Jetsetters and sports lovers alike are buzzing about this summer's upcoming 30th Olympic Games in London, England. Accommodations are booking up quickly and the city is preparing for a huge influx of visitors from around the world.
Depending how you feel about crowds, London may or may not be the right travel destination for you in the coming months. But you can still get inspired by visiting past -- and future -- Olympics sites this summer, and capture some of the glory of the games while satisfying your wanderlust.
London, England: Summer Olympics 2012
London, England from BootsnAll
While we all know the famous sights London has to offer, like Big Ben, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, and Buckingham Palace, there’s also plenty of other fantastic, off-the-radar things to see and do while traveling to England’s capital.
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Summer Olympics 2016
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from Travelwolf
Rio is a portrait of all of Brazil's contradictions. The gorgeous coastline of the Atlantic rainforest drapes down the hillsides, which are covered with a vast labyrinth of favelas (shanty towns) and spill onto the loveliest urban beaches in the world, lined with the very chic apartments of Brazil's wealthiest class.
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Beijing, China: Summer Olympics 2008
Beijing, China from TravelMuse
Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics in 2008. Much of the city was in upheaval as infrastructure was being frenetically constructed and sights were being renovated for the Games. Post-Olympics visitors can look forward to some modern additions to the city’s attractions, including the Water Cube and the Bird’s Nest.
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Sydney, Australia: Summer Olympics 2000
Sydney, Australia from Let's Go
Australia’s unofficial capital, Sydney blends liveliness and loveliness as one of the world’s greatest cities. Home to more than one-fifth of the continent’s population, Sydney is Australia’s major urban center, and it certainly looks the part...
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Barcelona, Spain: Summer Olympics 1992
Barcelona, Spain from Guidepal
Barcelona is a city for all people, made up of many disparate parts that somehow meld to form this distinct and stunning city. From its historical Roman roots that can still be touched, to the boisterous, late-night-loving party scene, to the kilometers of beaches that stretch out along the Mediterranean, there is something for everyone here.
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Moscow, Russia: Summer Olympics 1980
Moscow, Russia from Rough Guides
The city is huge, surreal and exciting. After a few weeks here, the bizarre becomes normal and you realize that life is – as Russians say – bespredel (without limits). Traditionally a place for strangers to throw themselves into debauchery, leaving poorer and wiser,
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