Paris 2024 Olympics: How to plan a last-minute trip, from Games tickets to accommodation
As the Paris Olympics draw closer, the hype is increasing – and it’s only going to build from here.
If you are kicking yourself for not bagging tickets when they first went on sale, all is not lost.
There are still ways you can get to Paris to see the Games.
Sky News talks to a travel expert to bring you all you need to know about securing your last-minute trip.
Can I still get tickets for the Olympics?
Yes, it is still possible to get tickets for the Games.
More than 250,000 tickets went on sale on 17 April to mark 100 days until the opening of the Games.
This is the last ticket sale, but tickets are still available for dozens of events.
The first sale involved a lottery and timeslots to buy packs of tickets for events.
In the final stretch of ticket sales, things are a lot simpler.
Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and you can see the availability for different events in real time on the website.
While a lot of the final tickets on sale are pretty pricey, there is still the chance to bag a bargain.
Almost 20,000 tickets were put on sale for €24 and it is still possible to get tickets to see football for this price.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are ticket and hospitality packages available that will set you back hundreds of Euros.
What about the Paralympics?
The Paralympic Games will take place from 28 August to 8 September and there are still tickets available from €15.
The booking works the same as for the Olympics – first-come, first-served, with the remaining tickets now available on the website.
Avoid the scammers
Don’t get caught out by scammers – make sure you only buy tickets through the official Paris 2024 ticketing website.
It’s not too late to book – but don’t wait
While the start of the Games is fast approaching, it’s not too late to plan a trip – but you should “get booking ASAP”, Jessica Dante, travel expert at Love and London, tells Sky News.
The Eurostar is not as “wildly priced” as you might expect, she says, with return fares available for the first week of the Games for under £200 – and the same is true of budget airlines.
But, Ms Dante cautions, “that will invariably only continue to go up” – so book soon rather than hold out for a last-minute deal.
An athletics track floating on the Seine in 2017. Pic: Reuters
Could there be last-minute deals on accommodation?
Don’t bank on it, Ms Dante says.
“I’m always in the camp of just book something so you have it. If something else pops up closer to the time then fine, you can try to make a switch if you’ve got something that you can cancel.
“But there’s also the chance that something might not pop up that’s going to be in your price range as well.”
While there could be a small wave of accommodation deals open up as people cancel, a lot of accommodation will be non-refundable at least a couple of weeks before the Games, so any cancellations are likely to still be fairly far in advance, she says.
Tips for booking accommodation
There is still “decent availability” for hotels, she says, although some popular spots are already booked up.
Unsurprisingly, cost has a lot to do with location – so look away from central areas and places close to Olympic locations if you are looking to save money.
“The flip side of that is it then means that you’re probably going to have to deal with taking the metro and you’ll have to pay for the inflated cost of the rides.”
The price of metro tickets will almost double during the Games, from €2.10 (£1.80) to €4 (£3.40).
But the surcharge on public transport is unlikely to match the price difference on a more central hotel. Ms Dante advises looking at suburban areas or the outskirts of the city.
What about staying in another town?
Staying in another town entirely and travelling to Paris for events is one option.
But you should consider the pros and cons carefully, Ms Dante says.
There is a looming threat of train strikes. The CGT public servants union has announced plans to strike during the Olympics, which could mean many transport workers walking out.
If you are staying outside Paris, that could scupper your plans to easily travel into the city.
Even if there are not strikes, trains into Paris are likely to be crowded, Ms Dante says.
“You do have to kind of balance that and just be prepared that you might have some difficulty.”
Train strikes could be called during the Olympics. Pic: AP
Read more:
Paris 2024 Olympics: Everything you need to know
The Team GB athletes to watch at the Olympics
Can you go to the Olympics and avoid Paris entirely?
The Games may be headlined as Paris 2024, but there are events taking place across the country – and the surfing is even in Tahiti.
The cities of Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Nice, Bordeaux, Nantes and Marseille will host events.
The Olympic ticketing site allows you to filter available events by location, so if you are keen to give Paris a miss you can seek out what is happening in other places.
“They’re going to be a little bit less popular than stuff that’s right in the centre of Paris, so I think that’s a really good option,” Ms Dante says.
Consider the Paralympics
The Paralympics often gets overshadowed by the Olympics, but it’s a great option if you want to experience the Games, Ms Dante says.
“It’s going to be a little bit less crowded, the pricing will be better, probably a little bit more of a relaxed experience.”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Is it worth going to Paris if you don’t have tickets to the Games?
Maybe there are no tickets left in your price range, or your favourite event is sold out – is it worth planning a trip to Paris anyway?
“Definitely,” according to Ms Dante. “This whole summer it’s going to be really buzzy there.”
A lot of locals will leave the city, she says. It’s French tradition in the summer, but the exodus is likely to be even bigger this year as Parisians flee the crowds – meaning some areas could end up being quieter than normal.
Attractions away from the main Olympic sites could also be quieter than normal, she says.
How to make the most of your trip
If you are keen to combine cultural activities with sporting ones, consider booking a guided tour to big attractions, Ms Dante advises.
That way, you have got your ticket secured and the tour guides will be up to speed on any road closures or access changes that could make your visit more tricky.
Also keep in mind that there will be a lot of security measures in place and getting around the city will take longer than normal.
Countries in South and Southeast Asia have been coping with a weeks-long heatwave which has seen record temperatures sweep parts of the region.
Pupils in the Philippines, India and Bangladesh have been told to stay at home and learn remotely due to a severe health risk.
Schools in Cambodia have also cut back on their hours.
Cambodia faces its hottest temperature in 170 years, according to meteorologists – as high as 43C (109F).
Bangkok in Thailand has reached 40C (104 F), but the heat index is said to have topped 50 C (122 F) due to the heat being trapped among the mass of buildings.
The United Nations Children’s Fund warned in April that the heat could put the lives of millions of children at risk and asked people who care for them to take extra precautions.
A spokesperson for UNICEF said around 243 million children were exposed to hotter and longer heatwaves.
A woman drinks from a public tap in India. Pic: AP
They said the increased heat was “putting them at risk of a multitude of heat-related illnesses, and even death”.
Thirty people in Thailand have died from heatstroke in the past month, according to data from the country’s health ministry.
People are being advised to avoid outdoor activities and to stay hydrated.
Several towns in Myanmar were included on lists of the hottest spots globally last month, with temperatures reaching 48.2C (118F) in at least one case.
People stock up on water in India. Pic: AP
Parts of eastern India also experienced their hottest April on record.
Kerala, on India’s west coast, this week instructed all schools and colleges to close until Monday, while influencers in Bangladesh have encouraging people to plant trees in response to the record heat.
Benjamin Horton, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, said there were three factors for heatwaves: a naturally-occurring climate phenomenon known as El Nino, an increase in global temperatures, and human-induced climate change.
Read more:
London must adapt to ‘new reality’ of extreme heat
Scotland ditches ‘out of reach’ climate change target
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Brazil is currently experiencing another climate phenomenon – La Nina – with 39 dead and 68 missing in floods across the country.
More than 24,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to the flooding.
Scientists believe the naturally-occurring phenomenon has intensified due to the impact of climate change.
China has been branded “a bully” and an international lawbreaker after its ships blasted Philippine vessels with water cannon in the South China Sea.
Sky News was on board the BRP Bagacay when a Chinese vessel fired water at it, causing significant damage.
Philippine coastguard spokesman Jay Tarriela told Sky News that this week’s confrontation was the first time China had used “such aggression” against their ships.
“The metal parts and the railing were bent. The canopy was also destroyed. So this came as a surprise for us that China never hesitated to use brute force,” he said.
“It completely justifies us calling The People’s Republic of China a bully country.”
Jay Tarriela, a spokesman for the Philippine Coastguard, told Sky News that China is a ‘bully’
The Philippine coastguard was on a resupply mission to the Scarborough Shoal to deliver food and fuel to Philippine fishermen when they were struck.
The submerged reef lies in disputed waters. China claims sovereignty over the reef but it is much closer to the Philippines and lies within its legally recognised exclusive economic zone.
