Roadtrips Reassures Last Minute Olympic Travellers Proximity, Availability Make These Games Accessible

In a few weeks, the biggest spectacle in the sporting world - the 2010 Winter Olympics - returns to North America. And despite a somewhat earned reputation for being elitist and hard to attend for the average traveller, this time things may be different. Thanks to a combination of factors, including the economic downturn, the Games may actually be relatively accessible to the masses. Roadtrips, a sports travel company specializing in providing amazing travel experiences to the most exciting sporting events all over the world, is pleased to still offer last minute accommodations and Winter games travel packages for those still looking to experience this very unique sports travel opportunity for themselves.

For starters, getting to Vancouver and Whistler for the 21st edition of the Winter Games is quick, easy and inexpensive for North Americans. Vancouver is well connected to all North American airline hubs and serviced by all of the major carriers. Air Canada, one of the official partners of the Games, lately has featured fares as low as $149 USD from Los Angeles and $169 CDN from Toronto, taxes and fees additional (www.aircanada.com). They also fly the most daily non-stops out of Vancouver International Airport.

Of course, it won't matter if you can get there but can't find anywhere to stay; and usually finding hotel space at an Olympic Games can be a serious challenge. However, some of the tour operators that specialize in full service packages to the Games still have hotel space and are willing to deal.

Veteran sports travel specialists Roadtrips have swanky accommodations available at the award winning Four Seasons Resort in Whistler, and the Five-Diamond Sutton Place in downtown Vancouver. At $725.00/nt for a room at the Sutton Place, the rates are expensive but nowhere near what you'd normally expect to pay for the best hotel in town during this kind of an event. Minimum stay requirements have been relaxed, too, with Roadtrips offering complete Winter games packages available for as short as 2 days/1 night.

A little more down market is the NCL Norwegian Star cruise ship, which has been chartered and will be parked in Vancouver's stunningly beautiful Coal Harbour for the Games. Cabins are available starting at $580.00/nt and rates are inclusive of meals and ship's entertainment (www.newwesttravel.com).

With flights and hotels in hand, all you'll need is tickets. Olympic tickets can be notoriously difficult to come by with a large percentage of tickets reserved for corporate sponsors and broadcasters. But tickets for the general public are often allocated by lottery, leaving plenty of losers to the mercy of ticket brokers and online ticket websites. This time though, things appear to be different on the ticketing front.

CoSport, the official ticket distribution partner of the Vancouver Olympics, has funnelled more than 50,000 tickets originally earmarked for corporate hospitality programs into public allocations, and there is more to come. The company is promising additional tickets on sale in the days leading up to the Games and is encouraging enthusiasts to check its website regularly (www.cosport.com). As well, VANOC has established a fan-to-fan marketplace for reselling tickets on its website. Ticket holders who have been allocated tickets by VANOC can resell their tickets, and both buyer and seller pay a fee with the hope that as many tickets will be utilized as possible. (www.vancouver2010.com)

A tumultuous year in business, finance and the travel industry have come together and created a once in a lifetime opportunity for the North American sports fan. Decide to go now and your Olympic travel package won't cost you a lot more than a week in the sun. In Olympic terms, that's quite the deal. With the economy on the rebound and the Games heading to London (2012), Sochi, Russia (2014) and Rio (2016), you'll need a bigger budget and a lot more air miles if you can't make it to Canada in February.

The Vancouver/Whistler Winter Olympics start on February 12th and runs through to February 28th.