The 2024 Paris Olympics will make the French capital the most sought-after travel destination next summer. That perfect storm should create a unique travel challenge for Olympic spectators trying to book a trip to the City of Love.
Our first bit of advice: Get going on booking your 2024 Olympic Games trip now!
Things in Paris aren't going to get any cheaper anytime soon. From flights to hotels and transportation within Europe, travel will be at a premium in France next July and August. But that doesn't mean a trip should feel out of reach to you.
There are some tried and true travel tips that can help you save, as well as some Olympics-specific hacks that could help you get a gold medal-level bargain on your journey.
Like the thousands of athletes that will descend on Paris in July 2024, you don't have to qualify for your spot at the Olympics. So use our tips and get to booking!
When Are the Paris Olympic Games?
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics are scheduled for July 26 to Aug. 11, 2024.
The good news is that these dates fall right in the middle of summer in France, but that's also the bad news. Peak summer in Paris is already expensive in a normal year, but with the world descending on Paris all at the same time, you might see some heinously high prices in an already expensive city.
In addition, the Paris Paralympic Games will run from Aug. 28 to Sep. 8, 2024, after the Olympic Games have concluded.
How to Get Tickets for the Paris Olympics
If you're looking to attend the games, you have to secure tickets and this won't be as simple as a search through Stubhub or Ticketmaster.
First, you have to make an account with the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Once you've gone through the process to create an account, you'll be asked for some email, phone number, and other contact information. You'll also be asked questions like your favorite Olympic events and your favorite country.
Once you're in, you can look into tickets for both the Paralympics and Olympic Games.
From there, you can set a bunch of filters to figure out the tickets you want. You can do it by location, event, venue, or the dates you're expecting to be there.
From my search in October, there are tons of men's soccer tickets available for many of the dates starting at just 24 euros per ticket!
On the other hand, a ticket to the Opening Ceremonies is going to run you a cool 2,700 euros if you book right now…ouch. However, that opening ceremony looks like it's going to be epic. Instead of a traditional stadium ceremony, the parade of nations will go down the River Seine with nations parading in front of spectators on boats. It promises to be unlike any opening ceremony ever.
A quick look at the events page shows tons of availability on basketball, soccer, and team handball tickets if you're looking for a bargain.
The search filters on the ticket-buying page are pretty smooth, and if you put in your dates, the system should find you something fun for your Olympics trip.
How to Fly to the Paris Olympics
Peak summer flights to France are pricey in a normal year, and 2024 will not be normal. Traveling to an event like the Olympics is tough because there's less flexibility and the highest possible demand. But there's a better way…
Say it with us: You don't have to fly to Paris to go to the Paris Olympics!
Repeat that to yourself. Say it again. Put it on a post-it note. Tattoo it on your forearm. Do whatever you have to to get this through your head. You're likely going to pay way too much if you insist on flying into Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) International Airport from the U.S. while the Olympics are taking place.
But the beauty of Paris is that once you're in Europe, Europe is so small. Intra-Europe flights are usually about an hour or less and can be insanely cheap, even during the peak summer. That's because there's so much competition with trains and buses, too.
Need proof? Here you go. Say you can book a cheap flight to London. A flight between London (LTN) and Paris (CDG) on the day of the opening ceremony starts at just $104.
And just a few days later, during the middle of the games, London to Paris will only run you $72.
This system will work for tons of European cities, too. While fares don't always work exactly in reverse in Europe, this map of nonstop flight prices from Paris during the Olympic Games gives you a sense of nearly how cheap it can be to fly there from all over Europe on the day of the opening ceremonies.
Plus, from many of these cities, a train ride can save you money even further. For instance, Brussels, Amsterdam, London, Geneva, Zurich, and Frankfurt are all within three hours by train from Paris if the flight prices are too much, or if you want to avoid the airport altogether.
Read next: Rome2Rio Will Help You Choose: Plane, Train, or Automobile?
We are searching every single day for flight deals to Europe during the Olympics. And when we find them, we will send them right to our Thrifty Traveler Premium members. And while the economy flight deals haven't been abundant as of yet, what we are finding are some extra comfy seats at some incredible rates.
Business Class Flight Deals to the Paris Olympics
Undeniably, the best way to secure your Olympics flights so far has been in the front of the plane. Business class seats are available flying to Paris (CDG) and the rest of Europe for next summer. And you might be surprised at how few points are needed to pull it off.
