Ultimate Guide to Paris 2024 — Your Roadmap to the Summer Games in Paris, France
Welcome to the Road to Paris! With less than 21-months to go until the Paris 2024 Olympic Games officially kicks off with the Opening Ceremony on Friday, July 26th. While 21-months may seem like the distant future, many family, friends, and fans like you whom are interested in going to the Summer Games are already starting to plan their trips to Paris, France. I recently visited Paris and can enthusiastically say how exciting it is to see the preparations already under way for this once in a lifetime event!
Over the coming months, as more information is released I will provided detailed articles each section below. Be sure to subscribe and bookmark this page so that you have the latest information at your fingertips.
Whether you are a veteran traveler to the Summer Games, or if this is the first trip that you are planning for Paris 2024 — the Ultimate Guide to Paris 2024 will provide you helpful tips and tricks that you can use in your planning and while you are on the ground in Paris. With Paris 2024, many of the details that Olympic travelers have come to expect have changed in a major way and this guide will walk you through the big ones.
Still, planning this early it can be very challenging to find the information you need to prepare your visit to Paris 2024. Even the most veteran of Olympic fans & travelers can struggle to piece together the information required to plan their trip. Many new and first-time travelers to the Olympics often feel overwhelmed with the lack of information and uncertainty. With so many choices, it can be difficult to know where to start and how to plan your journey to the 2024 Olympics.
This is where the Fan Roadmap to Paris 2024 comes in to help you. In this roadmap, I will cover all the basic you need to know to get your planning started. Each area will have a deep dive published over the coming weeks and months, where you can learn all the critical details the instant, they become available. This roadmap will be constantly updated in the lead up to the Summer Games and during the games, meaning you will always have the latest information at your fingertips. Bookmark it and subscribe to my medium feed to stay up-to-date on the latest.
Let this roadmap be your guide to Paris 2024 and show you how to plan for the Summer Games. Let’s get started on the key areas on you planning!
Here are some quick facts on Paris 2024:
- The 2024 Paris Olympics will take place from July 26 to Aug. 11. The Opening Ceremony will be held on July 26, and the Closing Ceremony on August 11. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Summer Games in Paris and this event has already proven itself as an exciting spectacle for spectators around the world
- The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature 33 sports and 339 events. The games will be spread across the city, with some events held in each of the 20 arrondissements.
- 5,000 Athletes are expected to participate at Paris 2024.
- There are 4 “new” sports for Paris 2024, 3 that were brand new in Tokyo (Sport Climbing, Skateboarding, and Surfing) and Breaking (breakdancing) will make its debut.
- Opening Ceremony will be open to the public for the first time, with both ticketed and non-ticketed areas as the festivities kick off along the Seine River in Paris. Over 650,000 spectators are expected to attend.
Budgeting:
You will often hear me say that I know people who spend $2,000 to attend and experience an Olympics dream trip and I know people that spend $2,000,000 (yes, that’s $2M) to attend and experience the same. Rest assured, there will be people that fall into those buckets and many others when the Paris 2024 Summer Games roll around. The good news is that having a dream experience at Paris 2024 can fit into just about anyone’s budget, including those who travel only airline miles and hotel points. Starting earlier in the process and mapping everything out will help you in saving the most money for the budget conscious.
Itinerary:
The most important planning step in your Paris 2024 experience is deciding which of the historic events you want to attend and will be able to attend based on time, location and ticket availability. Your event itinerary is the centerpiece of your trip and after it is completed, you can start to build out the specifics of your event tickets, flights, hotels, tourist attractions, and transportation once you are on the ground in Paris.
A few things to keep in mind while building your itinerary if you do not plan to stay the entire 2 weeks of the Summer Games at Paris 2024:
- Certain sports run during the first week of the two week event, others only run the second week. For example, if you have your heart set on seeing Swimming events, you will want to plan your itinerary for the first week of Paris 2024. Conversely if you are a big Athletics (Track & Field) fan, then you will want to target the second week of Paris 2024. Want to attend both, perhaps you plan on going for a week in the middle.
