London 2012 Olympic Games and Chelmsford Essex

With the London Olympics spread across the south of England later this year, Essex is the ideal base for your stay for a number of reasons, including:

Avoid the overhyped London Squeeze!

London is a fantastic capital with literally hundreds of must-see attractions and facilities – any visit to Britain would not be complete without them!

The disadvantage of London will be the cost of hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation, it will be high! Demand during the Olympics is going to be high, so looking for cheaper alternatives makes perfect financial sense and will allow you to spend your hard-earned money on all those attractions.

Essex, just a few miles from the city, is a great option. The area is well connected by public transport and road infrastructure and is only 20 minutes from the heart of the Olympic Park in London’s East End. Essex has some of the best and most unspoiled scenery in the region with ancient histories of highwaymen and smugglers if you choose to locate closer to the coast.

What Essex has to offer

Essex County is home to a host of interesting and historic cities and towns. With Stansted Airport located in the north of the county, it has never been easier for you to experience some of the country’s history and culture by staying in Essex and then traveling on to London to catch some of the Olympic events. Famous Essex towns include Saffron Walden, Stansted, Thaxted [with it fabulous period Church], the market town of Chelmsford and the Roman city of Colchester, to name but a few. There’s even the village of Clavering, Jamie Oliver’s hometown to experience too! Castles, forts, museums, shops, spas, airports, fantastic transport system, Essex has it all and is certainly a place that would benefit many Olympic visitors in 2012.

Accommodation in Essex

Essex is a diverse county with accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets. If you need to be really close to the Olympic action, then a hotel or B&B in places like Epping or South Essex, close to Southend, will allow you to stay on the London Underground lines, a quick and easy way to get around London during the Games. . For those who will have access to a car, the rest of the county will really offer more choice and get more accommodation for your money – the areas around Chelmsford and Saffron Walden will be of particular interest to those looking for a more historic stay. in this region. You don’t always have to drive either, stays in cities like Chelmsford mean you can always rely on Chelmsford taxis to get you in and around the area during your stay.

Camping areas and caravans

With its rural heritage, quality camping spots are easy to find throughout the county, again catering to a variety of tastes and budgets. Check out the various camping websites or the UK Caravan Club for some really useful information on how to find the best sites.

Olympic venues and events in Essex

In addition to the many “headline” events to be held in the incredible Olympic Stadium [park located in Strateford in east London, Essex will also be home to a range of exciting Olympic events including the Olympic mountain biking at Hadleigh Farm, located between Basildon and Southend on Sea. In neighbouring Hertfordshire, there will also be the canoe slalom events which are to be hosted at the Lea Valley White water Centre near Cheshunt, a short drive or taxi ride fro your base in Essex.

Rail Travel

During the Games, more than 80 percent of visitors to the Olympic Park are expected to travel to the Games by rail, either to Stratford Regional station or to Stratford International station, very close to the Olympic Park.

Access to the Park from any number of Essex towns by rail will be very easy and the airport links by rail are made easy should be travelling to Stansted Airport [with direct access to Liverpool Street and Startford International] in less than 40 minutes or Southend airport.

air travel

Essex offers the choice of two airports for visitors to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Stansted Airport is Britain’s fourth busiest airport, with flights to and from over 160 destinations worldwide.

Southend Airport offers a range of air taxi and charter services. It also offers helicopter services to and from London Heliport and Canary Wharf, and is also home to Easy Jet, which will be servicing flights to the airport this year from various destinations across Europe.

Gatwick Airport is London’s second airport and is once again well served by public transport meaning easy access to the Olympics and Essex. For ease of use and speed, why not opt ​​for the added convenience of a Gatwick taxi?