London Olympics & Paralympics 2012 - travel guides

From the 27th July to 12th August, London’s hosting of the Olympics will have a significant impact on travel and transport infrastructure.  The Paralympics which runs from 29th August to 9th September will also cause interruption and congestion to business travellers arriving in the capital.

We have collated some key materials provided by the Olympic organisers to help you plan any London visits to avoid unnecessary delays or problems.

The underground lines that serve our office are also routes for Olympic spectators and so visitors to 90 Fenchurch Street will find the Docklands Light Railway, the Jubilee and Central lines are particularly congested.

Whilst spectators will not be permitted to travel to venues by car, the reservation of road space for Olympic officials and participants will also impact on business travel to London’s West End, City and Docklands areas.  The “Games Lanes” exclude both private and public transport i.e. buses and taxis.  Temporary parking restrictions will also be introduced in many areas of London outside of the Olympic site.

Many Olympic visitors will be staying in out of town locations and their travel will have an effect on overground rail traffic as well.

Interactive guides to transport during Olympics

These interactive maps are very effective for pinpointing the interruptions on a particular day for a particular location or route.  Clicking on the three links below delivers you to a corresponding interactive map which describe the impact of Olympic traffic on a journey.  You can click on specific dates and then specific stations or roads for very specific advice in those areas.

Underground rail system

http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/travelinaffectedareas/city/london-public-transport.html#

Overground rail

http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/travelinaffectedareas/city/london-national-rail.html#

Road traffic

http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/travelinaffectedareas/city/london-road-predicted-impacts.html

Advisory websites

“Get ahead of the Games”

http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/

This is the main official site providing advice and resources on Olympic arrangements for both residents and visitors to London.

London Traffic

http://www.londontraffic.org/olympic-traffic/
This website carries wider information on London traffic as well as focusing on the Olympics.  The site offers an iPhone app as a means of keeping constantly in touch with traffic problems.

City of London FAQs for the Olympics

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Sports_clubs_and_centres/Sports-information_and_booking/London_2012_Games/the_city_and_2012_faqs.htm

A lengthy set of FAQs covering such topics as travel and transport, the local Olympic Route Network, building sites, street works.

British International Freight Association

http://www.bifa.org/content/home.aspx

This website shows how British freight transport has been accommodating the changes in London and other Olympic sites.  This offers some interesting insights on what is happening.  A presentation from BIFA is linked here.

London 2012

http://www.london2012.com/

This is the official main website for the London Olympics and provides information on all the venues, events and schedules for both the Olympics and Paralympics.

This site also offers mobile apps for both general Olympic news updates & information as well as a mobile based results service.   http://www.london2012.com/mobileapps/index.html