London Olympics: Getting Tickets

With tickets for the Olympic games going on sale in March it's time to plan. First you'll need a Visa card ... and deep pockets.

Back in the summer of 2005, when it was announced London had won the right to host the Olympic games, 2012 seemed like half a lifetime away. But the world's greatest sporting event will be here in 18 months' time - and tickets go on sale in March, so it's not too soon to start giving it some thought.

If you're keen to go to several events, you will need two things: a Visa card and deep pockets. The official advice is that to maximise your chances of getting tickets, you will need to apply for lots of things. But be warned: if you get everything you apply for, you are committed to buying all those tickets - which could mean a bill of hundreds of pounds. So families on a budget will need to think carefully.

Forget Take That, Wimbledon and Glastonbury - London 2012 is set to trigger a ticket frenzy that will dwarf all of those. Around 8.8m tickets will be available, plus another 2m for the Paralympic Games. So far, well over 1.9 million people have registered an interest in buying them.

When ticket prices were announced in October, Olympics minister Hugh Robertson pledged that "people of all ages and budgets will have the chance to attend". But some voiced doubts after it emerged that only 2.5m of the tickets would cost £20 or less, with a top-price seat at the men's 100m final or one of the swimming finals set to cost £725 and £450 respectively. Here, we tell you all you need to know (based on what we know so far) about getting those must-have pieces of paper.

How will it work?
You will be able to apply for tickets from March 2011. About 75% of the 8.8m total will go on sale to the public. Sign up to receive information by logging on to the 2012 tickets website.

How much will they cost?
Full-price tickets start at £20 for all sports, though what you pay will vary depending on the event and where you sit/stand. You can view the detailed pricing information on the 2012 website.

Prices will be per session, the length of which will vary from sport to sport. There will be 649 sessions across 26 sports. Good news if you have kids: more than 200 of the sessions will allow anyone 16 or under at the start of the games to "pay their age" for the ticket - and anyone over 60 pays £16.
How can I get the tickets I want?

Unlike Take That shows or other "hot" events, this isn't going to be first come, first served, so there is nothing to be gained from submitting your application on the first day, organisers say.
The application window will be open for a set time, after which all applications will be considered equally, they add: "With so many sports, venues and days to consider, we recommend you take your time and discuss your plans with family and friends."

For sessions where demand exceeds supply, there will be a ballot. "To increase your chances of being successful, we recommend you apply for more than one or two sessions and for a range of sports," says the Olympics ticketing team. Early indications are that the sports that will see the highest demand include athletics, swimming, gymnastics, diving, tennis and cycling.

What happens after I've applied?
It's only after the tickets have been allocated and payment taken that you will find out whether you have got what you applied for. "If you are successful in all your session applications, you are committed to buying all the tickets," say the organisers.

Can I sell tickets I don't want?
It will be illegal to sell tickets for a profit, unless you are an authorised partner, such as Thomas Cook, which will be offering hotel and ticket packages to international travellers. So if you put tickets up on, say, eBay, you will be committing an offence. However, London 2012 is developing an online exchange through which people can resell them.

Can I give them to friends/family?
The name of the buyer will be printed on the ticket, but it's unlikely that ID will be required when presenting them. A London 2012 spokesman says: "The person buying the ticket will have their name on the ticket and therefore be responsible for them. If you can't make it and pass it on to someone else, then we will be sensible about it, but our default position is that the buyer is responsible."

I don't live in London. Is there anything for me?
Travel and accommodation costs may put off lots of Brits from outside the capital. Non-London options are sailing, which is being held off the coast of Weymouth and Portland Harbour in Dorset; rowing, which will be at Eton Dorney near Windsor Castle, 40km west of London; and football, which will be held at the City of Coventry Stadium, Hampden Park in Glasgow, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Old Trafford in Manchester and St James' Park in Newcastle. Mountain biking will take place in Hadleigh Farm, between Basildon and Southend in Essex.

How do I apply - and what's all this about a Visa card?
You will be able to apply online at the 2012 website or via forms that will be available from shops. A Visa card (credit, debit or prepaid) will be the only payment method accepted for online applications - in recognition, organisers say, of the company's support for the games. However, cheques and postal orders will also be accepted for paper applications. If you've only got a MasterCard or Amex, you should probably think about taking out one of the numerous Visa prepaid cards available.

www.guardian.co.uk

http://www.londonolympics2012.com/