Published: February 02, 2010
The Winter Olympics: It's Not Too Late to Plan a Trip to Vancouver
How I Booked My Last-Minute Olympic Vacation...and How You Can, Too. (Yes, Even Now!)
The 2010 Winter Olympics are almost upon us. As the athletes gear up for competition and the excitement builds to the proverbial fever-pitch, you can't help but wish you were going. After all, relatively speaking, Vancouver isn't that far away. Unfortunately, unless you reserved your spot a year and a half ago-or unless you're prepared to shell out your last dollar on exorbitantly priced scalped tickets-you might as well resign yourself to watching this once-in-a-lifetime event from your sofa. Right?
Wrong, says travel expert Christine Karpinski. Amazing as it may sound, it's still possible for a savvy sports enthusiast to score a place in the stands without breaking the bank. And how does she know? Because she made an 11th-hour ticket purchase herself-and finalized her travel arrangements mere days ago.
"My family will soon be flying from Texas to Vancouver to take in-among other events-an Olympic hockey game, and we'll be staying within walking distance of the venue," says Karpinski, who is a veteran traveler, director of Owner Community (www.OwnerCommunity.com) for HomeAway.com, and author of How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner, 2nd Edition: The Complete Guide to Buy, Manage, Furnish, Rent, Maintain and Advertise Your Vacation Rental Investment (Kinney Pollack Press, 2007, ISBN: 0974824992).
"When people ask me when I started making all these plans, they always expect me to say something like 'November 2008.' So when I tell them I purchased the hockey tickets this past November-yes, November of '09-and just finalized my travel arrangements in January, they're stunned."
You, too, are probably wondering how Karpinski did it. No, she didn't win the lottery, she doesn't have friends in high places, and-for those of you who are really skeptical-she can't control the space-time continuum.
"Sure, I was fortunate to find the tickets and accommodations that I did, especially at such a late date," she admits. "But my 'strokes of luck' were the result of many hours of question-asking, comparison shopping, and diligent searching."
If you're curious as to what tactics Karpinski used and whether you too can work them to your Olympic advantage, read on for some of her insights and advice:
First things first: Determine how you're going to get there. Before you can even start thinking about watching a figure skater land that triple lutz in person, you've got to plot your plan for getting from point A (your home) to point B (Vancouver). If you live in the Pacific Northwest-say, Seattle-you're lucky. It might be possible for you to drive across the border for a short stay or even just for the day. For everyone else, though, your transportation choices are probably an airplane or nothing.
Searching for flights online can be time-consuming and more than a little frustrating, but the process itself is fairly straightforward. Check with popular online travel agencies as well as the websites of individual airlines. If possible, play around with different departure and arrival points. You never know when a good deal might pop up, or how long it will last, so be ready to book quickly.
"Whenever you're taking a last-minute vacation-and the Olympics certainly qualify at this point!-I think it's a good idea to purchase a travel insurance policy that covers changed flight dates and/or cancellation," suggests Karpinski. "That way, if things fall through, you won't be out nearly as much money."
Find a place to lay your head. If you assume that accommodations will be tough to find this close to the Opening Ceremonies, you'd be right. "I won't lie-during my own search for a place to stay, I found that many hotel rooms ranged into the thousands of dollars per night," admits Karpinski, who ended up going a different route (see next bulleted point).
If you've got that kind of money in the bank and don't mind spending it, finding accommodations shouldn't be too difficult. For everyone else, though, it might be necessary to veer from the beaten chain-hotel path.
"Creative searching is the name of the game," Karpinski says. "I even looked into rooms on cruise ships that will be anchored in English Bay during the Winter Games. Ultimately, I rejected that option because I'd have to deal with the inconvenience of waiting in the freezing Canadian cold for a ferry each time I needed to go to my room...or cabin, as it were, which was sure to be small and cramped. Again, no matter where you end up staying, be sure to purchase some sort of travel insurance policy that will take up the slack if your plans don't pan out as you'd hoped."
Consider booking an actual home away from home. If you have never booked a vacation rental home in your previous travels, it might be time to remedy that. In most instances, these cabins, chalets, and cottages are people's second homes-or in the case of an event as crowd-drawing as the Olympics, primary homes. And they're often a much better value than a hotel room.
"Granted, vacation home rentals are my area of expertise," concedes Karpinski. "But I can still say, hands-down, that I found the best Olympic deals on vacation home rental websites like www.vrbo.com and www.homeaway.com. I'll be paying much less than I would have at a hotel, and my family will have an actual home to return to each evening, complete with a kitchen and living area.
"Maybe you've already looked at vacation rental sites and come up empty. Keep checking! Even at this stage of the game, homeowners are adding properties that are available for travelers to rent. And those drool-worthy properties that were just too expensive for you to seriously consider earlier? Well, many of them have begun to lower their prices if they still haven't attracted Olympic renters. In fact, the condo my family and I booked is in a brand-new building.
"In addition to saving money, you've got a wonderful source of firsthand information if you book a rental home in or near Vancouver," she adds. "The homeowner can answer your questions about the area and recommend tips for activities and transportation once you get there."
