Anyone planning on going to the Winter Olympics in 2010?
 

I have always wanted to attend the Winter Olympics! I am seriously thinking about it - It Will give me something fun to look forward to! just curious if any other Fodorites are considering this!!

Although I live less than 250 miles from Whistler, BC, I can't picture myself actually going to the Olympics.

But for others around the continent who are inclined to go, I sure recommend making the trek to Vancouver, which is gorgeous any time of the year.

I'm a winter sports fan, especially figure skating, and Vancouver being such a short flight away, I would love to - but with what I've been hearing about accommodation prices for the Vancouver area in 2010 (homes being rented for $30,000 a month!!!), I'll just stay home and watch it on TV!!!

I'm planning on being there as well. Not sure how I'm going to get tix tho...LOL!

Figure skating is the draw for me - I'm heading to LA for the Worlds 2009 (last one before the Olympics) in anticipation.

Those Van accomm prices are scary! I hope to crash at some family's while I'm there.

Enjoy-la!

We are thinking about it. Tickets won't be available until October of this year, so we will see.

Probably depends on if we can get a hotel room at a not-completely-outrageous price.

We were just in Vancouver at the beginning of our Alaska trip, and we fell in love with it.

I'm planning on going with a few other couples.

I was wondering if hotle prices would be completely outrageous!

I guess I won't be able to use my Hilton or Marriot rewards for this time frame!!! :)

I want to see the bobsled and skiing! I guess I need to see how expensive these tickets are!!!

I just found my own thread from last year - I forgot I posted. I am still thinking about this.

Anybody considering this! Any tips, suggestions for getting started with this adventure?

It is fun to look ahead! I am sick of all the bad news going around right now!!!

You are more that a tad late with your planning. I live in the vancouver area and hotels in close proximity to any of the venues have been booked solid for ages.

Also the hope of getting tickets to any event at a reasonable price is non existent. They were sold out long ago. Only hope is local organizing committees tickets which are marketed separately- depending on where you live.

Well, there goes that idea....
Thanks for the info.
Maybe the next one..

It's true hotel rooms have been booked in blocks but in many cases this was an insurance move (for media etc) and rooms will be released over the next few months so more will be available. Not saying it will be easy to find accomodations but it won't be impossible. And locals' dreams of getting 30 grand rent are way off the mark. Things will settle down once reality sets in for people.
And there are always ways to get tickets.

All I'm saying is that in their "enthusiasm", Vancouverites might actually be scaring people away by assuming the city and the games are so popular there's no point in even trying to attend at this point....

hopefully! i entered a contest thingy http://www.hihostelspm.ca/blogthegames so it should be pretty awesome.

I'm going! I even managed to use FF points for my airfare and got my paws on some figure skating tix (= Yipppeee! Will see what other tix are available at a reasonable cost while I'm there - would love to see Apollo skate even tho I know very little about short track...LOL!

Will have to figure out if a visit to Whistler is possible when I'm there just to check out all the Olympic happenings.

astroboy, cool contest - good luck!

Enjoy-la!

you must do a trip report! I really wanted to go to Italy for the Winter Olympics last time and vowed I would try to go to Canada - did not work.....

Let us know all about it!!

There was an announcement this morning that there were about 25,000 tickets still unsold. So, lots of opportunities.

I am a day's drive from Vancouver (or could take the train there for free) and I have friends there that I could stay with... but I wouldn't go during the Olympics, even if you paid me. I hate crowds and avoid them as much as possible. Besides the TV coverage is better for actually seeing the events.

@taggie - One other opportunity is to win some VIP Olympics tickets and accommodations through Hilton's Official Guest of Team USA sweepstakes. All you have to do is book online at the following link before Dec 31st. I'm helping out on the promotion so feel free to ask me any questions. Thanks!

http://www.hiltonhhonors.com/officialguest

We live close to Vancouver a recently watched a Global TV news hour report about car rentals during the Winter Olympics.

