Those renting holiday accommodation in the capital this Olympic summer will pay triple the amount they would elsewhere in the country, it has been revealed.

Typically, one bedroom in a one-week holiday rental during July and August will set customers back £711 in London, TripAdvisor’s survey showed.

Good value for money can be found in Yorkshire though, where a similar room would cost you £217, as well as in the Scottish Highlands (£229), North Wales (£237) and Cumbria (£242).

Dorset is the second most expensive for rental accommodation, with a room setting you back £389, followed by Edinburgh’s £370.

According to the survey, holiday rental accommodation in popular overseas resorts is much cheaper than it is in the capital during the next two months.

The Dalmatian Coast in Croatia is the cheapest, at £264 per room on average, with Spain’s Andalucia next at £274 and the Canary Islands – including Tenerife – will cost £281 typically.

Laurel Greatrix, a spokeswoman for TripAdvisor, said: “Holiday rentals are always a great option.

“Cost-conscious travellers – especially those travelling in groups – should look to destinations like Yorkshire and the Scottish Highlands in the UK, and Croatia and Andalucia in Europe, to find great properties without breaking the bank.”

The following are the typical July and August weekly holiday rental prices: Yorkshire £217; Scottish Highlands £229; North Wales £237; Cumbria £242; Kent £258; East Anglia £260; Gloucestershire £308; Somerset £317; Devon £332; Cornwall £341; East Sussex £352; Edinburgh £370; Dorset £389; London £711.

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New research suggests British holidaymakers will find it cheaper to take a beach trip overseas than to stay in the capital in the first week of the Games.

According to findings from M&S Money, travellers will have an average of 25% more in their pockets by flying abroad from UK hubs such as Stansted and Luton than spending a week in London while the global sporting event takes place.

An overseas beach break to tourist hotspots will cost £1,298 on average between July 28 to August 4, but spending the same amount of time in the capital is more expensive – at a sum of £1,631.

The survey found that Alicante in Spain is the cheapest destination among the 10 analysed at £927, while those who plan a week’s break to Bodrum in Turkey can expect to spend £1,102.

Bridgetown in Barbados, which would cost £1,836, and Daytona Beach in Florida – setting travellers back by £2,034 – were considered the top two areas that exceeded London’s prices during the same timeframe. The pollster said the capital’s figure was that much because of the large amount needed for spending, equating to £596 per week.

Around 2,000 holidaymakers who planned to go abroad in the next few months were also questioned as part of the research. Results showed that more than half (54%) are planning a staycation, with one in four (25%) citing it as a cost-effective break.

Of those planning to holiday in Britain, a fifth (21%) said they will take a trip to the seaside, compared with 28% of people flying overseas for their beach break. The report concluded that domestic and outgoing travellers have £341 spending money in their budget per person per day, or £287 each week.

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With the Olympics just around the corner, bosses at Heathrow Airport insist they are sufficiently prepared to cope with the huge increase in passengers and baggage.

The airport has invested more than £20 million into the 2012 Games in an effort to make sure athletes and tourists get to where they are going without any problems.

August 13 – the day after the closing ceremony – will be the busiest day in the airport’s history as unprecedented levels of passengers and bags are set to make their way through its terminals. Heathrow expects to process 137,800 people departing on that day, along with 200,000 bags, compared to an average of 150,000 on a normal day.

Nick Cole, head of Olympic and Paralympic planning at Heathrow, dismissed concerns over queues and security. He stated that as the official host airport for the Olympics, around four-fifths of all visitors will pass through in a “unique operational challenge”.

At a briefing in central London to discuss the plans in place, authorities insisted people will not suffer because of UK border problems, also putting to bed any fears surrounding security by declaring that any risk to UK airspace can be detected within minutes.

The London Olympics begin on July 27 and will run until August 12.

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The 2012 Games commence in six months’ time and details of a specially designed terminal to deal with the thousands of athletes expected to pass through Heathrow Airport have been unveiled.

The airport’s owners BAA has drawn up plans for an Olympics terminal in order to cope with the 10,100 competitors expected to arrive in London prior to the start of the sporting extravaganza, which gets under way on July 27.

August 13, the day after the closing ceremony, is widely expected to be the busiest in Heathrow’s history, which has prompted BAA to introduce a number of measures to ensure that things run smoothly. It is estimated that the number of bags handled on this day will be 35% higher than usual.

BAA plans to offer check-in and baggage collection services at the Olympic and Paralympic Village and will train 1,000 volunteers to welcome those people arriving for the Games.

Nick Cole, head of Olympic and Paralympic planning at Heathrow, said the Games will represent a “unique operational task” and a “massive challenge”.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways passengers who want to avoid the Olympics frenzy might want to escape to its new lounge for first and business-class passengers in Terminal 4.

The lounge offers five-star service, including refreshments, entertainment and free WiFi.

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Steve Cram has appeared at Stansted Airport as a guest speaker for a transport forum ahead of next year’s 2012 Games in London.

The middle distance runner, who won a silver medal at the Los Angeles Games in 1984, said: “London Stansted is just a stone’s throw from Stratford making it the nearest major international airport to the Olympic Village.

“So I was delighted to be invited by the airport to speak at the Transport Forum and share my experiences of competing at the Olympics and talk about the key role airports, like Stansted, will play before, during and after the Games.”

