17/5: Top Pin Trading Locations in London (4)

Week 4 in the list of top places to trade pins during London 2012 from our guest blogger. This week it's the turn of...

London's Transport Hubs

They may not be the most glamorous locations, but don't forget these are the places that all our Olympic visitors will use to get to London, and leave afterwards.

Airports

Previous Games have spent huge amounts of money on new airports, and usually there has only been one major airport in the city. However, in London we are serviced by no less than 5 separate airports. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead, Luton and London City.

Heathrow is the official Airport of London 2012 (as we all know from their great Purple and Green "Team Heathrow" pin!), and is also the location of one of the London 2012 Official shops (you can also find one of these in the departure section of Stanstead Airport).

In Vancouver, the airport was the location of one of the Coca-Cola pin trading centres, however this will not be the case in London.

The Airports are not somewhere that I would recommend visiting specifically to trade pins. However, at the past three Games this was the location of my first pin trade of the Games!

So if you are flying into the country, make sure you keep a few pins handy ready to trade with volunteers, airport staff, and maybe another passenger.

Also, upon leaving the host city, I've usually taken time to visit the Official shop and managed to add a couple of last minute additions to my pin collection before heading home.

St Pancras Station pin

Train Stations

Probably London's most beautiful station is St Pancras, recently renovated for its role as the end of the Eurostar line, St Pancras has embraced the Games. Huge Olympic rings hang from the ceiling, and of course its the home of the first London 2012 Shop. During the Games it's likely to be buzzing with activity, for as well as welcoming international visitors fresh from the Channel Tunnel, it's also one end of the Olympic Javelin line - which whisks you straight to Stratford International Station in about 6 minutes flat.

It's bound to be a busy route for workers, volunteers and of course spectators. This may well be a good spot to try a bit of pin trading.

London's other stations offer less in terms of Olympic connections, but don't forget that Paddington also has a small official shop too.

Airports and Stations aren't won't be the highlight of your visit to London, but don't rule them out as a place where you might get a good trade or two! As always - be ready and have a few pins handy!