Budget is the least expensive at $90 a day, Hertz has cars at $242 a day, many others such as Enterprise, Alamo, National and Avis are sold out.

Accommodations: Try a home exchange as an alternative toa hotel room. Browse through the BC home exchange listings from several services. There is a BC Vancouver Island based service that has lots of swaps for the Olympics and throughout the year. Just do a google search under BC home exchange.

If you agree to swap cars, this would save heaps in rental and accommodation costs.

Since there is zero public parking either in Whistler or at any Olympic venue, and since there will be lots of street closures and TONS of shuttle buses to venues, no Olympic visitor should need to rent a car anyway.

There is another thread going about this too:
http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...his-winter.cfm

To the OP, have seen your previous posts re Empire Builder train - just wondered if you ever did that one? It'd be a great excuse/way to get to V'couver, either that or the VIA Rail journey across Canada. We've moved the Empire Builder up to the top of our 'next trip' list....

Hi tuckerdc -

We have not done it yet. DH wanted to go this past Fall but there was always something holding us up - Work - Fall is my busy season.
He wants to go in late spring.
When you go please make a trip report!! I will do the same!

Yes, Yes and YES again!

I am so glad that I found this thread. I was just thinking that it was odd that no Fodorites would be making the journey.

I have been busily planning eveything for months and I am very excited. The ticket purchasing and the transportation details and the restaurant reservations and...WOW securing accomodations has been loads of invaluable work!

So here is the outline:

I have 18 Olympic Event Tickets!
I 30 restaurant reservations...secured
I have one fantastic accomodation and I am excited, excited...excited.

I will come back with more details. I m kinda rushing around and waiting for a very special delivery today!

Cheers!

Oaktoown - I am envious indeed!

I have Olympic tickets too and I'm very excited. We purchased a package of hotel, flights and tickets to 3 venues at a charity silent auction in the fall.

We are seeing men's hockey, curling and short track speed skating. We live in Ontario, Canada and love winter sports. Lots of snow here.

We visited Vancouver last year for a week and loved the city.

I'm going to several events, but then again, I live downtown and will be pretty much in the heart of the craziness. My only regret is not being able to buy Opening Ceremony tickets.

Annesherrod:

I am truly beyond excited. The tickets arrived a couple of nights ago. I am simply elated. I have been to Vancouver a few times and I can't wait.

So, inbetween now and then I plan to continue enjoying this lovely Christmas season and I am going to study up on every sport that I will see...the people, the rules, the records and of course...the drama!

Carmanah:

Will it be all wlking in the downtown area? How far and how many blocks are defined as downtown? Will taxi's be available? How much will they cost? If you know someone in the USA you can buy OFFICIAL Opening Ceremony Tickets still. We, the USA citizens, have Opening and Closing and a few Ice Hockey tickets available now from Cosport, our official ticket company.

Let me know what you know about the downtown. I have all of the public transportaion info and websites and am just wondering if no cars downtown is real?

Thanks!

Oaktown, have you ever tried driving through downtown Vancouver on a normal day? Since there aren't highways through the city, it's all surface streets, with stoplights at every block. The last time I tried to drive through the city center, on the way back from Whistler (hey, it was Sunday night! I thought there couldn't possibly be traffic) I remember thinking even Manhattan isn't this bad. So I would take the suggestions to use public transit very seriously.

My events are in Whistler, and we've rented a condo there. I'm wondering how bad that drive will be, given that there will be a checkpoint on the Sea to Sky Hwy to keep people that don't have parking out. I guess it'll take as long as it takes...

getting very jealous........

Hmphhh!

I guess some Olympic trip reports are in order??!

TuckerDC--

I did the Empire Builder last year and hope you enjoy it as much as I did (it was a dream of mine also)... Truly a superlatively gorgeous North American train ride as it passes through Glacier Park, the desert of eastern Washington and into the evergreen Cascade Mountain region. And I used it too to get to British Columbia (visited mostly Seattle and Victoria, BC that trip).

