Since the Olympic torch was put out in London, it seems that those who had enjoyed welcoming the whole world into their iconic city just couldn´t wait to get away. The surge in holiday bookings, especially for the month of September, has been quite impressive. It seems that the masses are following the sun at all costs, even if it means kids have to miss school.

London Olympics, England, UK by Dan Davison

The fun is over, let´s get away

Brits are well known all over the world for enjoying a good party, and when the Olympics took a hold of their homeland in the peak of the summer, they just didn´t want to miss all of the excitement. But the rainy summer didn´t seem all that glamorous anymore, once the Olympic crowds had withdrawn, and September holiday bookings skyrocketed soon after.

According to a survey by Travelex, Brits will take 5.7 million trips in September. On the other hand, the number of people who revealed that they hadn´t taken their accustomed summer break during the school holidays this year amounted to a significant 45%, while nearly 25% mentioned the desire “not to miss the Olympics” as a reason for not having gone away earlier, and 23% added that it was their first time taking their holidays in the month of September.

Ironically enough, a Travelex survey from earlier this year revealed that 1/3 of traveling Brits had booked a holiday to escape the Olympic hullaballoo, and over 10 million altogether were planning to try to avoid the “chaos” by traveling abroad. It would seem that not all of those plans actually crystalized, and the locals did join in with the Olympic spirit after all.

Follow the sun

The top destination of choice for Britons going away in September is Spain, which maintains its unrivalled popularity due to closeness, pricing (one upside of the Iberian country´s economic crisis, in terms of attracting tourism), nice weather, natural beauty and guaranteed fun, both day and night. Next up are Turkey and Egypt, two countries that attract those who are not only interested in sunshine, but who also possess a flair for the exotic.

While the last week has seen some sunshine and high temperatures in some parts of England, the forecast for the coming weeks is bleak for those staying, and convenient for the masses flocking to Costa del Sol and Majorca, as strong winds, courtesy of Hurricane Leslie are set to hit Scotland, and heavy rains are expected all around.

Holidays for all ages

A surge in holiday bookings was in fact expected, as July had been extremely quiet at the offices of travel companies all over the UK. But bookings have greatly surpassed predictions, especially in the over 50s group, whose travel plans are not affected by the school year. According to a survey by Saga Insurance, this age group´s preferred destination for September 2012 is Italy, closely followed by Greece, Turkey and France.

The endless summer

It appears that Brits of all ages will follow the sun, and the fun, whatever chance they get. They partied it up during the Olympics like few nations could, and nearly half of them are partying it up right now on some beach in Benidorm or Ibiza, stretching that summer to make it last as long as they can. Given the choice between Southern Spain´s paella and sangría in the sunshine, and a dreary English rain, who can blame them?

Article Written by L. Toulson on behalf of https://www.theluxurycruisecompany.com/luxury-cruiselines/

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Pierre Vivant’s sculpture, Traffic Light Tree in the Docklands, London by

Travel and Timing

London being a big city is highly busy and crowded and can also be a little costly to get around. Getting a taxi then is not a smart move if you want to keep prices down and avoid a lot of stress (though of course you might like the idea of travelling in a London black cab), which means you need to take the tube.

And this is why I highly recommend going on your London night out earlier than you might do a night out at home. Head into central London for 5 or even 4, and you can this way start drinking early and get a good seat before the bankers and other business men and women start to arrive.

This has several other advantages too – firstly it means you will be there for the happy hor drinks and this way you can save huge amounts of money that you would otherwise spend on even a single drink so you can ensure you’re in good spirits early on. Then you will head to the club for around 9.30 or 10 – missing the expensive entry prices that tend to come into effect around 11, and you’ll be able to head back around 12.30am/1am after a good night of dancing and still get the tube home to where you’re staying very cheaply and with no hassle.

London evening panorama, UK by Alexander Kachkaev

Where to Go

The best place to go for your full London experience is Covent Garden. Covent Garden is a fantastically scenic area that’s within walking distance of some of the other central areas too like Leicester Square. It has plenty of great places to eat, but also a lot of brilliant clubs and bars. A few exciting and different places to visit are Adventure Bar – a bar/club set underground where the staff set fire to things and get half undressed creating a very crazy atmosphere, Roadhouse  – a club with lots of great rock music and cheese, and Foundation Bar – where you can drink cocktails out of teapots and test tubes and enjoy a dance floor with its own live Saxophonist. Alternatively if you want to try something a bit different you might want to sign up for the Medieval  Banquet where you can watch a brilliant show while drinking out of chalices and eating with your hands.

Of course there are plenty of other great areas to visit in London too, such as Camden which has a brilliantly artistic and alternative vibe, or Kingston for a huge Oceana with multiple floors and different themed rooms. If you just want some quiet drinks meanwhile with some atmosphere, then the O2 can offer a lot of brilliant cocktail bars, while you can also get a lot of nice drinks at the Westfield Center in Shepherd’s Bush.