Although he is was one of the world’s best middle distance runners in his pomp, Cram would have been forgiven if he’d opted to take a bus to the airport to ensure he got there on time for this public appearance, which was part of a five-year plan to develop Stansted into a public transport hub ahead of the 2012 Games.

Nick Barton, Stansted’s managing director, said: “London Stansted Airport is delighted to be an official provider to the London 2012 Games and very proud to be one of the first to say ‘hello’ to the thousands of visitors arriving in the UK.

“We know it will be an operational challenge so we’re preparing now to make sure it’s a success for everyone.

“We’re aiming to make sure every passengers’ journey through Stansted during Games time is smooth, easy and efficient – to offer ‘business as usual’, only better.”

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Heathrow Airport, the main entry point for London 2012, has started its search for volunteers to greet important people arriving for the Games.

Heathrow, the official host airport for the Olympics and Paralympics, will greet around 80% of international athletes, officials, media, spectators and VIPs heading for the world sporting events from outside the UK.

It now wants 1,000 Team Heathrow volunteers to help with the coming influx at the four terminals. They are eligible for a range of London 2012 or Heathrow related rewards.

In addition to the Games, the volunteers will work at the airport on next June’s Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, just over a month prior to the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Residents from the Heathrow area in Middlesex who want to be involved have been invited to sign up to attend the first selection day at Hounslow’s Heathrow Academy on November 12.

And with the airport being the world’s third busiest, the attraction goes both ways as millions of passengers per year fly out to holiday and business destinations around the world.

“This is an exciting time for Great Britain,” said Colin Matthews, chief executive of British Airports Authority (BAA), which owns Heathrow and six other British airports. “And it is an honour for everyone at Heathrow to be amongst the first to welcome athletes and others to the London 2012 Games,” he added.

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Britons are refusing to let the gloomy economic climate get in the way of their holiday plans – with 88% planning to take at least one short-haul trip next year, and a quarter planning to spend more on travel than they did this year.

The findings came to light in a survey by TripAdvisor, which polled 6,092 international travellers, including 1,440 from the UK.

It found that the number of Britons planning at least one long-haul trip fell from 66% in 2011 to 60% next year.

However, 17% of those planning to spend more on travel next year are expecting to part with as much as £8,000. And 29% intend to spend between £2,000 and £4,000. If financial sacrifices have to be made, the holiday is one of the last things to be scaled back – only 15% intend to spend less on travel than they did this year.

And the economic downturn is not set to stop 66% of Britons taking between two and four leisure trips in 2012.

While next summer’s London Olympics could scupper some holidaymakers’ plans, 10% intend to get away from the UK and make the most of bargain deals during the Games. After getting their airport transfers, these savvy globetrotters plan to cash in on a value-for-money break.

Meanwhile, 12% will get around the problem by not travelling during the Games. This will allow them to stay in and watch the events.

Two-thirds of Britons say the Games will not have a major impact on their holiday plans.

North America, followed by Asia and Africa, are the the most popular destinations for those Britons planning long-haul holidays next year.

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Heathrow Airport has been named the official host airport of the London 2012 Games.

The London transport hub is gearing up for a huge influx of spectators, officials, sponsors and media for the Olympics, with about 80% of all the people who will travel to the Games going through the airport.

Gatwick Airport, Stansted Airport and Luton Airport are also expecting increased passenger numbers for the world’s greatest sporting event.

London 2012’s commercial director Chris Townsend said: “The first impression will reflect London 2012 in terms of branding but crucially by providing the warmest of welcomes to the city.”

Heathrow officials are expecting to deal with some 218,000 bags the day after the Olympics closing ceremony on August 13, which is set to be the airport’s busiest day ever.

A whole range of sporting equipment will pass through the airport, including canoes, vaulting poles and bikes.

Heathrow is recruiting 1,000 volunteers to ensure it can cope with the extra demand, with plans also being formed to build a temporary Olympic terminal, which would be taken down after the Games.

BAA chief executive Colin Matthews described London 2012 as “Heathrow’s greatest challenge”.

He said: “Every part of the airport is working together so we can give the world’s greatest athletes the world’s greatest welcome.”

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London Gatwick has appointed consulting group TSE Consulting to help it become the airport of choice for the London 2012 Olympics. 

London Gatwick plans to be Olympic airport

Airport bosses are keen for Olympic teams and National Olympic Committees to use the airport before and during the Games.

Gatwick already has good airport transfers to and from London, but bosses at Britain’s second largest airport have  said they will invest around £1bn improving services.

Upon arrival, National Olympic Committees and teams will be met and greeted at the air bridge. Staff at the airport will then assist the competitors and delegates through a fast immigration processing procedure, support with baggage and organise transfers to their final destination

The airport has already facilitated leaders from the G20 Summit, and looks after a number of sports teams when they are on their travels. These include current Premier League champions Chelsea, as well as the New Orleans Saints, and Miami Dolphins.

The GB Team returning from the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens flew back to Gatwick.

Jasper Perry, director of TSE Consulting United Kingdom, said: “We are honoured to have been appointed by London Gatwick Airport.

This project combines our expertise in helping NOCs prepare for the Games and helping regional partners such as LGA (London Gatwick Airport) to optimise their own involvement when such a major event is being hosted.”

Around 70 airlines currently fly to Gatwick Airport from 90 countries around the world. The airport, which is just 28 miles from London, handles around 34 million passengers every year.

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