My trip report from http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...rth-americ.cfm

Best wishes,

Daniel

I rec'd my figureskating tix today: Pairs Short, Row 13...yippppeee!

Enjoy-la!

I promised you an update and detials after the holidays so since every santa and house bulb is stored away in the garage here goes...ready???

Okay by category:

Tickets all "A" level one or two "B" level seats:

Opening Ceremony

Closing Ceremony

Curling Women's Qualification USA vs Japan and 6 more countries

Ice Hockey Women's Prelim featuring USA vs. Finland

Alpine Skiing Ladie's Super G

Freestyle Skiing Men's Ski Cross Qualifications

Snowboard Ladies Parallel Giant Slalom Quals/final/final(no seat...I will stand in my spot as purchased...laugh!)

Speed Skating Mens 500m Individual Final

Figure Skating Ice Dance Free Dance

Figure SKating Pairs Short Program

Figure Skating Ice Dance Compulsorary

Short Track Speed Skating Ladies 1000m, mens 500m, ladies 300m

Figure skating ladies short program

Figure Skating ladies free program

Figure Skating Gal Exhibition

Ice Hockey Women's Prelims Canada vs Slovakia

Ice Hockey Mens Prelim's Sweden Vs. Germany

OK: Olympic Food CONFIRMATIONS with the REQUIRED credit card for most of these. Note I will be in Vancouver for a month so yes, these are the 30 that made the cut. One is a tea and one is for breakfast making a total of 32.:

Bacchus

Q4

Italian Kitchen

Raincity Grill

West Restaurant

Kobe Restaurant

Bluewater Cafe

Coast Restaurant

IL Giardino Restaurant

Heron's Restaurant

The Secret Garden Hig Tea

Market by Jean- George Restaurant

Fleuri Restaurant

Diva at The Met

Bishop's Restaurant

Parkside Restaurant

Tojo's Restaurant

DB Bistro

The Cannery Restaurant

Chambar Restaurant

Le Crocodile's Restaurant

CinCin Restaurant

C Restaurant

Luminiere Restaurant

The William Tell Restaurant

Cioppino Restaurant

Joe Fortes Restaurant

FigMint Restaurant

Arixa Restaurant in Whistler

Five Sails Restaurant

Medina for Breakfast

Now for Winter Olympic Transportation:

I am taking the train from California all the way to Vancouver. I have a private bath sleeper car and I am very excited. I LOVE trains so this is a real dream for me. I am leaving Cali. well before my first event which is OPening Ceremonies. I fly back to San Francisco a couple of days after the olympics ends. I do not like the whole crowded airport thing and I love Vancouver and that I will get to enjoy it when all of the crowds are gone and before the Para Olympics really get going.

HOUSING:

How shall I put this? I have a beautiful, beautiful two bedroom fancy condo with a balcony and state of the art everything in downtown Vancouver. It is steps away from BC Place and not too far from Canada Place.
I guess the kitchen will serve as a breakfast thing and maybe a late night warm up delicious leftover thing? I will buy tons of wine and fresh fruits, etc.
I have a roomie for less than 5 of my days. She is great,did the Beijing Olympics so she is "ready" for the Vancouver experience.

I will use the bus, tram, sky thingy and taxi's to get me to my restaurants. I will walk lots too. I have a driver from the train station as I have LOTS of luggage....smile!

PACKING:

I have new snow things: boots, gloves, scarves, jacket, vest, pants, etc. This stuff weighs a ton.

I have all of my 35mm camera equiptment...still GRIN!

I have a bunch of pretty cashmere sweater sets and great matching in color pants that will keep me warm while I look good wink!

I have some of my Inauguration dress up for the evenings that will be cold but where I need to look nice for the restaurants.

