World

Paris 2024 Olympics: How to plan a last-minute trip, from Games tickets to accommodation

Published

2 years ago

April 22, 2024

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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.

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.”

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.”

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.

World

Fierce battle for frontline towns where Ukraine’s soldiers are surrounded

Published

19 mins ago

November 23, 2025

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Fierce battle for frontline towns where Ukraine's soldiers are surrounded

Footage geolocated by Sky News showed Russian soldiers walking through the Shakhtarskyi neighbourhood on the outskirts of Pokrovsk on Thursday.

The video sheds light on the situation in this key frontline area, as Russian forces slowly encroach on Myrnohrad, the satellite town to Pokrovsk, and one of its last remaining outposts.

Videos geolocated by Sky News show fighting intensifying in recent weeks, as Russian forces attempt to gain control of the towns and their network of road and rail intersections.

Gaining control here would give Russia a base from which to access key cities further north that form part of Ukraine’s “fortress belt”.

Russian forces are advancing from all directions, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), with only one small opening to the northwest of Myrnohrad remaining.

Estimated to be only 3km wide by military experts, this withdrawal corridor is patrolled by Russian drone units which monitor the area for moving vehicles and those who may attempt to leave on foot.

Russian forces have been advancing on Myrnohrad since late October.

Video from a Ukrainian unit in Myrnohad, posted on 29 October, shows a Russian vehicle attempting to enter the town from the northeast. The tank is attacked and soldiers attempting to enter on foot are targeted.

Video posted on 3 November shows Russian forces on the ground in the south of the town.

By 8 November, Russian strikes begin to pummel the northeast of Myrnohrad, the location of many of the town’s high-rise buildings, at that time, held by Ukrainian forces.

George Barros, Russia Team & Geospatial Intelligence Team Lead at ISW, told Sky News that Russian strategy in Pokrovsk has been to erode Ukrainian logistical capacity using drones and artillery over the course of several months.

“After denying supply lines and degrading the frontline forces by essentially cutting them off from behind and starving them out in their positions, then the Russians move forward with their infantry and frontal assaults,” Barros explained.

Capture the flag

For a brief period, it looked as though Russian forces had captured Myrnohrad.

Videos posted on 13 November appeared to show a Russian flag flying over the Myrnohrad mine.

However, video posted the following day showed a Ukrainian drone shooting it down.

Both Russian and Ukrainian forces continue to fight for control of Myrnohrad, with videos posted on the 19 and 20 November showing Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian positions in the town, and Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian forces on foot.

While the exact numbers of Russian and Ukrainian forces in the area remains unclear, reports indicate that three key Russian units are active in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, and are advancing on the towns from the north and south.

A number of Ukrainian units remain inside the towns, including the 145th Assault regiment and the 32nd, 35th, 38th and 155th Brigades. Reports indicate that more Ukrainian units have been moved into surrounding areas to hold the withdrawal corridor open.

Sky News reached out to the Ukrainian brigades still in Myrnohrad, but they declined to comment, citing military regulations.

Strategic significance

Natia Seskuria, associate international security fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), explained that the area is important for the Ukrainians to keep and the Russians to take because of its strategic position.

“Situated at a major road and rail intersection in Donetsk Oblast, Pokrovsk has functioned as a central artery for moving troops, equipment, and supplies to Ukrainian units deployed along the surrounding front.”

Russia “would gain a platform to redirect its offensive efforts toward Ukraine’s principal defensive urban centres… including Kramatorsk and Slovyansk,” Seskuria said.

Ukrainian and Russian soldiers in Pokrovsk have fought intensely and at close quarters over the last month.

In late October US-made Black Hawk helicopters containing specialist troops directed by Ukrainian military intelligence entered Pokrovsk to try to keep the town.

But as Russian troops advance, Myrnohrad is becoming the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in the area.

Uncertain future

At least up until 12 November, there were still civilians living in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, despite strikes on buildings in both cities.

A post made on that day by the Donetsk state regional administration estimated 1,200 people remain living in Pokrovsk and 900 in Myrnohrad.

Evacuation is only possible with the help of the military or police, and it is not clear how many have evacuated in the 11 days since.

Barros of ISW says gaining Pokrovsk would increase Russia’s leverage at the negotiating table.

