Tips and information on the venue for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics are just around the corner. February 12-28, 2010 … the world of winter sports will converge on magnificent Vancouver, British Columbia. This will be the first time that this Canadian city will host the Winter Games. If you have never been to Vancouver, you will be pleasantly surprised by its diversity and beauty. As the third largest city in Canada, Vancouver and its surroundings offer all the necessary amenities for a comfortable and enjoyable visit to the Winter Olympics.

Planning to attend some events at the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Games? Here are some things to know about the venues that will host the 17 events of these Winter Games …

PROPERTY VANCOUVER

The Opening and Closing Ceremonies will take place at BC Place Stadium in downtown Vancouver. Nearby Canada Hockey Place will host some ice hockey games, as will UBC Thunderbird Arena. The Vancouver Olympic Center will host all curling events, and the Pacific Coliseum will host short track speed skating as well as all figure skating events.

RICHMOND, BC

Richmond’s huge Olympic oval is the site of all speed skating events. Richmond is a suburb of Vancover in the southern part of the city and is located just south of the Vancouver International Airport.

VANCOUVER WEST, BC

Cypress Mountain will host all freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions including moguls, antennas, ski cross, half-pipe, snowboard cross and giant parallel slalom. Cypress Mountain is about an hour’s drive north of Vancouver International Airport.

QUIET ZONE

For all remaining events, you must head to the mountains and to the beautiful Whistler Resort area, which is a 2-hour drive north of Vancouver International Airport. Three locations in close proximity host a multitude of events. Whistler Creekside will host all alpine skiing events including: Super-G, Giant Slalom, Super Combo and Slalom. These take place in the Whistler Blackcomb ski area. Whistler Olympic Park will host all Nordic events, including: Biathlon, Cross Country Skiing, Nordic Combination and Ski Jumping. Last but not least, the Whistler Sliding Center is a bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track that will host all of the 2010 Games sliding events.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

To maximize your Vancouver 2010 experience, a good travel strategy is to stay for several days in the Vancouver area combined with several days in the Whistler area. Events at both locations are spread across the 17 days of the games, so you’ll find events to watch no matter what day. Tickets can be purchased through the official Vancouver 2010 website, and there are many hotels adjacent to all Olympic venues (but book as early as possible to ensure availability).

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