I have marked the cultural events and museums and exhibits that I want to visit and I look forward to the free celebrations around Vancouver. Their are ticketed celebrations and ceremonies and I will see how that fits into my very tightly scheduled 30 days. Of course their are some corporate and invitation only receptions and la-dee-da's and I will see if I feel like doing that since I do that at home alot.
I have been to Vancouver several times but find it amazing everytime I visit.

I am SO ready to go!

I have studied, and I am still studying all of the winter sports, rules, regulations, medal history, drama, comedy and so on so forth so that I will know what is going on and who to watch. I have not a clue about curling but have three Winter Olympic Books that tell me everything that I could ever want to know. I am keeping up with the ABC winter olympic website and the USA olympic team website and so on so forth. Yes, inbetween college footbal, which is now over and Pro basketball and college basketball, I am watching The World Cup. I keep screaming everytime they go down the hill...so exciting!!!!

I am in heaven on earth...

Well, I told you I would get back to you. I hope I did not disappoint!

Cheers!

That sounds Fabulous!!!!

Well Oaktown, sounds like you're all ready. Just wanted to add a couple of restaurants to your list. You've picked some very good ones and some are a little on the pricier side. Chambar (recommended) is great – not far from where I live, but if you're in the same neighborhood give Cafe Medina a try. It's open for breakfast and lunch and you won't be disappointed. The Pourhouse in Gastown is good too. Bonita is always highly rated – and although the neighborhood's a bit sketchy, that's part of the charm.

The Vancouver Art Gallery is showing some of the Leonardo Da Vinci, Mechanics of Man, exhibit starting in February. Don't miss it. The 2010 Aboriginal Pavillion is on the grounds of the Queen Elizabeth Theater – just across from one of the "LiveCity Downtown" sites.

Have fun!

One other thing Oaktown, I just found this link of free (!) things to do around town during the Olympics:

http://www.citycaucus.com/2010freevenues

Annesherrod and SMac:

Thank you!

I will check out your recommendations. The challange is, all of what I have listed above for restaurants is 75-80% credit card secured and booked. The few...very few, who did not insist..I do mean insist on a credit card had me send a pinkie swear across the border. I do have some limited lunch flexibility. We will see what else I can squeeze into my days and nights...

Here is the great news...Medina is SO on my list. They do not take reservations but we have worked something out for what I want. So stoked about that! Great people.

The Vancouver Art Gallery, The Aboriginal Pavillion and you all have a Sports Museum or Hall of Fame or something. These are all places that I plan to visit. I am working my way through that free listing link. Thanks, I was told about it.

I am beyond ready and excited. I love Vancouver and can hardly wait for these few weeks to sail by!

So many streets downtown are going to be closed, and yes, it's crazy traffic on the best of days, so I can't imagine driving a car through downtown.

Walking (and having an umbrella handy) is likely to be your best choice.

As I just mentioned on another thread, we have been told to expect up to 2 hour public transit delays. It would make zero sense, most likely, to use public transit when you are downtown.

Are you going to Whistler for any events? Is this where the snow gear comes in? You likely already know, but snow gear is very unlikely to be useful in the city. Bring rain gear.

Hello Everybody!

I take off in a few short weeks...unbelievable.

No, I will not have a car during the days of the actual Winter Olympic events. The public transportation options are spot on. I will walk where it makes sense to do so. I have events at BC Place and at Canada Place and at all the other venues. I can walk to BC PLace within minutes from where I will be living. Canada Place is also not so far. A single bus and some walking will get me to that place. The others will take some time and patience.
The official olympic site has extensive transportation links that help you to plan out your travel time. I am allowing a minimum of three hours to get from my door into my seat for all of my events. In many instances the venues open up to 4 hours prior to the start of the event. I do not like being late or last minute. You also have to allow LOTS of time for security.
I am there for a month so before the games begin and after I will have a car. I have been to Vancouver a few times and on two occassions I did have a car so I am fine.