“If the Russians can successfully convince enough international leaders that, okay, the Russians took Pokrovsk, they’re going to take the next thing, and they’re going take the thing, so now let’s negotiate, then that is a strategic victory for the Russians.”

Production by Michelle Inez Simon, Visual Investigations Producer.

The Data x Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.

World

Torrential rain triggers deadly flooding and landslides in Vietnam

Published

19 mins ago

November 23, 2025

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Torrential rain triggers deadly flooding and landslides in Vietnam

Torrential rain, flooding and landslides has left more than 100 people dead or missing in Vietnam.

Rainfall has exceeded 74.8in (1.9 metres) in some parts of central Vietnam over the past week.

The region is a major coffee production belt and home to popular beaches, but it is also prone to storms and floods.

Fatalities have been reported in Dak Lak province and the neighbouring Khanh Hoa province.

Footage has been released by local police of a dramatic rescue, involving a drone which airlifted a stranded man to safety from an island in the middle of the Serepok River, Dak Lak province.

The government estimates the flooding has cost the economy around 8.98 trillion dong (£260m).

More than 235,000 houses were flooded and nearly 80,000 hectares of crops were damaged, Vietnam’s disaster agency said.

On Thursday, VietnamNet newspaper said that a suspension bridge on Da Nhim River in Lam Dong province had been swept away.

Video footage posted online showed the bridge being swallowed by the river in just a few seconds.

Naval forces have been deployed to help stranded citizens in Khanh Hoa, the Vietnam News Agency reported, adding that floodwaters had reached record highs in many areas.

Photos shared in state media reports showed residents, including children, sitting on the roofs of flooded houses in Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces.

A seven-year-old girl was rescued late on Wednesday in Da Lat, the capital of Lam Dong province, after being buried by a landslide, the Nhan Dan newspaper reported.

The landslide, triggered by heavy rain, knocked down and buried part of the house where the girl was staying.

She was pulled out after an hour and a half and was taken to hospital with a broken leg, according to the report.

World

Several airlines cancel Venezuela flights after ‘hazardous situation’ warning

Published

19 mins ago

November 23, 2025

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Several airlines cancel Venezuela flights after 'hazardous situation' warning

Three international airlines have cancelled flights departing from Venezuela after a “potentially hazardous situation” warning.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday issued an alert to airlines flying over the country, citing the “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela“.

The US is poised to launch a new phase of operations related to the South American nation in the coming days, four US officials said.

The exact timing or scope of the operations, as well as whether President Donald Trump has made the final decision to act, have not yet been established.

Brazil’s Gol, Colombia’s Avianca and TAP Air Portugal cancelled their flights from the capital, Caracas, in north Venezuela, on Saturday, according to Flightradar24 and the official website of Simon Bolivar Maiquetia International Airport.

TAP Air Portugal confirmed it cancelled flights scheduled for Saturday and next Tuesday.

“This decision follows information issued by the United States aviation authorities, which indicates that safety conditions in Venezuelan airspace are not guaranteed,” the airline said.

The Trump administration has been considering Venezuela-related options to tackle what it has portrayed as President Nicolas Maduro’s role in supplying illegal drugs that have killed Americans.

Venezuela’s president has denied having any links to the illegal drug trade.

Mr Maduro, who is celebrating his 63rd birthday on Sunday and has been in power since 2013, has claimed Mr Trump is looking to oust him and that Venezuelan citizens and the military will rally against any such attempt.

Aeronautica Civil de Colombia said in a statement there were “potential risks” of flying in the Maiquetia area “due to the deterioration of security conditions and increased military activity in the region”.

Spain’s Iberia also said it was cancelling its flights to Caracas from Monday until further notice.

Reports of looming action have been growing in recent weeks as the US military has deployed forces to the Caribbean, amid heightened tensions with Venezuela. The Pentagon referred questions to the White House and the CIA declined to comment.

There has been a huge US military build-up in the region, including the US Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R Ford, at least eight other warships, and F-35 aircraft.

The build-up in the Caribbean has been rumbling on for months, and Mr Trump has authorised covert CIA operations in Venezuela.

The US plans on Monday to designate the Cartel de los Soles, a Venezuela-based alleged criminal group, a foreign terrorist organisation for what the US sees as its role in importing illegal drugs into America, officials said.