VANCOUVER, B.C. - You're not too late.

This stunning British Columbia city, along with its alpine sister to the north, Whistler, will host the 2010 Winter Olympics in February. Yes, most tickets are gone. Most rooms are booked. Most fans have made their plans.

But the biggest event this town has ever seen still has room for more visitors.

"If you want to come to the Olympics, we want you. We're so excited," says Katie Emery, destination development director for Tourism Vancouver. "Just know you may not be able to stay in a five-star downtown hotel."

Every kind of lodging for miles around, from private homes to RV parks to cruise-ship berths, is being offered, she says, "and wherever you are staying, there will be plenty of public transportation."

This Winter Olympics will be your last chance for at least 10 years to see the event in North America.

Slated for Sochi, Russia, in 2014, it will most certainly be in another non-North American venue in 2018 and even beyond.

The United States didn't even bid on the 2018 Winter Olympics, putting all its eggs in one basket - its bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Chicago. The host city for that event will be announced in October.

Beyond the Games

The $6 billion 2010 Winter Olympics will run Feb. 12-28. Vancouver projects 350,000 spectators, 50,000 people related to the Olympics (including athletes, families, coaches, and sponsors), and 10,000 members of the media.

It sounds like a lot, but Vancouver, with a metro population of about two million, is the largest city ever to hold the Winter Games - plus, half the events will be in snowy Whistler, two hours north.

In addition to the Olympics hoopla, most of Vancouver's famed highlights will be open - the aquarium, the Chinese gardens, the museums, the nightlife, the restaurants.

"The Games are here, but oh, by the way, you have all this culture and dining," says Paul Vallee, vice president of Tourism Vancouver.

Olympic venues are mostly completed. In addition, the scenic Sea to Sky Highway 99 between Vancouver and Whistler has undergone a $600 million makeover (watch out for a few orange barrels remaining). The athletes' village is still under construction.

Olympics hats, shirts, pens, mouse pads, and other souvenirs are already in the shops. Olympics mascots include Quatchi, a sasquatch character, plus Sumi, Miga, and Mukmuk.

"It's interesting because the customer base is mostly American so far," says Suraj Gupta, manager at Hudson House Trading Co., a souvenir shop. "Canadians haven't really caught onto the Olympic bandwagon yet."

If you want to come, here's the best advice from Vancouver's tourism folks:

Tickets, air, lodging

Tickets. Rare at this point, but still doable. The official agent for Americans' ticket sales is www.cosport.com.

Ice hockey ($61-$150) and figure skating ($370-$500) were still available a few weeks ago, as were accommodation/ticket packages (about $2,500 each).

Ticket-resellers like Stubhub.com were advertising tickets for individual events such as curling and biathlon for $180 to $400 each. (If the Beijing Olympics is any predictor, prices should fall as the event draws closer.)

Canadians can buy tickets more cheaply through www.vancouver2010.com.

Tourism Vancouver's Vallee says it's possible - but not guaranteed - that more tickets will come up for sale if sponsors return unused tickets just before the Games.

Transportation. Fly into Vancouver or try Bellingham, Wash., or Seattle (a 21/2-hour drive). Border crossings will have extra agents on duty.

No matter where you're staying, you will be able to get around on public transportation - buses, trolleys, subways, or ferries.

In addition, the Canada Line, a new subway/light-rail line, will open in September, connecting the Vancouver airport with downtown.

Highway 99 (Sea to Sky Highway) will be closed to private cars unless you have a parking permit from a hotel in Whistler. But shuttle buses will run continually between the cities.

Accommodations. Downtown Vancouver hotels are sold out. You can still rent a condo, house, or room, or stay on the Norwegian Star cruise ship docked in Vancouver harbor, at a hotel in the suburbs, or even at an RV park - an option not available at previous Winter Games.

Whistler has a smidge of accommodations left.

Explore lodging options at www.2010destinationplanner.com. For reservations for the cruise ship (starting about $700 a night) call Tourism Vancouver at 1-877-826-1717. Try www.rent2010.net, www.rentatthegames.com, or http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca for private rentals.

"No Olympics city has ever been sold out completely," Emery says. "Usually, they're about 85 percent booked."

Attractions. The best news is that Vancouver will be open. Whistler will be open. Even visitors without tickets to the events can mingle with the crowds and join in parties, outdoor events, and general hoopla.

And if you can't get here on Olympics week, try coming for the Paralympics on March 12-21. Quatchi would like that.

Gearing Up for Winter Games

Air Canada, Continental, Northwest, and US Airways fly to Vancouver International Airport from Philadelphia International Airport, with one stop. The lowest recent round-trip fare was about $649.

Places to stay

Try the Web sites www.2010destinationplanner.com and www.tourismvancouver.com. Hotels scheduled to open early next year are the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel (www.fairmont.com/promo/pacificrim) and Hotel Indigo.

Things to see

Vancouver Aquarium. Canada's biggest. Highlights: beluga whales and dolphins. 604-659-3474, www.vanaqua.org.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden. Gorgeous classical Chinese garden open year-round. 604-662-3207, www.vancouverchinesegarden.com.

Vancouver Lookout. Get a load of Vancouver from 550 feet up. It's like Toronto's CN Tower, but shorter. 604-689-0421, www.vancouverlookout.com.

Stanley Park. Gigantic city park on edge of town has the aquarium, amazing vistas, forests, tennis, beaches, golf, hiking, bike paths. 604-257-8400, http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/stanley.

- Ellen Creager