TRAFALGAR TRAILS; Where to Stay for London 2012

So you have been saving up for this Olympics since you saw Usain Bolt break the world record on TV in 2008. Not only are you going to the 2012 Olympics in London, but you are going to do it in style.

Cartan Tours offers it all in one stop; five days' event tickets, six-nights three- to five-star hotel accommodations, airport transfers and baggage handling, transportation (tube, rail and bus passes), breakfast and souvenirs.

They also have three packages/programmes dubbed appropriately 'Bronze', 'Silver' and 'Gold'. The difference among them would be the number of stars the hotel has and maybe the type of souvenir. The hotels aren't in walking distance from the Olympic Park but they are very easily accessible by public transport and the cost of this is included in the package. If you don't like the idea of public transport, you can always hire a car and have a headache about where to park and parking fees or you can hire a town car or taxi to take you around. Cars will be restricted from getting too close to the games, so you will end up having to walk farther than the distance between public transport station and the Olympic Zone.

Different packages

For the non-athletics programme, there are six package options, depending on the date of arrival, ranging from US$2,395 to US$6,895 (approximately J$209,000 to J$600,000). For athletics programmes, there are only two package options starting at US$7,080 to US$10,935 (J$616,000 to J$952,000). If you can't get a ticket but you want to experience everything else, you can get three nights for between US$2,395 and US$3,995 (J$209,000 to J$348,000) and six nights from US$4,395 to US$6,895 (J$383,000 to J$600,000). These prices are per person based on two persons sharing a room.

I know some eyes are bulging out of their sockets right now, but these packages are actually very good value for your money considering what it includes and the Howard London hotel (used in the Gold programme) normally goes for over £500 (J$69,000) per person per night. If luxury is the way you want to experience the Olympics, I can't really recommend anything else.

Don't worry. There are many other nice hotels and bed and breakfasts in central London or near the Olympic Park, but you will have to book early (meaning now) and be prepared to find them at rates much higher than what you would usually pay. If you would be used to paying US$120 to US$150 per night, be prepared to pay £150-£200 for the same hotel and same type of room.

The official Cartan Tours packages and any other hotel accommodations can be booked through Trafalgar Travel.

Located in nine countries, Trafalgar Travel's techn-ologically savvy software's access to negotiated rates and award-winning service gives you security in knowing we are truly your international travel partners.

NB: Please note that prices are quoted in GBP and will only be calculated at the local rate at the time of booking.