Photo (c) tintinetmilou

A part of my planning to attend the Olympics, I’ve been searching for reasonably priced accommodations during my visit to Vancouver, with couch surfing as my last option. Not that there is anything wrong with couch surfing, just my plans I want to be able to come and go without feeling like I am intruding into someone ‘ busy life.

However finding reasonable price accommodation ($100/night or less) hasn’t been easy – actually proving to be almost impossible. I found that most places are already booked from February12-28 2010, or are currently not accepting reservations for that period yet. The ones that are accepting reservations are $300 a night and up. One place was even $1100 a night. A NIGHT! The hotel and hostels and B&B that I have found that were reasonable wanted a 50% non refundable deposit due upon reservation, with the remainder by October 1st and non cancellation without 100% penalty after December 31st.

I get supply and demand, I honestly get that. It’s the Olympics and there is money to be made, but give a girl a break. Most of those places with outrageous prices would have been $150 a night or less any other time. Paying full price upfront wouldn’t be so bad if I knew for sure if I was able to attend. With plans up in the air because of school ~$250 is a lot of money to risk losing.
Honorable mention does go to Chocolate Lily (http://www.chocolatelily.com) who no available rentals for me had passed my reservation on to their associates. The kind people at Kitsilano Suites (www.KitsilanoSuites.com) were the first to email me with an offer of a room, how ever when I emailed them back stating their price was too much, they promptly emailed me back with a suggestion of another hotel that might offer me a better rate or discount. This was nice of them.

So have I found a place to stay for the Olympics yet? Nope. I am still looking. Thus dear readers if you know of any hotels or hostel offering private room with or without a private bathroom, that doesn’t require a deposit in the Vancouver area who accepting reservation for the 2010 Olympics please email me at joc.travelalongtheway [at] ymail.com

The Going to, and Been pages have been update.

It’s been a while since I last blog. With going back to school quickly coming up I have been considering the possibility of traveling while in school.

While I’ll have more time to travel with summer vacations, reading weeks, and all stat holidays off. I also won’t be working full time, and a lots of my money if not most will be going to tuition, books, transportation and what little bills I have.

However with my next trip I am quite determined to go to. On my list of 101 things to do before I am thirty-five, #12, #17 and #47 all relate to attending the Olympics in some way. While in the next ten years I’ll have two cracks at each Olympics before turning  thirty-five. However the 2010 Olympics are extra special for me. 1 they’ll be the last time we’ll see the torch bearer across the world. The next Olympics you’ll only see it in the host country. 2, It is also being hosted in my home country and in a city I haven’t visited since I was 3.

Budget

Wow, this will not be cheap.

Tickets

4 tickets: 1 opening or closing ceremony, 2 men’s hockey regular games, 1 other event will cost me roughly $332

Airfare

My preliminary search of airfare will cost between $750 and 840$ flying from Hamilton International Airport and arriving at Vancouver International Airport.

Hotel

At this moment, all hotels and hostels and other accommodations are currently blocking reservations for the period of the Olympics. So it has been hard trying to find prices. The one place who is accepting reservations, 2010 Furnished Rentals, is charging a minimal of $1100 a night. Not even if I could afford that, would I.  That is more then my rent!

I have considered couch surfing, if my cousins are unable to come and split the cost of hotels. I do have two friends who live in Vancouver. A newlywed couple, and one who lives with like 3 other roommates in a small house. Both would probably not work out well.

School

Here is the second major problem next to funding.  School.  The Olympics are from February 12 2010 to February 28 2010. My reading week starts March 1st.  I will have to either miss classes then come back for a few classes then have a week long break. Or extend my reading week by a few days and go to end games and closing ceremonies. However since they’ll able be final events tickets will be double the amount.