- The volume of events varies dramatically between the first and second week of the Summer Games, with there being 2–3x the number of ticketed events the first week and far less events occurring the second week. The reason for this is early on during the Summer Games, many team and other events have preliminary rounds where every competitor is competing. As you move into the single elimination tournament phase in the second week there are fewer and fewer events as competitors are eliminated you approach the Gold medal matches. If you want to attend a large variety of events including multiple per day, the first week may be your best bet with the second week featuring more Olympic medals awarded.
- You should also note that the price of events generally increase as you progress towards the gold medal matches, meaning that it will cost substantially more to attend the same number of events in the first week as the second week.
With that in mind, you may want head over to the Paris 2024 website (https://www.paris2024.org/en/competition-schedule-paris-2024/) to lay out the events that you would like to attend.
Tip: While Ashley and I routinely attend 30 events during our visits to the Olympic Games, it can be very challenging to do more than 2 events per day based on the location of the venues, travel times, and security. As you map out your itinerary plans, make sure using the official Paris 2024 venue map, understanding that travel times can be longer during the Games times and be sure to allocated enough time to for security checks and to enjoy the venues!
Finding the tickets to your dream events can be the most challenging and frustrating parts of you planning to attend an Olympic Summer Games. And if you previously attended an Olympics, and especially Rio 2016 or PyeongChang 2018 — tickets for Paris 2024 is an entirely different approach and experience than in previous Olympics. The reason for this is that the entire distribution model has changed and for the first time, all tickets for the Paris 2024 Summer Games will be electronic with no paper tickets available.
Historically, the way that Olympic ticketing worked was that there was one system locally for wherever the Olympics for taking place and another system for the rest of the world that varied by country and was often confusing for anyone to figure out where to get tickets, as it would change as the event neared.
However, with a couple of changes to the Olympic ticketing approach starting in Paris 2024, there will be a single source for acquiring tickets and another single source for obtaining packages that may include accommodations, hospitality, and premium tickets.
- All tickets will be purchased through the Paris 2024 website for the Summer Games and have a price range of EUR 24 to 950. (excluding Opening & Closing Ceremony). Your first opportunity to start purchasing tickets starts this December (2022) when the ticket lottery first opens.
- All packages and premium hospitality will be through On Location Experiences (OLE), the same company that provides these experience for other massive events including the Super Bowl each year. On Location Experiences will be the only hospitality provider for the Olympic and Paralympic Games through 2028, a deal they paid $1.3B for in 2021. Packages are not currently available, but you can register for information here: https://olympics.onlocationexp.com/paris2024/
If you are looking for more detailed information on ticketing, please see my article on How to Get Tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympics Summer Games.
Accommodations: Hotels & Air-BNB
If you dreamed at staying at the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, or a major hotel chain in the heart of the Olympic action in Paris, especially in central areas the Opera — you may want to reconsider your plans. Most first time Olympic travelers do not realize that the best and closest hotels to all the excitement are booked full up to 10 years in advance of the Olympic Games. These hotels are booked by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Organizing Committees (NOCs), Sponsors, and the official hospitality provider (On Location Experiences) years in advance and often times are either unavailable or offered at marked up prices that may make you faint.
If you are committed to staying in one of the ultra-premium properties, they may be available through On Location and be prepared to pay a multiple on the per night price that you might normally expect.
In order to start your search, begin at 365 days in advance of your departure date to find the hotels that you want. Many hotel chains change their policies during Olympic events, eliminating the ability to pay with your hard-earned points and may want to charge you the full amount, non-refundable up front. Be prepared for that and budget accordingly. Given Paris’s excellent public transportation system, staying in the Central Paris is ideal, but outside is not out of the question and may offer more affordable and flexible options.
