The London 2012 Olympics are just a couple of weeks away and if you are lucky enough to have a ticket to one of the London events finding accommodation of any type is hard to come by, certainly at a realistic price. However, don’t despair, you have more options than the pricey London hotels who are making the most of the extra tourists.

The South East region of England has excellent public transport links via rail, coach, underground and tram which mean that it’s as easy to stay outside of London and travel in as it is to get to the venues from a London hotel.

With the main Olympic park to the east of London, East Anglian counties such as Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Peterborough are within an hour’s train ride of Stratford International.  In the south-east counties such as Essex, Kent, East Sussex, Surrey and West Sussex are also an hour outside of London by train.  To the west of London Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire also offer a quick route in to London.

What this means to you is that rather than concentrating your accommodation search on London you can find some excellent self catering accommodation ranging from cottages and apartments to lodges and caravans that are superb value for money during this Olympic period.  of course when you are not travelling to and from the Olympics they are also perfect for a short break or summer holiday where you can enjoy the countryside or British coastline.

Useful accommodation links:

• East England: Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Essex
• South East England: Kent, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex
• Central England:  Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire