Summer Games in Paris
Hotel prices, tickets, metro chaos: tips for the Olympics in Paris
The starting signal for the Olympic Games in Paris will be on July 26th. photo
© Michel Euler/AP/dpa
Many sports fans dream of witnessing the Olympic Games live. The German Press Agency answers the most important questions about tickets, accommodation and transport in Paris.
From entry tickets to hotel beds and the traffic situation, there are a lot of things to consider when dreaming. What everyone who is considering a trip to the Olympics in Paris needs to know now:
Are there still tickets? When and how can you purchase these?
There are still tickets available for the competitions, but the remaining tickets are yet to be posted online on the games’ ticket page – with a few days’ notice. If you want to get a ticket, you have to be quick. The principle applies: first come, first served. An exchange for the resale of admission tickets will also be launched in mid-May. Sports fans could then also buy one or two tickets for events that have already been sold out or get rid of a ticket for a competition.
What about hotels? Are there still free accommodations and at what price?
There are still free accommodations in Paris and the surrounding area during the Olympic Games. But no one should hope for a real bargain. A number of hotels have significantly increased their prices for the major event. If a bed in a dormitory is enough for you, you can still find a place in a hostel for just under 70 euros a night.
A twin room or an apartment for two people in Paris is available from 130 euros per night and upwards. Accommodation is also hardly cheaper in the suburb of Saint-Denis with the Stade de France, where some competitions are held. In any case, there is no upper price limit. For two people, you can spend a good 1,000 euros a night during the Olympics in and around Paris – or around 5,000 euros.
Any chance of a cheap last-minute trip to the games? What do sports fans have to consider if they still want to travel?
It is advisable to book seats on the train, bus or plane early, as it becomes more expensive later and there is a risk of fully booked connections. A few days ago, the state railway SNCF started bookings for the summer period. Additional trains and capacity for the Olympic Games have not yet been announced. In addition, many Parisians travel in the middle of the summer holidays.
Will Paris be completely overcrowded during the Olympics and the metro will be clogged?
That’s the big question. Pessimists see the city already sinking into chaos. The fact is that the games fall in the middle of the French summer holidays, when many of the capital’s residents traditionally flee. And this summer there could be many more.
In a survey a few days ago, 47 percent of residents in the capital region said they wanted to travel during the games to avoid crowds and excessive prices. In summer, the metro also often has more space than usual, except for a few tourist routes. During the games there will be additional trips and a call for employees to work from home and work from other locations.
Will everything actually be finished on time?
Of course, construction workers are still working hard in many places. The Olympic Village has already been inaugurated and most of the infrastructure is finished. The organizers are therefore optimistic and believe they are very well on schedule. The most worrying question is whether the opening ceremony of the games in the middle of the Seine can take place as planned for safety reasons and whether the water quality of the river will ultimately be sufficient to hold swimming competitions there as planned.
And then there is a typically French question: could strikes cause chaos in the middle of the games? This cannot be completely ruled out, but the expectation is that in the event of conflicts, for example over wage increases for metro drivers, every effort will be made to smooth things over in a timely manner.
Do I have to arrange entrance tickets for Paris attractions in advance?
If you want to visit the Palace of Versailles, climb the Eiffel Tower or marvel at art in the Louvre, you should get a ticket before visiting Paris. Entrance tickets for the sights and many other major Paris museums are usually available several months in advance on the institutions’ websites. Visitors can choose a day and a time slot there. The popular sights are always sold out.
Instead of a spontaneous visit, early planning is the order of the day. Tickets are already available for Versailles, four months in advance for the Musée d’Orsay, two and a half months in advance for the Louvre and two months in advance for the Eiffel Tower. If you have a little more time, you can also try for entry to the garden of the impressionist painter Claude Monet or to one of the Loire castles southwest of Paris.
What possibility is there to take part in the games in Paris for a little less?
Shortly after the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games will also take place in Paris from August 28th to September 8th, for which there are still numerous tickets available online. Hotel prices are lower for the period and slightly fewer guests are expected in the city.
If you want to avoid high prices and a crowded city center, you could consider coming to the Paralympic Games in Paris instead of the Olympic Games and cheering on some of the more than 4,000 athletes in 23 sports.