Let’s fast forward a few months…

You made it! After endless weeks of planning, plotting, scheming and saving, you’ve not only managed to make it to Vancouver 2010 safely but you’ve even managed to settled into your gorgeous furnish vacation rental and put your jetlag to rest with a good night’s sleep. And now, full of espresso, enthusiasm and expectation you’re ready to commute to your first ever Olympic venue to cheer your country on towards gold!

Ten minutes later you’re standing in the rain surrounded by a dizzying whirlwind of buses, sea buses, skytrains, taxis and pontoon planes, not to mention a couple of million annoyingly chipper Vancouverites… oh, and you forgot your umbrella.

Getting around the 2010 Winter Olympics doesn’t have to be this difficult. In fact, the city of Vancouver has gone to great lengths to ease the to-and-fro aspects of your Olympic experience. But before you embark there are several important facts that must be taken to heart before arriving on Canada’s West Coast:

-Your umbrella is your best friend. Whether you’re lining up for the speed skating events on the Fraser River Delta or bashing your cowbell with abandon at Whistler’s downhill venue, it’s either going to be raining, snowing or sunny. (and sometimes all in one day) So with the odds stacked depressingly against you, chances are that something’s going to be falling out of the sky. Don’t flip the bird at the weather gods. Be prepared.

-Leave the car at the rental lot. One thing you won’t find at Vancouver’s Olympic Venues is spectator parking. Why? Imagine the parking lot at the JC Penny Boxing Day Sale. Now multiply that by a billion. Get the picture? Save your money for a few apr