If you would prefer to stay in a short-term rental (STR) like AirBNB, the good news is that AirBNB is a TOP sponsor — the highest sponsorship tier also known as the Olympic Partner Programme and you can expect a strong presence for Paris 2024.
Flights
When booking your flights, it is important to understand how busy the airport will be in the 3-days before the start of the Olympic Summer Games and the day after the Closing Ceremony where airport lines were recently more 5 hours long after PyeongChang 2018 — the last Olympics with full fans. You may want to avoid arriving on the same day as your first event, as unforeseen circumstances could cause you to miss them.
Outside of those key tips, you should generally start looking for flights as many as 337 days before the event. United Airlines is the earliest to offer both schedule and bookings for cash and points starting at 337 days, with most other airlines starting at 331 days. Please see this guide from “The Points Guy” for the specific details on your airline.
Hospitality Houses
Hospitality Houses are one of the biggest draws at the Olympics that are not sporting events. Ranging from the exclusive Team USA house (invite only) to traditional party houses like the TeamNL House (Holland Heineken House), there will be something for everyone. Whether you are the family or friend of an athlete, supporter, or fan, each house will have something that will interest you. The hospitality houses will have elements of sport, culture, entertainment, food, and drink that are unique to their country and feature their largest sponsors.
If you want information on the currently known Hospitality Houses for Paris 2024, my article with all the details is here: Paris 2024 Olympic Hospitality Houses.
Special VIP Events & Experiences
Fan favorite events like Chase Visa VIP lounges were a big hit in London 2012 and Rio 2016 with the 2016 version being hosted at the famous Copacabana Palace Hotel. Having attended many of these in the past, these events are often free (assuming you are a customer of the sponsor or brand), provide a relaxing atmosphere with food and drink, and often provide you the opportunity to interact with Olympic athletes and medals winners. These events are usually announced 90 days and less from the start of the Summer Games, so make sure to look out for them.
Connectivity
Staying connected to capture and share your favorite moments with your family and friends back home will be the least of your worries at Paris 2024. The Paris 2024 organizing committee is committed to make these Summer Games the highest tech games ever, and already affordable plans (< EUR 30 for unlimited voice, text, and data), ample WIFI services, and planned 5G networks should enable you to stay connected as much as possible. Everyone knows these services are a must, especially with electronic only ticketing.
By following this fan roadmap as part of your planning, you will be one step ahead of everyone who is planning to attend the Summer Games in Paris, France which runs July 26, 2024 — August 11, 2024. Stay tuned in the coming weeks and months as I dive deeper into each topic to provide you details, strategies, and tips on how you can plan your trip and get access to the events you want to for Paris 2024.
Ways to stay connected on the latest information about Paris 2024:
Subscribe to me on Medium (above).
Paris 2024 Planning & Preparation Group on Facebook where veteran Olympic travelers share tips, tricks, and answer questions: https://www.facebook.com/groups/579595599093246/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KenHanscom
About Ken Hanscom
Ken Hanscom is a veteran-fan of the Olympic Games and the recognized expert in ticketing, corporate sponsorships, traveling to and experiencing the Olympic Games.
In his role as COO at TicketManager, during Rio 2016 & PyeongChang 2018, Ken worked directly with the United States Olympic Committee, NBC Universal, Anheuser-Busch, & Cartan Tours the authorized ticket reseller for 23 countries across the globe on their ticketing & corporate hospitality programs. While in Rio & PyeongChang, Ken was featured in Primetime on NBC’s Olympic Zone with Natalie Morales and has attended hundreds of events during Olympic Games while guest blogging for the International Business Times, writing for USA Today, The Post Game, and appearing on ESPN Radio.
Ken and his wife Ashley are trustees of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation (USOPF) and plan to spend a month in Paris during Summer Games and look forward to meeting many of you.
For more information and interviews with Ken on the Olympics and the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Games, connect via Twitter or directly at kenh@ticketmanager.com.
