The 2010 Winter Olympics are known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games officially or the 21st Winter Olympics on occasion. The Games will take place from February 12 to February 28, 2010. The ceremonies and Games will happen in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A portion of the Olympics will be held in the resort town of Whistler. Olympic and Paralympic Game activities are being put together by the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC).

The last two times Canada hosted an Olympics was the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Approximately 5,500 athletes from nearly 80 National Olympic Committees (NOC) will compete in about 86 events in 7 sports. The Winter Olympics will be seen by billions around the globe via satellite television, streaming Internet Video and cable television.

Canadian residents who want to purchase tickets can and are eligible to do so. Canadian residents are required to have a current and valid Canadian mailing address. Since Visa is the sole credit card sponsor of the games Visa will be the only credit card issuer whom purchasers can use to buy tickets and other Olympic related merchandise.

All non-Canadian international ticket purchasers must purchase tickets via the official ticket issuer for your particular National Olympic Committee (NOC). For example, American residents, including people who are Canadian citizens living in the United States, must purchase tickets to the Vancouver Winter Games through CoSport (a company related to Jet Set Sports) the only authorized ticketing agent of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

VANOC is dedicated to providing the most accessible venues and best services for the 2010 Olympic and the Paralympic Winter Games. All venues are perfectly suited for accessibility. Persons who are blind and/ or visually impaired, people who happen to be Deaf or hard of hearing and people who are otherwise differently able will have an easy time getting around the Olympic venues.

When you purchase your Olympic tickets you will be asked if you requre special assistance. If so, you will be contacted by a representative who will get details on your needs for assistance around the Olympics. Tickets will be issued with special marks that identify to security that the holder is a special needs individual. Tickets can be purchased all the way up to the day of the event at the box office of the venue where the event will be held.
 
The website of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics says 100,000 tickets will be sold for $25. Half of the tickets available will cost less than $100.

People can buy the Olympic Experience Package. These are custom ticket packages that act like samplers. Contact Vancouver 2010 for more details on the Olympic Experience Package.

Paralympic Winter Games

Tickets for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games which take place from March 12, 2010 to March 21, 2010 go on sale beginning May 6, 2009.

One should try to attend a maximum of one event per day. You should arrive early at each venue to allow for plenty of time for a required security screening process and of course to find your proper seat. The Opening and Closing Ceremonies plus the Whistler event venues will open at least three hours before each event. The city event venues will open at least two hours before each event. Game postponements and/ or delays may occasionally happen.