London 2012 may seem a while off, though it is time to make a mental note of the dates and start to plan around the event.

For those who do not know, this affects London from 27th July to the 12th August 2012 – and will also affect dates around this time.

So, what to do? London will be gridlocked from a car point of view. We are to have many “Zil” lanes – and normal Private Hire Vehicles (the ubiquitous E class Mercedes) will not be able to use these. I suggest:

1. Do not plan to travel in or out of London during this time. Make sure any meetings are held either well before or after this date – and certainly, don’t even think of holding (say) a sales conference at this time.

2. If you need to have representation abroad, think of positioning someone outside the UK for the duration.

3. If you must travel, budget accordingly. A hotel room, if one can be found, will be AT LEAST £300 a night – and that will be for a pretty basic affair and could well be some distance from the capital.

4. Be prepared to use public transport. Car travel will be hopeless, so cancel any car transfers and buy a ticket on the Heathrow Express and invest in an “Oyster” card for getting around London.

Bear in mind that this event will affect the periphery of London as well. You have been warned!