The vessel Sky News was on board was the closest the coastguard had ever been to the shoal – just 600 metres away from it.
Asked if the mission to the shoal was a provocative move by the Philippine coastguard, Commodore Tarriela denied they were “poking the bear” but rather “driving the bear out of our own territory”.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sky witnesses China-Philippine confrontation
The Philippines has been stepping up its patrols in the area under the instruction of President Bongbong Marcos, and reasserting its claim to the shoal in recent months.
It has raised the spectre of open conflict. While neither side currently wants that, there is now a greater threat of open conflict.
Asked what the end game was for the Philippines, Commodore Tarriela said their priority was to “tell the world” about China’s aggression.
China’s coastguard fired water at Philippine coastguard vessel BRP Bagacay while Sky was onboard
He said their secondary goal was to ensure “like-minded states” also made China “fall in line and respect international law”.
“Otherwise, it’s everybody’s loss,” he added.
Read more:
US accuses Beijing of ‘bullying’ in South China Sea
China building airstrip on disputed island, satellite images suggest
Philippine government policy is not to resist using water cannon against Chinese vessels – and Commodore Tarriela insisted that policy remains in place after the confrontation.
The government also remains intensely determined to protect the waters it believes it has every right to operate in.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
“We’re not going to yield and we’re not going to surrender a square inch of our territory,” Commodore Tarriela insisted.
Beijing has called the action its own coastguard took as “necessary”.
Speaking at the Chinese foreign ministry’s daily news conference, spokesperson Lin Jian described the coastguard’s conduct as “professional, proper, and lawful”.
World
Three charged over killing of Sikh separatist leader in Canada – in incident which sparked diplomatic spat with India
Three suspects have been charged by Canadian police over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Vancouver last June, in an incident that sparked a diplomatic spat between Ottawa and New Delhi.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside a temple by masked gunmen in Surrey, outside Vancouver, on 18 June 2023.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police assistant commissioner David Teboul said police could not comment on the nature of the evidence or the motive.
“This matter is very much under active investigation,” Teboul said.
The three suspects – Indian nationals Kamalpreet Singh, Karan Brar and Karampreet Singh – were arrested in Edmonton, Alberta, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.
Superintendent Mandeep Mooker said: “This investigation does not end here. We are aware that others may have played a role in this homicide and we remain dedicated to finding and arresting each one of these individuals.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Canada killing ‘linked’ to India govt
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sparked a diplomatic feud with India when he said in September that there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the killing. India angrily denied involvement.
Mr Nijjar, an Indian-born citizen of Canada, was a leader in what remains of the Khalistan movement – a once-strong group calling for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland.
He was organising an unofficial referendum in India for an independent Sikh nation at the time of this death and had denied allegations of ties to terrorism.
The Khalistan movement has lost much of its power but is still supported by some in the Punjab state in northwestern India and in the Sikh diaspora overseas.
More from Sky News:
China launches world first Space mission
Four babies found dead in freezer
A violent, decade-long Sikh insurgency shook north India in the 1970s and 1980s, and was ultimately crushed in a government crackdown which saw thousands of people killed, including prominent Sikh leaders.
In June 1984, Indian forces stormed the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine in Amritsar, where separatists had taken refuge.
In more recent years, the Indian government has repeatedly warned that Sikh separatists were trying to make a comeback.
Read more: What is the Khalistan movement?
Mr Trudeau’s accusation angered India PM Narendra Modi. File pic: AP
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The diplomatic row saw diplomats expelled by both India and Canada.
The Indian government said it “completely rejected” Mr Trudeau’s allegations and added: “We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law.”
The dispute derailed trade talks between the two countries and ultimately saw Canada withdraw 41 of its 62 diplomats in India.
At the time, Canada did not provide public evidence to back up Mr Trudeau’s allegations. However, it did reveal the claims were based on intelligence provided by a major ally and surveillance of Indian diplomats in the country.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Environment12 months agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports6 months agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Environment1 year agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Sports4 weeks agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Environment1 year agoTesla advances Powerwall pilot project with German electric company