Jeff is an avid blogger. He has keen interest in writing about travelling. He is part of the team www.lanzarotevillas.ie, which is a volcanic island having spectacular scenery and stark beauty.

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Photo by 8thDay

Whilst short term lets have proved popular options in the past at other prominent events such as Wimbledon, there has been a sharp increase in the number of short term rental opportunities in the East London boroughs that surround the Olympic village.

East London boroughs such as Dagenham and Waltham Forest have seen an increase of 35 per cent in properties being let on a short term basis in the first quarter of the year. Landlords are also achieving higher rental prices on a short term basis, reflecting the demand across the city this summer. The boroughs surrounding the Olympic village can achieve £143 a week, an increase of 14 per cent from this time last year. Prices are also expected to rise further as the opening of the games draws closer.

The best Olympic accommodation short term rental opportunities and demand have appeared in the West of the city. Although staying in East London will be more convenient for the games, West London has had 37 per cent of all the Olympic rentals. Visitors are combining a visit to the capital’s attractions and nightlife in tourist locations in the west of the city, opting instead to travel to the Olympics for the events.

Other popular areas of the city for short term lets include Greenwich where the equestrian events will take place and Windsor close to the rowing events. Both places have seen an increase ready for the summer.

There are plenty of different things that landlords and property owners can do to capitalise on the short term let demand during the Olympics. Firstly, it is worth hiring an estate agent to market and let the property, even on this short term basis as they have the knowledge to get tenants in time for the games and negotiate price.

Always ensure before letting the property that it is in good condition for rental with all decoration and maintenance up to date. Good quality properties are estimated to rise in rental potential up to twenty times the normal charge.

There will be visitors unable to get booked into a hotel looking for hotel standards from a short term let. This may include fine details such as use of towels, toiletries and tea and coffee and these costs will need to be added into the weekly rental. Visitors will range from those wishing to see certain events to those working and possibly even organising the games.

Hamptons International can offer a large range of short term lets and rentals around the east end of London through out the Olympics for information on Olympic lettings https://www.hamptons.co.uk/en-gb/Lettings/SportingLets/.

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Media Release picture by london2012.com

Arriving into Heathrow

This is the busiest airport in the UK and to those who are coming from small towns and cities, it can be overwhelming.  Once you step off the plane, you will need to walk about 15 – 20 minutes until you reach immigration. Once through you go downstairs to collect your bags.  There are places where you can buy tickets to get into London. These are valid ticket sales people and if you want to get the Heathrow express train, buy a ticket.  However, you can get the Piccadilly line from Heathrow into town.  A single will probably set you back around £6.00 but it is cheaper than taking the Heathrow express, plus the tube gets you right into the centre of London.

Arriving into Gatwick

Gatwick is situated just outside the M25, but is accessible to London via the Gatwick express train service or regular train service.  The Gatwick trains both run into London Victoria and most via Croydon. The Gatwick express stops at fewer stations and is also more expensive.

You can also take a cab from either Gatwick or Heathrow into London but then you will need to fight your way through the traffic.

Tackling the Tube

If you are staying for London for more than a weekend, it will be worth investing in an Oyster card.  When they were first introduced, the Oyster card itself was free, but now it costs £5 and you will need to add credit or “top up” as they call it in London.  A single journey with an Oyster card within zone 1 is £1.90, without Oyster it is £4.00 so you can see the advantages.  The tube system is one of the oldest in the world and with that comes small tunnels and overcrowding.  Try and avoid the tourist hotspots such as Piccadilly, Oxford Circus and Camden at peak times.

Once you have arrived at your destination, whether that is a hostel, hotel or one of the many London apartments, you are all set to start exploring this wonderful city. If you have arrived from far, you may want to put on your walking shoes and start seeing the city on foot.  Your accommodation would have left out some of the maps of London, so plan where you want to go and don’t get lost.

Robin is a travel blogger who writes about destinations and tourist attractions throughout Europe.  Robin also recommends short term accommodation, such as renting Rome apartments, staying in hotels in Paris and London.

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There are several sport games during Olympics where everyone can join (if you reserve places in advance) e.g.:

• Mud Football
• Mud Tug-o-war
• Mud cycling
• Mud volleyball
• Mud Handball
• Mud skiing
• Mud snorkeling and much more

The dates for 2011 are the weekend of July 23rd with the music festival on Saturday 23rd July and the Mud Olympics on Sunday 24th July.

These are the German mud olympics; “Wattolümpiade Brunsbüttel” The most popular event is mud football. There’s also mud skiing and bicycle races. Prizes are provided for sporting performances, prizes are awarded in such bizarre categories as Funniest Team Name, Best Fans, and Funniest Team.

If you want to see the craziest mud festival in Europe, do not miss this opportunity.

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