| A Win-Win Solution | | | | Loughton, Maldon and Romford. Even more |
| For those of you visiting the London Olympics and | | | | camping options are available for people willing to |
| Paralympics, in 2012, and looking for somewhere | | | | look slightly further afield. |
| convenient to stay, the county of Essex certainly | | | | Olympic and Paralympic Venues |
| ticks all the right boxes. | | | | The Olympic Stadium and several other venues |
| The Savvy Alternative | | | | including the Aquatics Centre (for swimming, diving |
| Let's face it, all types of accommodation are likely | | | | and water polo) and the Velopark (indoor |
| to be in very short supply (and expensive!) in the | | | | velodrome and outdoor BMX track) are located in |
| whole of the London area during the Olympics and | | | | East London at the new 500 acre (2 sq km) |
| Paralympics. | | | | Olympic Park in Stratford and the lower Lea |
| So, the county of Essex is the obvious alternative | | | | Valley. More Olympic and Paralympic venues are |
| area to stay. For a start, being so close to East | | | | to be found in other parts of the capital and |
| London, Essex makes an ideal base for visiting the | | | | beyond. In fact, Essex will be hosting the Olympic |
| Games. What's more, it offers a wide variety of | | | | mountain biking at Hadleigh Farm, between |
| value-for-money, quality accommodation in | | | | Basildon and Southend on Sea. |
| locations that are surprisingly convenient for | | | | Rail Links to Olympic Park |
| visiting all the various Olympic and Paralympic | | | | During the Games, more than 80 percent of |
| events. | | | | visitors to the Olympic Park are expected to |
| Benefits of Being Essex Based | | | | travel by train, either to Stratford Regional station |
| Visitors to the London Olympics would do well to | | | | or to Stratford International station, both of which |
| consider the many benefits of basing themselves | | | | are located within the Olympic Park. |
| in Essex for the duration of the Games. Plus | | | | Train services from all parts of Essex to |
| points include: reasonable proximity to event | | | | Stratford Regional station are available for |
| venues (the mounting biking events are actually | | | | travellers to the Olympic Park. Trains from |
| being held in Essex - so how much more | | | | Stansted Airport, Braintree, Clacton, Southend, |
| convenient does it get!); excellent transport links | | | | Ilford, Romford, Brentwood, Shenfield, Chelmsford |
| (see information below); not to mention the wide | | | | and Colchester will transport passengers to the |
| selection of different types of accommodation, | | | | heart of the Olympic action. In addition, London |
| with something to suit all tastes and budgets; | | | | Underground services from the Essex towns of |
| great places to eat and drink, etc., etc. | | | | Epping, Hainault and Woodford also go to |
| Bed & Breakfast | | | | Stratford Regional station. |
| B&B accommodation is widely available in a | | | | Air Links to Olympic Park |
| variety of locations throughout the county of | | | | Essex offers a choice of two airports for visitors |
| Essex. Everything can be found from traditional | | | | to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Stansted |
| seaside B&Bs in Southend and Clacton to | | | | Airport is Britain's third busiest airport, with flights |
| farmhouse B&Bs in the Essex countryside, | | | | to and from more than 160 destinations |
| not forgetting B&Bs conveniently located for | | | | worldwide. Southend Airport offers a range of |
| access to the M25 and the Essex stations of the | | | | charter air services and air taxis. It also offers |
| London Underground network. | | | | helicopter services to and from London Heliport |
| Essex Guest Houses | | | | and Canary Wharf and is likely to be running |
| Modern guest houses offer excellent facilities at | | | | services directly to the Olympic Park during the |
| moderate prices and the county of Essex boasts | | | | Olympics and Paralympics in 2012. |
| some of the best. A good example is The | | | | Road Links to Olympic Park |
| Terrace Guest House in Southend on Sea which is | | | | Essex has excellent road links to the Olympic |
| convenient for the Olympic mountain biking | | | | Park. The A12, A13, A118 and A124 trunk roads |
| events at Hadleigh Farm as well as offering | | | | all connect Essex to Stratford. Stansted Airport |
| access to a fast rail connection to all the Olympic | | | | also has good road communication with the |
| venues in London. | | | | Olympic Park via the M11 motorway and the A12. |
| Hotels and Inns | | | | Transport Links to Hadleigh Farm |
| Essex has a wide choice of hotels and inns which | | | | The Olympic mountain biking events have been |
| are ideal for visitors to the Olympics and | | | | allocated to Hadleigh Farm in Essex, after the |
| Paralympics. Everything from exclusive country | | | | mountain biking venue in Kent that had been |
| house hotels and traditional inns which combine | | | | chosen originally was deemed to be 'insufficiently |
| character with comfort to modern hotels with all | | | | challenging' for Olympic competition. The Hadleigh |
| the necessary facilities can be found in the county | | | | Farm mountain biking site offers steep grassy |
| of Essex. | | | | slopes close to the ruins of Hadleigh Castle, which |
| Holiday Parks | | | | should provide an excellent spectacle for both |
| Why not combine your trip to the London | | | | cyclists and spectators alike. |
| Olympics with a seaside holiday? Holiday caravan | | | | Hadleigh Farm is easily accessible as the rail line |
| parks like Cosway Holiday Home Park in East | | | | between London Fenchurch Street and Southend |
| Mersea near Colchester and Homestead Lake | | | | passes close to this venue; Leigh on Sea and |
| Park near Clacton offer the best of both worlds, | | | | Benfleet stations are the nearest stations to |
| combining value for money accommodation with | | | | Hadleigh Farm. |
| easy access to transport links to the Olympic | | | | Alternatively, road access to the site is via the |
| venues in London. | | | | M25 and A13. Ample car parking is available at the |
| Camp Sites | | | | Hadleigh Farm venue. In addition, a number of bus |
| Camp sites are located throughout Essex. Places | | | | companies including Arriva Southend and First |
| to camp that are convenient for Olympic and | | | | Essex run buses to the site. |
| Paralympic spectators include Billericay, Braintree, | | | | |