With the London Olympics fast approaching it's not too late to get involved and experience the greatest sporting show in the world from up close without breaking the bank.
Granted, for those with deep pockets there are still some extortionate corporate packages available – but for mere mortals, there are many ways to maximise your involvement without remortgaging the house.
From Olympic Park passes to free days watching the Olympic action on giant screens in London's most famous park – you can still play a part in the biggest celebration London has seen in years.
Several Olympic events do not require tickets with the marathon, race walks, the cycling road race and the triathlon all with parts of the course available to view for free, no tickets required.
Hyde Park is the main site for the BT London Live events where spectators can watch all the Olympic action for free on giant screens. A second location is found at Victoria Park in East London and a third, at Trafalgar Square, will take the reins during the Paralympics. The sites – which include sporting activities and workshops, as well as live musical performances in the evenings – are free to enter but will have a capacity limit. Sign up at www.btlondonlive.com and pay £3.50 admin fee for guaranteed entry.
Radio One's Hackney Weekend is now over but there are other free musical and entertainment spectacles taking place during the Games. Part of the London 2012 Festival, the BT River of Music (July 21-22) features free gigs at six Thames-side locations – from Battersea Park in the south to the Tower of London in the east. Another festival – Scipmylo at Hackney Marshes – takes place from July 27 to August 12 is free to enter (with performances from £7) and includes comedy, music, food and big screens showing the sport.
Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Blur and New Order are but a handful of bands and musical artists performing in Hyde Park during July and August – and while tickets are now sold out, it's free to walk the perimetre of the live zone and listen in while taking a stroll in the park. There's also the popular Proms in the Park on 8 September (tickets £35), a day before the Paralympic Closing Ceremony.
A raft of Olympic Park passes were made available in May but are now sold out until a possible second wave of tickets. For just £10 spectators can spend a few hours in the park wandering around the venues – and while the ticket does not grant you access to any events, it's a great way of soaking up the atmosphere. Combined with a ticket up the Orbit sculpture (£15) it's a perfect Olympic day out without paying through the roof.
If you're too late for Olympic Park passes then a trip to the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre could be the answer: from John Lewis you can get surprisingly brilliant panoramic views of the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre. Westfield is also the base of the Australian Olympic Committee, as well as one of Team GB's hospitality hubs throughout the Games.
In fact, key Olympic nations are opening National Hospitality Houses at stunning locations all over London during the Olympics, with many offering free entry and a whole host of interactive events – from parties to athlete meet-and-greets – including big screen coverage of events and medal ceremonies.
Kensington Gardens welcomes a whole Africa Village as well as two Russian zones; Casa Italia at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster promises a free 'Made in Italy' expo with tasty nibbles and wins; the House of Switzerland in Glaziers Hall has a jam-packed events schedule and is fully open to the public; the Dutch will turn Alexandra Palace into a beer hall and Casa Brasil will turn Somerset House into one big samba party for two months.
Another attraction that is set to open ahead of the Games is the Thames Cable Car, which will start carrying passengers across the river between The O2 Arena and the ExCeL Exhibition Centre at midday on Thursday 28th June. Passengers will be able to use their Oyster card to ride in the gondolas 60 metres up in the air. A single fare costs £3.20 and a cash fare £4.30. Passengers can make the most of the stunning views over the Olympic Park and Canary Wharf with a non-stop round trip costing £6.40 with Oyster.
For those who have forked out a lot for Olympic tickets and have yet to book their accommodation then the cheapest option is Camp in London, a specially-devised campsite on a council sports ground in Walthamstow, a 10-minute shuttle-bus ride from the Olympic site. For more details see www.campinlondon.com (from £15pp for pitch-your-own to £40pp for pre-erected tents).
If you don't fancy the mud and rain then you can still book accommodation all over London at competitive prices by using LondonTown.com's Hotel Map.