Ready to buy tickets? Try the following tips. It's safe to say that you probably don't want to trust your luck to Vancouver's ticket scalpers or pay the premiums they would charge. And sure, you could go with a major online ticket distributor or broker, because most have good reputations for making sure you get reimbursed if you purchase a bad ticket. That said, getting your money back might feel like poor consolation if you find yourself in Vancouver with no way to see the event you've been looking forward to.
So, what are your other options? Karpinski offers the following suggestions:
üVisit the official Vancouver Olympics website. If you're Canadian, you can directly purchase tickets there. For Americans, there is a fan-to-fan marketplace where tickets are constantly being added and auctioned off (https://tickets.vancouver2010.com/buy/TicketSales). "This is a sanctioned ticket seller, so you can rest assured that all postings are legitimate," says Karpinski. "You can also visit www.cosport.com, which is the official ticket seller for the US and other countries-and the website has one more ticket release planned before the Opening Ceremonies!"
üConsider attending only Week 1. Unless your heart is set on seeing a gold medal round of your sport of choice, think about attending an event during the first week. "Almost all of the gold medal events are scheduled during the second week of the Games," notes Karpinski. "It stands to reason that you have a much better chance of finding affordable tickets when things are just getting started."
üFeeling really bold? Try the "walk up" option. Once you're in Vancouver (hopefully with at least one set of tickets clutched in your mittens!), consider walking up to the ticket booth a few minutes before an event is about to start and inquiring as to whether there are any open seats. "You never know-you might get lucky!" says Karpinski.
üCan't get four (or three or two) seats together? That's okay! The Olympics are as much about international fellowship as athletic competition. So make it a goal to mix and mingle with your fellow spectators as much as possible! If the tickets you're able to buy are scattered all over the stadium, don't bemoan the fact that you can't sit with your traveling companions. Instead, embrace the chance to meet the diverse people around you. "If your seats aren't all together, it may actually be a blessing in disguise," says Karpinski. "And if you're worried about the safety of separating from your group, rest assured that Olympic security is very, very tight."
üRemember, it's not all games-but it is all fun! In addition to the Games themselves, the 2010 Winter Olympics will include official ceremonies and celebrations that feature live performances, recreational activities, and Canadian and international arts and culture. "My family will be attending a Victory Ceremony, which is essentially one big party with live bands," enthuses Karpinski.
Don't forget to do your Vancouver homework. Okay, so you've got your travel arrangements booked and your event tickets paid for. Congratulations! But, says Karpinski, don't stop working yet. There are still some details to which you should pay attention, and a whole city for you to learn about!
"This may sound obvious, but make sure you know where you're going and how you're going to get there," she advises. "There's an official Olympic transportation system, and most venues have multiple points of entry, so you have to know in advance how you're going to get around. Believe me-you don't want to be standing on a Vancouver street corner with a map in February, because it's going to be COLD!
"Unless you're going to be zipping in and out of the city for a day trip, it would be a shame not to sample some of the other non-Olympic things Vancouver has to offer," she adds. "The city's website http://olympichostcity.vancouver.ca includes an excellent list of free events to help you get started. Keep in mind that some free events-especially if they're Olympics-related-might still be ticketed."
"The 2010 Winter Olympics aren't over until the last medal has been awarded," says Karpinski. "So if you'd rather watch slalom skiers live and in person instead of on your television screen, start surfing the web for deals right now. It's all about making your plans in a smart way.
"Part of living a joyful life is cultivating the ability to let go of preconceived assumptions and spontaneously seize opportunities," she adds. "Your last-minute Olympic adventure may or may not work out, but you'll never know if you don't try. And if it does, you'll walk away with memories to last a lifetime."
About Christine Karpinski:
Christine Karpinski is the author of How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner, 2nd Edition: The Complete Guide to Buy, Manage, Furnish, Rent, Maintain and Advertise Your Vacation Rental Investment (Kinney Pollack Press, 2007, ISBN: 0974824992) and Profit from Your Vacation Home Dream: The Complete Guide to a Savvy Financial and Emotional Investment (Kaplan, 2005, ISBN: 1419506919).
Her books, combined with her seminars, media appearances, and Web site (www.OwnerCommunity.com), help thousands of people purchase and manage their vacation homes. Today she serves as director of Owner Community for HomeAway, Inc. (www.HomeAway.com).
About HomeAway, Inc.:
The HomeAway, Inc., websites connect homeowners and property managers with travelers who seek the space, value and amenities of vacation rental homes as an alternative to hotels. With nearly 430,000 listings in more than 120 countries across the sites, travelers may easily search for budget- to luxury-priced vacation rentals on HomeAway.com, VRBO.com, VacationRentals.com, CyberRentals.com, A1Vacations.com, GreatRentals.com, TripHomes.com, Holiday-Rentals.co.uk, OwnersDirect.co.uk, FeWo-direkt.de and Abritel.fr. The sites also feature reviews and the HomeAway Rent with Confidence Guarantee[tm], which help ensure a memorable HomeAway from home® experience. HomeAway is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and funded by Austin Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, American Capital, Institutional Venture Partners and Trident Capital.
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