GETTING THERE

Sportsworld 
Choosing a flight 
Packages 

There are a number of different ways of getting to see the Olympics in Australia this September. The first, and most advisable, is to book through one of the specialist tour operators in the UK who are offering Olympic packages to Sydney.

SPORTSWORLD

Sportsworld (01235 554844) is the only official UK ticket and tour operator to the 2000 Olympics. It has tickets remaining for most of the events, though there are waiting lists for the most popular such as the Opening Ceremony and the men’s 100 metres. To check availability, either phone, or use their website at www.sportsworld.co.uk/olympics/programmes.html.

Sportsworld has produced a detailed 32-page brochure on the Olympics and the various deals available. It includes information on programme types - Fully Inclusive Tours, Independent Traveller or Flight and Event Ticket programmes, Tour Durations, Getting to and from the Events, flight information, booking internal flights once in Australia and several stopover options and itinerary modules including trips to Cairns, Port Douglas, Ayers Rock and Alice Springs, Hobart and Melbourne, Darwin and Kakadu National Park, and the Gold Coast and Brisbane. There are even options for New Zealand. To request a brochure, call 01235 550904.

Sportsworld is also the official supplier to the British Paralympic Association for the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games in Sydney between the 18 and 29 of October.

CHOOSING A FLIGHT

Price comparisons are difficult, because of the sheer number of variations. To take the most important factor first, flights, there are more than 30 airlines flying from the UK to Sydney, with various stopover options.

A specialist such as Airline Network (0870 241 0088) www.netflights.com currently has seats available on Emirates Airlines with space departing on September 16 from London Heathrow for £631.80 per person including tax, and with Nippon Airlines for £644.80 per person, but it says that accommodation may be difficult to come by.

PACKAGES

If you want to shop around for the best deal all-round deal, one thing to bear in mind is that since Sportsworld is the only official UK ticket and tour operator, any other tour operators offering inclusive ticket and tours will, in effect, be offering the package sold to them wholesale by Sportsworld. Tour operators authorised to sell the Sportsworld Olympic package, which allows you to get tickets for the events, as well as flights and accommodation, currently include:

Austravel: (020 7734 7755) www.austravel.com has return flights to Sydney during the Olympics from £655, and Olympic packages from £990 per person. This includes three nights twin share B&B accommodation in a 2 star hotel within 45 minutes travelling time from the main venues, 4 Olympic games tickets and the services of Sportsworld staff on arrival and departure dates. Austravel also has 6, 12 or 18 night packages. A six night holiday, for instance, would cost from £946 with B&B accommodation (or £1,835 in 4 star accommodation, not including tickets), with tickets to 5 events plus an opening party (NB: not the opening ceremony itself) for an additional £335.

Bridge the World (020 7734 7447; www.bridgetheworld.net) has return flights with Emirates Airlines for £630 per person. Booking accommodation through Sportsworld, it also offering packages of three nights’ accommodation and four tickets per person to a variety of events for £895 per person.

Quest Worldwide (020 8547 3111; www.questtravel.co.uk) has return flights with Emirates from £634 and, through Sportsworld, has packages of three nights’ accommodation and four tickets per person to a variety of events (the same package as that described above under Austravel) for £994.

Travelbag (01420 88724; www.travelbag.co.uk) has the same three day Sportsworld package as the other operators for £994, and flights with Emirates for £632 including taxes.

Boomerang Travel (0800 428787; www.australian.co.uk) has flight availability from £657 including taxes and the same Sportsworld package as above (three nights’ accommodation and four tickets per person to a variety of events) for £915 per person.