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The Barcelona Formula 1 Grand Prix takes place at the Catalunya Circuit in the town of Montmelo, some 20 kilometres to the north east of downtown Barcelona. The main event is on Sunday (in 2011, that will be on 22nd May) while practicing and qualifying sessions take place on the preceding Friday and Saturday respectively.

Attendees of the Barcelona Grand Prix can choose to buy separate tickets for the practicing, qualifying and main event, or purchase a 3 day pass that is valid for entry into all 3 events. Tickets may be bought on site. However, buying them online is usually more convenient – the crowds that descend on the small town during the Grand Prix can make buying tickets at the venue a hectic endeavour.

For most attendees of the Barcelona Grand Prix, access to the Catalunya Circuit will be via Barcelona city. Trains to the circuit can be boarded at Clot, Passeig de Gracia or Barcelona Sants, all of which are in Barcelona’s city centre. For travellers to the circuit, the 30 minute journey ends when they disembark at the Montmelo station. A one way ticket to Montmelo from Barcelona goes for Euros 1.60.

On arrival at the Montmelo station, visitors can opt to do a 30 minute walk to the circuit. However, this requires walking along some large roads and is not recommended. The preferred alternative is to take a shuttle train that operates between the Catalunya Circuit and the Montmelo station.

The advantage of the shuttle is that it not only operates throughout the day during the race weekend but it is also free for persons that have tickets to the race. In 2010, 47,000 Barcelona Grand Prix spectators used the shuttle service.

The service can get very busy especially on Sunday and race attendees must plan to catch the early shuttle. Other than the train shuttle service, there is a special bus service organised by the Sagales coach company that transfers attendees from downtown Barcelona to the Catalunya Circuit.

The third alternative is to drive oneself to the circuit. With 32,000 parking spaces at the Catalunya Circuit, one is unlikely to miss a parking slot. However, the problem might be getting a parking slot close to one’s sitting area. Since the track is 4 kilometres long, the challenge is getting a parking space that is as close to one’s seating area as possible.

There are more than enough food and drink spots around the edges of the circuit – over 120 in total. Most such spots serve fast food including pizzas and sandwiches. Three course meals are available in 3 locations – one known as the Mediterranean and two called the Gourmet Grille.

Spectators can also order in advance a ‘picnic box’ for a minimum of 20 Euros with the actual cost depending on what one orders. The picnic box will at the minimum have beverages, snacks and meals.

Organisers of the Barcelona Formula 1 Grand Prix recommend that all attendees to the race come with comfortable shoes, sunglasses, a hat, sun cream and of course, ear plugs just in case the roar of engines’ becomes unbearable.

In 2012, the Olympic Games (usually referred to as the Summer Olympics to distinguish them from the Winter Games) will be held in London. The event will run from 27^th July 2012 to 12^th August. In keeping with Olympic tradition, the Summer Olympics will give way to the Paralympics at the same venue from 29^th August 2012 to 9^th September.

As expected, the announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2005 that London was going to be the host city of Olympics 2012 was met with wild celebration throughout the United Kingdom. Yet, this is not the first time for the Olympics to be in the UK’s largest city.

London was the host city for the 1908 and 1948 Olympic Games in addition to hosting numerous other global sporting events such as the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.  In fact, the decision to have the 2012 Games in London has made the city the first in Olympic history to host the event thrice.

Anyone attending the London 2012 will be presented with probably the most diverse field in Olympic history. The 302 events in the Summer Olympics are expected to attract 205 nations and about 10,500 athletes while 147 countries will participate in the Paralympics. This diversity is consistent with the London Games official motto – Live As One.

The Organising Committee of the London Games has taken deliberate steps to ensure the Games provide a rich cultural experience of the UK for the throngs of tourists that will make their way to the Olympics and Paralympics.

In this regard, the venues used will be a mix of new, modern facilities and older, refurbished, historic venues. Some of the facilities and venues will be in key London’s landmarks such as the Horse Guards Parade and Hyde Park.

Among the biggest concerns of the IOC prior to the award of the games to London was the capacity and efficiency of London’s transport infrastructure when inundated by the millions of visitors who are expected in the city for the Olympics.

Because of that, a special team known as TfL (Transport for London) has been charged with overseeing the expansion and improvement of the transport network. Changes expected to be completed before the Games start include the expansion of the over ground rail and the introduction of high speed bullet trains from Hitachi Corporation.

There are also plans to construct a cable car over the River Thames to cut travel times between venues and ease pressure on road and rail transport. The cable car will have the capacity to ferry 2500 persons each hour with each trip lasting just 30 seconds.

The mascots for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics are Wenlock and Mandeville respectively. Both are named after towns that have a history of involvement with either event. Much Wenlock is a Shrophshire town that hosted a forerunner of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Stoke Mandeville is a Buckinghamshire village that was the site of the first Paralympics.