn't."

Mr Rodrigues believed this was because "the only time people are interested in tourism is when it isn't there, such as during the foot and mouth crisis. They forget it's a huge industry. But it's sort of invisible and governments take it for granted. Those who get it big time are developing countries, like Mauritius, where tourism accounts for 25pc-30pc of the economy."

The Government, he said, could learn from such nations, particularly in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics. That's because tourism had a "Heineken effect - it refreshes parts of the country other industries do not reach".

The latest Deloitte research shows that one in 12 jobs in the UK is supported by tourism – an industry that is particularly adept at attracting workers of all skill levels, with small businesses accounting for 80pc of the 200,000 companies involved in the visitor economy.

Mr Rodrigues said 30m international tourists currently visit Britain a year, ranking it the sixth most popular destination by visitors – behind France, USA, Spain, China and Italy. International tourists spend £16bn, with tourism Britain's third biggest earner of foreign exchange. "We are an industry almost like the submarine service – run silent, run deep," he said.

"It gives the economic return on the investment a nation makes in it's social and cultural assets. This is how we monetise all of that."