Tue, 22 May 2012
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Travel writer Rick Steves highlights big events that will bring big crowds to Britain and Ireland in 2012.From the summer Olympics to the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking, several major events will make Great Britain and Ireland popular destinations in 2012.
From 27 July to 12 August, London will host the Olympic Games. Leading up to the games, visitors can see the Olympic Stadium and other major landmarks from the View Tube, a covered shelter with a lookout tower and café that sits at the Olympic Park's southern perimeter. From here, visitors can also stroll along the Greenway, a 500-yard-long sidewalk atop a berm, providing other viewpoints.
Blue Badge guides continue to lead Olympics-themed walking tours, though you won't see any more of the park itself than you would on your own.
Brits will be partying before the games even start. This year marks the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, commemorating 60 years of Elizabeth II's reign. Museums will host special exhibits, and various events and pageantry will take place the first week of June.
As always, restoration work continues to keep visitors to London on their toes. At the Tate Britain, much of the museum's permanent collection will be stored away in 2012, though you can still see a few key paintings and the J.M.W. Turner collection.
After a two-year renovation, Kensington Palace will reopen in late March with a new permanent exhibit, "Victoria Revealed," which showcases the life and times of Britain's longest-ruling monarch.
Barclays Cycle Hire, London's citywide bike-rental program, is now up and pedaling. The bikes, known locally as "Boris Bikes" (named after mayor and cycle enthusiast Boris Johnson), are available for rent from stations scattered throughout the city.
Though most of the Olympics action takes place in London, the rest of Britain is also preparing for an onslaught of tourists. In Greenwich, the Cutty Sark is slated to reopen in spring after a five-year restoration. The new display space allows visitors to walk above and below the suspended ship in which Sir Francis Chichester sailed solo around the world.
Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.
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