This was the London that tourists never saw, with good reason.

BBC: London's art attack

Passenger numbers on the high-speed train between London, Brussels and Paris fell 1% to 2.6 million between July and September, which the train operator said was because "tourists who were not going to the Games were encouraged to avoid London".

BBC: Eurotunnel revenues rise during Olympic Games

For people who have arrived in London from other countries as tourists, the lack of gridlock is a welcome surprise.

WSJ: Social Media

He also attempted to take a grand piano on the London Underground, and persuaded a crowd of tourists that Nelson's Column needed holding up.

ECONOMIST: Jonathan Routh

Of greater interest to British tourists - skiers like me - is that the journey time from London to Milan will be cut to just six hours.

BBC: Italy's 10-metre Alpine mega-tunnel

If it were not for London, Britain would be off the map for both businessmen and tourists.

ECONOMIST: London

Like every host city before it, London hopes the Summer Games will bring with them a hefty economic boost by attracting tourists from near and far with money to spend.

BBC: Touring the cities of Olympics past

Tep's first-of-its-kind multi-country service alleviates connectivity concerns for business travelers and tourists alike meaning you can now get on a train in London and travel all the way to Vienna without losing connectivity or swapping your sim along the way.

ENGADGET: Tep Wireless unveils European-wide hotspot rental service for $5-a-day, 1GB of data included

But many ordinary tourists will steer clear of London during (and, probably, shortly before and after) the Olympics, predicts Tom Jenkins of the European Tour Operators Association, a trade body.

ECONOMIST: The culture industry will struggle during the Olympics

After playing Wales, the Springboks return home to play France the following Saturday in Cape Town, followed by a two-Test series against tourists Italy, in Witbank and East London.

BBC: South Africa's Butch James withdrawn from Wales Test