London is abuzz with Wimbledon mania. With forecasts of 90-degree sunny days this week (practically unheard of in these parts), more than 10,000 people queued up outside All England Lawn Tennis Club today for their chance to score a Wimbledon ticket so they could sip Pimms, nibble on strawberries & cream and cheer on British number one Andy Murray. Some fans had been camping outside Wimbledon for more than 50 hours to see Murray's first-round match. And while waiting in the Wimbledon Queue is a thoroughly gentile British tradition with participants spreading out generous picnics on the lawn, cracking open some bubbly while they wait and Wimbledon employees even passing out a glossy booklet entitled "The Guide to Queueing" -- there are more efficient ways to get tickets to Centre Court.
The Sure Thing: If you don't mind dropping a few thousand pounds, the surefire way to score tickets is through Wimbledon Debenture Holders, a marketplace for Wimbledon Debenture ticket holders sell their tickets which also includes access to the Debenture Lounges at Centre Court and Court No. 1 for resale. Tickets are on sale through the duration on the tournament. Many people will wait to see which players progress in the competition before buying tickets for the later stages. As long as there is time for your tickets to be delivered to you, you will still be able to purchase.
The Gamble: Return tickets for Centre Court and Court 3 go on sale through Ticketmaster 48 hours before the day of play e.g. at noon on Saturday June 27 for play on Monday June 29. These sell out quickly, but if you're lucky you might score one.
Reserve tickets will go on sale each morning at 9.00am for the following day's play e.g. on Sunday June 28 June for play on Monday June 29. These tickets are under 50 pounds but sell out as soon as they go online.
