Guide to 2012 Olympics Transport in London

Tips and advice for getting to 2012 Olympic Venues in London by transport

Public Transport will be the preferred method of getting to Olympic events during the 2012 Olympic Games in London. If you have a ticket to any Olympic Event in London, you can ride any public transport in London for free in zones 1 through 9 throughout the day of the event. Keep in mind though that things will be anything but normal and special provisions may be in effect. One of these is a new high speed train service called the Javelin that will operate between St. Pancras Station and Stratford International Station at Olympic Park. This service is expected to transport up to 25000 people per hour to and from the park.

As both a transit operator and passenger during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, I can pass on some tips to help you get to the events on time.

First you must toss the normal schedule out the window (figuratively speaking of course). In spite of increased transport service during the 2012 Olympics, you can expect longer lines and slower running times on most routes, so it is essential to give yourself plenty of extra time to get to your venue.

The following tip can save you a lot of time, but may require a little more walking. When large crowds are waiting for the underground or a bus at a particular station and you are trying to catch the same at any point beyond that station, you will likely be passed up by multiple full trains or buses. This will continue until the service has finally caught up and accommodated all of the waiting crowd which may be a long time. The key is to go against the flow either by transit or walking to get to a station or stop prior to where the large crowds are boarding. You can then get on a train or bus before the large crowds are filling them to capacity. Things may get a little squished by the next stop or two, but at least you are on, and maybe you'll even have a seat. This can be considerably quicker than waiting for a bus or train with space. It will still take additional time though, so again, be sure to allow extra time and avoid the stress and disappointment of being late to an event. The same advice can apply to leaving an event. The station closest to the event will be packed with people waiting when the event ends. Walk back to the next station against your direction of travel and easily board a train before the crowds get on. Personally I would prefer to be walking, than waiting in a crowd.

Nearly all of the 2012 Olympic games venues are accessible by the London Underground (Tube), but there are a couple that you will need to use trains (DLR or National Rail) to reach. Below we have listed all of the London venues for the 2012 Olympics along with the nearest Tube or Train Station.

Olympic Park

Olympic Park will be the home to many of the events during the London 2012 Olympic Games. This park in the east side of London is being developed by reclaiming a site that was once industrial wasteland and will leave a legacy of green space and facilities for many years to come.

The following olympic venues are located in Olympic Park:

Other 2012 Olympic Venues

1. Earls Court - Volleyball Arena - Tube Stations and Lines: Earls Court Station on the District and Piccadilly Lines.


2. Excel - Boxing, Fencing, Judo, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Boccia, Paralympic Table Tennis, Paralympic Judo, Paralympic Powerlifting, Volleyball (Sitting), Wheelchair Fencing - Accessible by the DLR only, not the Underground. Take the Woolwich Arsenal or Becton line from Tower Gateway or Bank Tube Station in Central London. Disembark at Custom House on the Beckton line or West Silvertown on the Woolwich Arsenal line and depart from Prince Regent or Pontoon Dock Station.


3. Greenwich Park - Equestrian Events - Accessible by the DLR or River Services only, not the Underground. Take the DLR from Bank Station in Central London or Stratford in the east and Lewisham in the south and disembark at Greenwich station. Alternative use any of the River Services from the piers in Central London to Greenwich Pier.


4. Hampton Court Palace - Road Cycling time trials (Free Event) - Accessible by National Rail Service, not the tube. Take South West Trains from Waterloo Station in Central London to Hampton Court Station in Richmond.


5. Horse Guards Parade - Beach Volleyball - Tube Stations and Lines: Charing Cross Station on the Bakerloo and Northern lines; Green Park on the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria Lines: Piccadilly Circus on the Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines and Victoria on the Cirle and District Lines.


6. Hyde Park - Triathlon, Marathon Swimming Tube Stations and Lines: Hyde Park Corner on the Piccadilly Line; Marble Arch on the Central Line; Green Park on the Victoria, Piccadilly and Jubilee lines; Knightsbridge on the Piccadilly line; and Paddington on the Bakerloo, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City Lines.


7. Lord's Cricket Ground - Archery - Tube Stations and Lines: St. John's Wood on the Jubilee Line and Marylebone on the Bakerloo Line.


8. North Greenwich Arena - Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline, Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball - Tube Stations and Lines: North Greenwich Station on the Jubilee Line. River Services also provide access from various piers in Central London.


9. North Greenwich Arena - Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline, Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball - Tube Stations and Lines: North Greenwich Station on the Jubilee Line. River Services also provide access from various piers in Central London.


10. The Mall - Athletics, Paralympic Athletics and Road Cycling - Tube Stations and Lines: Victoria Station on the Victoria, District and Circle Lines; and Green Park on the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria Lines.


11. The Royal Artillery Barracks - Shooting, Paralympic Shooting, Paralympic Archery - Tube Stations and Lines: Accessible by the DLR or National Rail only, not the Underground. Take the DLR to Woolwich Arsenal from either Bank Station in Central London or Stratford by Olympic Park.

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12. Wembley Arena - Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics - Tube Stations and Lines: Wembley Park Station on the Jubilee Line or Wembley Central Station on the Bakerloo Line or Wembley Central Station on the London Overground Line.


13. Wembley Stadium - Football - Tube Stations and Lines: Wembley Park Station on the Jubilee Line or Wembley Central Station on the Bakerloo Line or Wembley Central Station on the London Overground Line.


14. Wimbledon - Tennis - Tube Stations and Lines: Wimbledon or Southfields Station, both on the District Line.

2012 Olympic Venues Outside of London

The following 2012 Olympic venues are not located in London, but are in various locations around Great Britain. You should consider the location of the venue when purchasing tickets for olympic events, especially if you are staying in London. All of the olympic venues below will be a considerable commute by National Rail from London and some require additional connections from the rail station once there. It is may not be a good idea to plan on seeing an event at one of these venues on the same day as an event in London due to the long travel time involved.

The following 2012 Olympic venues are located outside of London:

To facilitate getting to the Sailing competitions in Weymouth and Portland there will be 300 coaches providing express service from Olympic Park. Hundreds more buses will be put into operation to shuttle spectators between park-and-ride sites and Olympic Venues. If you purchase tickets for any Olympic events you will receive more detailed information on the transit options available for the specific event.

Use the London Tube Map below to help you navigate to the various venues during the London 2012 Olympics. Just hold your left mouse button down and drag the map to the portion you need. You can also search for any London Underground Station by typing it's name into the search box below the Tube Map.

Click here to view a full size version of the London Tube Map