With hotels tripling their prices, Helen Raine finds there are still some affordable – and unusual – accommodation options available for this summer’s London Games.

Hotels are set to make a killing during the upcoming London Olympics (July 27 to August 12), with some more than tripling their prices.

Campsites in northern France have even started advertising themselves as accommodation options (presuming of course that you can get a seat on the Eurostar).

Don’t despair though; if you have a ticket for an event or just have the bad luck to be going to London during the Olympics by chance, it is still possible to find a bed without bankrupting yourself in the process. Here are some novel solutions to fix every accommodation crisis.

Take the train

There is a world outside the bright lights of London and the savvy Olympic traveller would do well to explore it for considerably cheaper hotels and a chance to see something other than the capital.

To the east (particularly convenient for the Olympic Park venue), Essex has several towns with quick and easy train connections. Consider Southend-on-Sea where you can sample cockles, a local speciality, in between events.

Kent is also an option, with quick connections from Maidstone and Tonbridge Wells.

To the south, Brighton is under an hour away by train. Northwards, you could stay in Milton Keynes, where an advance ticket with Virgin Trains into London will cost from around €31 for a return and takes just over half an hour.

Go under canvas

Campsites are springing up like fungi on wet grass. The Camping and Caravanning Club are going to be providing several serviced, temporary sites.

The Lee Valley is perhaps the best, within walking distance of the Olympic Stadium no less. If that’s full, try Windsor Great Park, Romford or three in Gravesham. Some will have catering and big screens.

Call +44 (0)845 130 7633. Prices start at around €35 with a minimum three-night stay. Visit www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk.

If you want something a little more personal than a giant field with hundreds of campers, then visit www.campinmygarden.com; the website title being pretty much self explanatory.

You can even choose a garden close to the event that you are attending and the sites on offer sound very appealing. For example, Tony is offering his “bow garden haven” which is literally one minute’s walk away from the Olympic Park for £27 per person, per night. There’s shade, a barbecue, hammocks and home-grown veg.

You don’t even need your own kit; Tony will pitch two tents, provide mattresses and even cook you breakfast and dinner for a modest fee. His living room is also available with a roll-out futon.

Alternatively, pitch your tent at a London sports club. Prices are phenomenally good, from €12 per person. Locations include Blackheath Rugby Club in south-east London, Eton Manor in east London, and Reading Rugby Club. Visit www.campingatthegames.com.

For a campsite with a festival feel, five minutes from the Olympic Park by shuttle bus, ‘Camp in London’ is the place. You can pitch your own tent from €18 per person.

You could also choose a basic pre-erected tent or, if you’re feeling flush, one of 100 luxury bell tents. They have VIP toilets and showers, tea light chandeliers and flowers winding around the tent pole.

At €120 per person including breakfast, they still trump the rather more prosaic Travelodge option in terms of price and charm. There will be big screens, two festivals (food and arts) and a kids’ zone where children aged three to 12 will get to play sports or do crafts in a secure area. Visit www.campinlondon.com.

Sofa surf

If you’re travelling alone or in pairs and want to enjoy some good company after a hard day watching the athletics, taekwondo or whatever, then hit www.couchsurfing.org. You’ll literally be staying on someone’s couch, but with no money needing to change hands, this is the Olympic accommodation bargain.

There’s even Maltese based in London on the site! For example, Erik Azzopardi is a yoga and meditation teacher on a mission to find the truth.

There’s only one way to find out if having a kinsman stay on his sofa will help him on that journey; sign up and surf away. He can lend you a duvet.

Crash pad

A step up from sofa surfing, with www.crashpadder.com, you get a room of your own in someone’s home, but you’ll pay for it. It can be very cost effective though, with rooms during the games costing as little as €60 for two people in central London and €31 near Greenwich. Within walking distance of the Olympic Park, double rooms are going for as little as €60 too.

You pay either via the website or cash on arrival and landlords have a profile on the site. Websites www.airbnb.com, www.onefinestay.com or www.viveunique.com are similar.

Rent a private house

Londoners are getting out of town and offering their homes to rent- Helen Raine

Politicians have assured UK tax payers that they’ll all get a share of the profits from the enormously expensive games, but there’s not much sign of it so far. So homeowners have taken matters into their own hands. Londoners are getting out of town and offering their homes to rent on sites like www.rentforthegames.com.

To some extent, location doesn’t matter as the tube will get you to the games no matter where you are based (check how many changes you’ll need and how long it will take on www.journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk).

A two-bed house in Bethnal Green is going for €1,800 for a week and there are 19 other results for homes costing up to €2,400 a week. It might sound pricey, but if you are a larger group, it would be virtually impossible to find a hotel for this price.

Book a youth hostel

The ‘Generators’ are a new breed of ultra modern hostels. The London branch is located in Russell Square, a brilliant central location. Miraculously, it still has availability over the Olympic period. You need to book four nights but accommodation in a dorm bed costs around €50, while a private room for two is about €150 and a single is a few euros cheaper.

Bed linen, wifi and a walking tour are all included for free. With an on-site bar, this is quite a party location and the decor is all space age metal, neon lights and acid coloured walls, but if you are up for sampling the night life after the games, you’ll enjoy the Generator. Visit www.generatorhostels.com.

University campus

In the summer, the students pile out of university accommodation so that it can be rented out to the public. In central London, there are still a few options available over the Olympic period.

You’ll get a great London location in a really quite decent room for a better price than most hotels. Evelyn Gardens in Chelsea, for example, costs around €167 for a double room with a shared bathroom, while Beit Hall in South Kensington will cost €240 for a twin including breakfast.

Visit www.londonuniversityrooms.co.uk.