NBA stars, tennis champions, athletics - the queen of sport - and a myriad of other top-level sports, all in one of Europe's most beautiful capitals. There are plenty of reasons for fans to head to Paris for the Olympic Games between 26 July and 11 August. We advise you on how to get to the sporting arenas and how much travel, hotels, and on-site living might cost.
Tickets for the Olympic Games
The organisers of the XXXIII Summer Olympics in Paris prepared nearly 10 million tickets for individual events. Mostly, they were sold out months before the athletes began competing, even though the prices may have seemed high. The best seats for the final basketball game cost 980 EUR each (around 838 GBP). The athletics or swimming final sessions were equally expensive, but that was still not much compared to the premium tickets for the opening ceremony. The most expensive seats were priced at 2,700 EUR or 2,300 GBP. Of course, you can also watch the Olympic athletes compete by paying much less. Cheaper tickets for canoeing, for example, are priced at 79 EUR (approx. 68 GBP), while the least attractive seats for the closing ceremony are priced at 45 EUR (approx. 38.5 GBP).
"The official ticket distribution channel paris24tickets.com is still available to hunt for seats, where reservations are released for various reasons. Tickets are also available on services not authorised by The International Olympic Committee," points out Robert Blaszczyk, Head of Strategic Client Department at fintech Conotoxia.
Prices in Paris
The average prices and cost of living in Paris are slightly lower than in London. Some examples from supermarkets:
- a litre of milk in the supermarket - 1.40 EUR (approx. 1.2 GBP),
- 12 eggs - 4.7 EUR (approx. 4 GBP),
- a 1.5-litre bottle of mineral water - 0.95 EUR (approx. 0.83 GBP),
- beer - 2.3 EUR (approx. 2.3 GBP).
For a meal for two in a medium-priced restaurant, you will pay around 70-75 EUR (60-64 GBP), a set in a fast food chain costs 12 EUR (about 10 GBP), a coffee in a café - 4.3 EUR (about 3.7 GBP), and a beer in a pub - 7 EUR (about 6 GBP).
When the Olympic Games are on, you must be prepared for increased accommodation prices. For a weekend stay (which includes the event ceremony) for two people, it is difficult to find deals under 400 GBP, with offers twice as expensive - from 800 GBP - prevailing. "Transport also seems relatively expensive. A several-kilometre taxi ride is an expense of about 10 GBP, hiring a car for 24 hours - about 30 EUR (26 GBP), and a single public transport ticket costs 2.15 EUR (about 1.8 GBP)," the Conotoxia expert calculates.
To celebrate the Olympics, fans can benefit from the Paris 2024 Pass, a card that allows unlimited rides. Options will be available for one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven days. Prices range from 16 to 70 EUR (14-60 GBP).
App will show you the way
All the Olympic venues (25 of them - 13 in Paris and 12 on the outskirts) will be connected by a mass public transport system capable of carrying 500,000 people a day. The Transport Public Paris 2024 app, specially developed for the Olympics and available in six languages (French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Italian), should prove very useful for using the underground, buses and trams. It will suggest the best routes for fans and provide real-time information on traffic jams. It will also enable the purchase of virtual tickets on both Android and iOS devices. There are also expected to be 400 free buses moving fans along potentially the most popular routes.
Multi-currency card for payments worldwide
Be very careful where you exchange your currency
France has been part of the Eurozone for over 20 years, and currently, 1 GBP can be exchanged for around 1.18 EUR.
"When exchanging pounds to euros, it is worth avoiding mistakes that can increase the cost of your trip. Stationary exchange offices, especially those in airports or city centres, often offer unfavourable rates and high spreads, i.e. the difference between the buying and selling price of currency. Using a regular debit or credit card abroad for non-cash payments also exposes you to uncontrollable commissions. A multi-currency card seems a much more convenient and advantageous way to pay in other countries. It can be topped up on an ongoing basis, keeping expenses in check. It can also be used to withdraw money from ATMs. Cash may prove useful, for example, in some Parisian bars, restaurants or bakeries, where it is not possible to pay by card," warns Robert Blaszczyk of Conotoxia.
Sports fans heading to Paris who prefer cashless payments should remember that VISA remains the exclusive payment technology partner and the only card accepted at the Olympic and Paralympic Games until 2032.
Olympic weekend or week-long budget
Two people will fly from London to Paris and back for around 400 GBP, although a train connection is also worth considering. The train journey will only take an hour longer, but it will save you a lot of money. Two people will pay around 160 GBP for a return ticket by choosing the cheapest option. For two nights' accommodation during the Olympics, food, transport and the purchase of small Olympic souvenirs, they will spend around 800-1000 GBP. A separate issue seems to be tickets to the Olympic arenas, where expenses can range from 100 to 1,000 EUR (around 85-855 GBP), and, if time allows, also sightseeing in Paris, such as a climb up the iconic Eiffel Tower - around 29.4 EUR (25.5 GBP). All in all, you can estimate an average budget of around 1.2-1.4 thousand GBP. A week's stay cheering on the Games and exploring the highlights of the French capital could prove to be twice as expensive, reaching around 2.4-2.8 thousand pounds for two people.
Conotoxia - the account worth having
Open an account for free and manage your finances effectively
Open account for free