Everything you wanted to know about Olympic tickets but were too confused to ask

How many tickets should I apply for to make sure I get some?

You should set a budget and only apply for as many as you can afford. Bear in mind that finals are likely to be oversubscribed and decided by ballot, so think about which sessions you apply for - maybe try a new sport?

How does the system work and is there a family pass?

You apply for a particular session - the length of which varies from sport to sport. So for athletics, there may be a morning session and an evening session - these are separate ticketed sessions. Full details will be available in the sport schedule. There are no "family passes" as such, however for more than 200 sessions there will be special "pay your age" prices for under-16s. So, for example, if you are 11 next summer, you could pay £11. Many of these sessions have £20 tickets for adults too.

If I want to see the big three events - swimming, cycling and athletics - do I over-apply and then just pay for the ones I want or will they take my money straight away?

You should only apply for tickets you are willing to buy. Once your application is in it cannot be changed, so if you are successful in all your applications, you could be charged for all of them.

Are there different price brackets? Which tickets are the cheapest and the most expensive?

Yes. Prices were announced last year and can be viewed at tickets.london2012.com/olyticketprice1.html

When will I know if I have got tickets?

You will be informed in June if you have been successful.

Will there be tickets available on the day?

It is likely that there will be some tickets available closer to the event and possibly on the day too. More details of how these will be sold will be announced in due course.

How many tickets will be available to the public for the opening ceremony?

Locog isn't publishing allocations for individual sessions. Across all events, 75 per cent of tickets will be available to the public. There are likely to be fewer for events such as the opening and closing ceremonies where journalists, dignitaries and guests from each national Olympic committee and sporting body have to be accommodated.

How many tickets can I bid for?

There will be limits to how many you can apply for. This will vary from sport to sport and session to session. Full details will be available when the application process opens but a limit of four to eight per household is typical.

Are there any free events?

Yes. The men's and women's marathon, men's and women's cycling road race and time trial, two men's walking races, one women's walking race and men's and women's cycling as part of the triathlon.

Why, since I registered for the tickets, have I been deluged with unsolicited marketing mailshots?

Locog sends out a monthly newsletter. If you receive more than that, you will have opted in to receive more - you can alter these settings on your account any time.

Top ten ticket tips

It's a marathon, not a sprint. You can apply for tickets between March 15 and April 26 2011. Take your time - it's not first come, first served.

Start planning. There are 26 sports to choose from. Talk to friends and family about the sports you want to see.

Think about your budget. Tickets start from just £20 in every sport, and 90 per cent of all tickets cost £100 or less.

For the family, there are special prices for young people and seniors across all sports and in more than 220 of the 650 sessions, so the whole family can watch the Games.

There are wheelchair spaces available in all price categories for every sport, subject to availability - and a companion seat is included in the cost of a ticket for a wheelchair space. Accessible seating will also be available.

Increase your chances of getting tickets. Consider applying for the early rounds of competition, not just the sessions at which medals will be awarded.

If you do end up with unwanted tickets you will be able to resell them at face value on an official ticket exchange, details of which will be announced later.

You will need a Visa card to apply online. Visa will be the only payment card accepted when you apply for tickets on the official London 2012 ticketing website. You can also pay by cheque or postal order if you apply using the paper application form contained in the official ticketing guide.

Don't be fooled by bogus websites and organisations claiming to sell tickets to the Games. The official London 2012 ticketing website is tickets.london2012.com.

Register your interest at tickets.london2012.com and get all the information you need about the events you want to see.

London 2012 - the full schedule of events