Remember how I said you won't be able to fly straight to Paris for the Olympics affordably? Well, we found two exceptions, and the first is flying nonstop into Paris (CDG) during the Olympic games from some cities.
These Air France business class seats were available when we sent this deal a few weeks ago. It also included the airline's swanky new suites on the flights from Boston (BOS), Detroit (DTW), Montréal (YUL), and New York (JFK), too.
If you can stomach a stop in Lisbon (LIS), you can also fly in a lie-flat seat on TAP Air Portugal to Paris for the Olympics, too!
These beautiful seats would be a great way to fly to Paris, but if you want to fly British Airways Club Suites across the pond, you can! This flight deal included availability during the Olympics.
These fares are at least half-off the usual prices. And while you can't fly into Paris, a flight to Brussels (BRU), Frankfurt (FRA), Geneva (GVA), or Zurich (ZRH) will put you so close to the action that you can almost taste it.
From coast-to-coast in the U.S. and Canada, you can secure some business class tickets to the Olympics. Our Thrifty Traveler Premium members get the deals the second we find them!
Where to Stay for the Paris Olympics
Booking a place to stay in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games will depend on many factors like how big your traveling party is, where the events you want to see are, and what your budget is. For that reason, I can't recommend a specific hotel or Airbnb.
Instead, I'll recommend you do the following: Exhaust all of your options. Here are some things to look into.
Google Hotels
If you prefer a hotel stay, use Google Hotels and its extensive list of filters to dial in your specifications.
You can filter by star rating, amenities like pools or fitness centers, and by proximity to the events you want to see. It will also show you, on a moving map, how expensive hotel nights are for the dates you want.
Google Hotels is, hands down, the best place to start your hotel search, especially for events like the Olympic Games.
Airbnb and Other Vacation Rentals
Especially if you have a group coming with you, an Airbnb might be your best shot at staying for less in Paris next summer.
Use your guide to finding the best Airbnb where we recommend you pick a neighborhood first, use Airbnb's powerful filters, utilize Superhost homes, scour the reviews, and watch out for hidden fees!
You should also search Vrbo, Vacasa, and independent vacation rentals for your stay. A Google search for “Vacation Rentals Paris” could pull up some good options, too.
Flex Those Points!
Staying in Paris during the Olympics is going to be more expensive than visiting the city at any other time, there's no doubt about that. When cash rates are running $400 per night or more, it's time to dip into the hotel points to book your next trip.
You can do that in one of two ways:
One, you can use Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, or Marriott points to book directly with the hotel if there's availability. That's the easiest way, but award availability might be hard to find during the Olympic Games.
Or, you can use your flexible points, like American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or Capital One Venture Miles to cover hotel stays bookable with cash with your points. This method will open up more points availability to all rooms that are available to book with cash.
Plus, with Capital One or Chase, you can cover hotel stays with your points after you book so you can earn points on your booking and not just burn points. This is especially true for Capital One. You can help take the sting out of a pricey Airbnb or VRBO this way, too.
Read our step-by-step guide to covering travel purchases with Capital One Venture Miles!
Stay Out of Town?
Hear me out: The best bang for your buck on a Paris Olympics trip might be to stay in a different city.
Because trains and flights are so abundant coming in and out of the city, you can probably make a day trip into Paris to see the events you want to see and fly or train back out that same day. Your lodging is going to be much cheaper the further away from Paris you get.
If you really can't find anything worth the price in Paris, this is a good option to keep in your back pocket.
Best Ways to Save on a Paris Olympics Trip
To review, here are the best ways to save on a trip to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris:
- Book the cheapest flight to Europe you can: Paris flights will be expensive, but flights within Europe are not.
- Be as flexible as you can about your dates of travel.
- Exhaust your lodging options: Look through Airbnb, Google Hotels, and use those points.
- Go to events with less demand or more games like soccer, handball, and basketball for the best ticket value.
- Fly business class! The best Paris and Europe flight values have been in the front of the plane.
Bottom Line
If you get ahead on your planning by starting now, you can save hundreds if not thousands on your trip to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
From flights to event tickets to lodging in Paris itself, a trip to the Olympic Games is not out of reach if you know where to look.
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