The ’92 Winter Olympics Will Be No Bargain, Either

Tourists seeking a break on prices at the 1992 Winter Olympics will have about as much success in France’s Savoie region as Great Britain’s Eddie (the Eagle) Edwards will have in the ski jumping competition.

Tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies in Albertville are on sale for $61, $143, $204 or $305, but one should not count on being able to purchase them because 60% of the seats in the 35,000-seat stadium are reserved for media, sponsors and VIPs. Tickets for the figure skating competition, also in Albertville, will cost $61, $143 or $204.

Other tickets are more affordable, ranging from $12 or $16 for Nordic combined competition--ski jumping and cross-country ski racing--at Courcheval and Les Saisies to $20, $31 or $41 for ice hockey games in Meribel.

Olson Travelworld of Manhattan Beach, the U.S. Olympic Committee’s designated ticket agent, has various packages available for accommodations in Grenoble, about an hour’s drive from Albertville. There are only three hotels in Albertville, a center for light industry with a population of 22,000, and ski resorts in the immediate area are virtually booked.

Don Williams, managing director for Olson’s Olympic division, said packages range from $2,790 to $7,490, depending on length of stay and class of accommodations.