Olympic Games in Paris: How to Travel Last Minute?

The Olympic Games are the most important sporting event. Many supporters dream of participating in the Games. This year it is ‘easy’ for Europeans because the Games will be held in Paris (and in fact also in many other places in France).

There’s not much time left, but it’s still possible to go to Paris during this time. In this article, I will give you some tips about such a trip. What about tickets, hotels, flights?

This article is a shortened version of the first episode of my podcast about Sports Travel and Sports Volunteering. Listen to Paris Olympics Last Minute for even more information.

What will be happening in Paris during the Games?

The Olympics are many sports competitions. But not only! It’s also the atmosphere, the decorated city (the Olympic rings are already hanging on the Eiffel Tower), additional cultural events and fan zones.

The atmosphere will be all over Paris. Here, you will find a map with accompanying events. Read through it because there are many events that are impossible to mention in one blog post.

The most interesting one is certainly Champions Park in the Trocadero Gardens, where there will be performances, broadcasts of some events, and, above all, celebrations with the medalists. Entry is free.

Club France, an event focused on French sport at Parc de la Villette. It is also worth looking at other ‘national houses’, including events at the Embassies of Australia and Switzerland.

I think that even if you don’t manage to buy any tickets for the competition, your stay in the city at that time, the events and atmosphere, will be a unique experience.

Especially since there are disciplines that will not require tickets and will simply take place on the city streets. It’s a marathon, part triathlon and part cycling race.

Here, by selecting a discipline, you can check the description as well as the dates, times and place of the start of these competitions. The triathlon will take place near the Pont Alexander III (and it raises quite a lot of emotions due to the fact that the swimming part will take place in the Seine).

So anyway, you will be able to see the Olympic competition even without tickets.

I think that this part of the article should already convince you that it is worth deciding on such an Olympic trip.

But that’s not all, because you can still buy tickets for some matches and competitions. Let me tell you how and where.

Where to buy tickets for the Olympic Games in Paris?

The most important thing is to buy tickets only from official sources. And it’s best to access these websites only through the official website of the Games, where both ticket sales platforms are linked.

Don’t search via Google by entering, e.g. ‘Paris resale’ because the results will show unofficial websites with very similar names.

We have two options:

• Official ticket sales platform. There are not many tickets left here, but new ones will appear. Currently, every Thursday at 10 a.m. Paris time. It is worth being ready at the computer because tickets disappear very quickly.

You can follow the official Olympic profile on Instagram (Paris 2024), because there they post information about the exact tickets.

• Resale Platform. This is probably an even better option now, because you can view it at any time. This is the official resale platform.

If someone has already purchased a ticket, they have it in the application. There, they can click that they want to resell the ticket, and then the tickets are sent to the Resale Platform.

Of course, availability depends on what the fans are selling. I managed to buy tickets in cheaper categories, even for 26 Euro.

If you find a ticket that interests you, buy it immediately. There is no need to wait, they may disappear.

If you are looking for tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies, you can also look for them on both websites. The Opening Ceremony of the Games will take place in an open area along the Seine. This is the first time in history that the ceremony will not take place at the stadium. According to the original plan, it was supposed to be open to everyone. This was changed some time ago, and, for security reasons, entry to the ceremony will only be possible with tickets or special invitations. Tickets, if they appear at all, are rather expensive, but you can still hunt for them.

It is also worth remembering that many disciplines will not be held in Paris but in other cities. Sailing will be in Marseille, football will be in several cities, and handball will move to Lille Arena from the quarterfinals. So check it carefully when buying tickets 🙂

What about hotels during the Games in Paris?

Paris is, of course, a very touristic city, it is not cheap as a rule. Let alone at such a special time. But I have two good news for you on this topic.

Firstly, accommodation prices have been falling for several months now. Probably due to incomplete occupancy, prices are lower than those proposed, for example, in the autumn. Secondly, accommodation is still available at all.

The official partner of the Games is Airbnb. I would rather look for hotels/smaller hotels now, on typical portals, e.g. on Booking.

Firstly, look at what competitions and what arena you are going to. For example, volleyball matches will take place at the South Paris Arena, so it’s worth looking for something nearby. Of course, this cannot always be 100% accurate, but it is worth looking at the map and transport.

If you plan to sleep in the city centre, this is important information: between July 18-26, you will need a special pass in districts close to the Seine (located in the grey zone). You must apply for it by providing the address of your hotel. It is worth asking at the hotel, or you can also check on the map. Here, you can check the information in more detail and apply.

After the opening ceremony, i.e. after July 26, the code will apply in the vicinity of the arenas, so it is worth checking if it does not apply to you, although the chance is lower.

The zones are quite complicated and generate many questions. According to the latest information, people with online reservations through the official websites of the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and D’Orsay Museum will be able to go to these places without this special code.

When writing about the Games, we cannot also forget about the Paralympic Games, which will take place in Paris on August 28-September 8, 2024. The rules are similar, the ticket links are the same, and there will also be zones and the required code, although to a slightly smaller extent. Remember this if you are going to a competition or just to Paris at this time.

How to get to Paris for the Games?

If you are thinking about traveling to Paris by car, remember about traffic zones and restrictions. Where pedestrians will be able to travel, vehicles will not.

And as for flights, you can still buy tickets at ‘normal’ prices, at least from Poland. So by normal, I mean typical for this route, most of them are not even more expensive for now (but I expect it may change soon). Remember that Paris has a few airports.

If you are flying cheap airlines like Ryanair or Wizzair, you may fly to Beauvais airport, almost two hours away from Paris. Therefore, remember to add 30 Euro to the flight price for the bus to St. Denis (and the metro from there).

Of course, a lot can be written and said about the Games, but I think these are the most important pieces of information in a nutshell. I also invite you to check out the podcast on YouTube or Spotify for a spoken and more extensive version.

Such a trip to the Olympics can be your sports trip of a lifetime, and the emotions and memories will stay with you for a long time. Therefore, even though the organization is quite demanding (though I hope that these tips make it much easier), it is worth it.

See you in Paris!