Preparing for the Olympics

Published on 29 February 2012

Some Key Facts:

• Olympic Games will be held between 27th July – 12th August 2012
• Paralympic Games will be held between 29th August – 9th September 2012
• 5.3 million visitors are expected in London during this time
• 20 million trips will be made by spectators (80% by rail)

Impact on Transport:

We anticipate that journey times around London will be longer than usual. Tube and train stations closest to events and in the vicinity of LiveSites, as well as important interchanges across London, are expected to be very busy and access may be restricted. Flight prices are already inflated for the Olympics period, and are expected to increase further. There may also be delays with the processing of immigration paperwork.

You may wish to consider:

• Booking flights now (but with flexible dates) to avoid the late increases expected.
• Flying in or out of regional airports – even flying into Manchester or Scotland – as the cost of a flight and train to London may still be cheaper than flying direct to London.

Impact on Household Goods – Packing & Delivering

Our freight forwarders have advised that they expect capacity issues for approximately 2 months prior to the Olympics at the ports, and for a few weeks prior at the airports. They anticipate an increase in the number of shipments being physically examined by UK customs (currently approx. 1 in 8, expected to increase to 1 in 3). This may result in additional costs and potential delays.

We also are expecting significant disruption to roads in and around London, with some roads closed and others subject to extended parking controls. This will make general driving, and especially the movement of household goods deliveries around London, very difficult. Parking restrictions will also mean reduced loading times.

We will try to limit the discomfort as much as we can but do apply on your understanding and patience during this period.