Plan Ahead: World Athletic Championships, Stuttgart

STUTTGART is a city famous for its motoring marques, and at a certain Gottlieb Daimler Stadium in Mercedes Street the World Athletic Championships will held from 13 to 22 August.

The finals are spread over the eight-day event in the southern German city, with about 40 per cent held before the rest day on 18 August. For example, the men's 100 metres final is on Sunday, 15 August. Tickets are available session by session up to the last three days, day by day or as season tickets.

Season tickets, which do not include the opening ceremony on 13 August (competition starts the following day), cost DM190 ( pounds 74.50) to stand and from DM429 to DM979 for a reserved seat. Session (morning / evening) and day tickets cost from DM20 and DM47 rising to DM190 for the last three days. Season tickets are available from Deutches Reiseburo in Frankfurt am Main and individual day tickets by credit card from Easy-Ticket-Service in Stuttgart.

Track and Field Tours, of Ingatestone, Essex, specialises in trips to athletics meetings and has some packages remaining for the World Championships. Suiting all pockets, a 10-night package in a budget but comfortable hotel, flying from Stansted, costs pounds 469 per person. From Manchester airport, the cost is pounds 509. The same standard of hotel, but travelling by coach is pounds 329. The deluxe hotel trip is pounds 999 per person. Tickets are extra.

Sportsworld Travel, of Abingdon, is the other official tour operator and its packages range from three nights at pounds 585 per person to pounds 1,155 for the 11-night version, both at a good three-star hotel.

IAAF World Championships, Stuttgart, 13-22 August.

Deutches Reiseburo GmbH, Abt. DEROUR SPORT LIVE, Emil von Behring Str 6, 6000 Frankfurt/Main 50, Germany. (Tel: 010 49 69 95 883638). Easy-Ticket-Service, Postfach 3003 60, D-7000, Stuttgart 70. (Tel: 010 49 711 981 99200).

Track and Field Tours, PO Box 800, Ingatestone, Essex CM4 OHE (Tel: 0277-354377).

Sportsworld Travel, New Abbey Court, Stert Street, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3JZ (Tel: 0235-554844).

German National Tourist Office, Nightingale House, 65 Curzon Street, London W1Y 7PE (Tel: 071-495 3990).