Last-minute guide to attending the Vancouver 2010 Games

If you’re kicking yourself for not heading to the 2010 Winter Games or thinking it’s too late to get here, think again.

A few days into the Games, traffic is reasonable, crowds are civilized and – believe it or not – there are still tickets available.

If you’ve so much as entertained the thought of dropping everything and watching history unfold in Vancouver, check out the following last-minute guide to getting into the Games:

Tickets

Though one quartet of Opening Ceremony tickets was going for close to $12,000 a week before the Games and skiing/hockey/skating tickets soared into the thousands of dollars, there are also deals, if you go through the Vancouver 2010 ticketing site http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-tickets/ with a fine-tooth comb: For example, a pair of Women’s Hockey tickets were available the same day as the $12K quartet, but for just $50 each. The day of the event, they still were going for just $75.

Fan-resale tickets are available online but range from the low-to-high-hundreds for tickets. In some cases, a few event tickets under $200 are still available online and in-person as people whose events have been delayed try to re-sell their tickets before they to fly out.

TIP: Be aware that many lower-priced tickets (and some higher-priced ones) are singles and may require you to watch your events across the stadium from your friends or family. You may also have to content yourself with sending one or some members of your party to one event, and others to a separate event.

TIP: Watch the official Games web site ticketing area http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-tickets/ where new seats may open up and be released at regular prices hours before an event. You can also check venues in-person a few hours before each event for a chance to get rush tickets.

In a nutshell, if you’re not picky and willing to go to any event, there are still tickets to be had. If you’re willing to go to or stay for the Paralympics (perhaps the best value in Vancouver or Whistler) tickets for those events (March 12-21) are available for $15-$30 (Tickets for the Opening Paralympic Ceremony are available for $30-$175.)

TIP: It’s too late to have your tickets mailed to you, so you’ll have to pick them up at one of the downtown ticket offices as soon as you arrive: http://tinyurl.com/yarcdv7   Don’t wait for the box office to open: Wait-times in lines at that point can be up to three hours. Instead, arrive about half-an-hour before the ticket office opens, at which point, you will have a 30-60 minute wait. If possible, avoid the main ticket office, which is severely understaffed.

Accommodation and Transportation

Hotels/Motels/B&Bs
Though it’s true that many hotels, motels and B&Bs have jacked their rates up two, three, four times or more the going rate, there are still limited reasonable prices to be found in some hotels and many smaller outfits that are trying to fill holes from cancellations.

TIP: Look for availability online and double-check by phone. Now is when cancellations will create hundreds of openings, and few people think to check at this point. Though some establishments may hold to their current rates, many may drop prices to ensure each room is filled.

R/V rentals
Winter is usually the low season for motorhome rentals in BC. But at $900-$1,900 a week – split several ways – renting an R/V could be the answer to overpriced or unavailable hotel rooms (larger Class A or C units with the slides out are as big as many urban hotel rooms) and a cure for hectic line-ups for food (stock up on groceries and cook your own meals in your “room”).

TIP: Consider the daily cost of an R/V rental the equivalent of having a hotel room and rental car taken care of. Spaces still exist at a number of parks on the way between Vancouver and Whistler. Also, a little-known fact (except to experienced R/Vers) is that most Walmarts in North America let motor homes park for free overnight. If you’re not willing to walk more than 15 blocks to a venue, you may still want to rent a small car for getting around.

Car rentals
Attendees have been urged to use Vancouver’s beefed-up mass-transit, including extra busses and a new rail line built for getting people around during the games. During the first few days of competition, traffic in Vancouver was surprisingly light. For those who still want to drive, rental cars are actually in decent supply.

TIP: Be aware that most rental car companies at the Vancouver airport charge a 15% (approx) location convenience premium (unrelated to the Games) among other add-ons to your “quoted” car rental price. If possible, rent a car in another city and drive in or take a cab from the airport to a downtown rental car location, especially if you’ll be staying more than five days.

Flights
Base fares from Ottawa leaving during the first full week of the Games start at about $180 each way. Flights are cheaper-still from Toronto on both national carriers.

TIP: If staying for a shorter time, be sure to fly in before a Saturday and/or leave after Saturday for best rates. Again, it helps to be flexible to get the best price.

TIP: Avoid flying in or out of Vancouver on March 1 (the day after the Games’ Closing Ceremony.) March 1 is expected to be the busiest day in the history of the Vancouver airport.

With these tips, it’s possible to take care of key elements within 24 hours and put together a few days, a weekend, a whole week, or more at the Vancouver Games.

If you thought it wasn’t possible, think again.

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