Travel Tips & Trends

Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, will offer North American sports lovers an opportunity to experience the Olympics without overseas travel.

The 17 days of the games are expected to attract a global television audience of three billion people. More than 80 countries and 6,850 athletes and officials are expected to participate. The opening ceremonies will be held on February 12, 2010.

All event locations are within two hours' drive of downtown Vancouver, from the shores of the city of Richmond north to the snow-covered mountain peaks framing the year-round recreational mecca of Whistler.

Competition venues in Vancouver itself include Canada Hockey Place, home of the NHL Vancouver Canucks; Pacific Coliseum, about three miles east of downtown; UBC Thunderbird Arena, on the University of British Columbia campus; and the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre, south of downtown near Queen Elizabeth Park. Whistler Creekside, well known for its challenging downhill runs, will be the setting for Olympic alpine skiing events. The Whistler Sliding Centre on Blackcomb Mountain will host the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions. Whistler Olympic Park in Callaghan Valley encompasses a core area with three stadiums, as well as nine miles of competition trails for cross-country skiing and biathlon.

Freestyle skiing and snowboard competitions will take place on Cypress Mountain in the district of West Vancouver. One of British Columbia's most popular skiing areas, the mountain offers spectacular views of downtown Vancouver and its harbor. Speed skaters will take to the ice at the Richmond Oval, on the banks of the Fraser River across from Vancouver International Airport.

The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at BC Place in downtown Vancouver. Featuring the largest air-supported stadium roof in North America, this enclosed venue allows games organizers to take advantage of state-of-the-art lighting, projection, sound, and special effects technologies. Nightly victory ceremonies and presentations will take place at an outdoor plaza in Whistler's town center.

More information about the 2010 Winter Games can be found online at www.vancouver2010.com, or talk to your travel agent. In the USA, event tickets will be sold only by CoSport, the official ticketing agency for the games, starting in February or March 2009. For ticket information visit www.cosport.com.