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One hundred years after Paris last hosted the Olympics, all eyes will be on the city as it welcomes the 2024 Games from July 26 to Aug. 11. And while the City of Light is a popular travel destination year-round, more than 9.7 million spectators are expected to converge on the city for the 19-day event.
Whether you’re considering traveling with a group to the Olympics, or you just want to fly out there yourself, here’s the latest on what you need to know about traveling to France this summer, including dates, event venues, event tickets and other travel essentials.
The Paris Olympics don’t kick off until July 2024, but savvy travelers have been making plans and itineraries for over a year now. If you don’t want to miss out, you’ll want to get to booking your trip to the French capital as soon as possible.
Paris was awarded the XXXIII Olympiad in fall of 2017 by the International Olympic Committee. Paris has been home to two previous Olympic Games, and it will be hosting this upcoming event 100 years after last hosting the Games, in 1924. “Together we must do everything in our power to ensure that Paris hosts a magnificent Games,” French President Emmanuel Macron said at the time of the award.
According to the official Paris 2024 website, 80% of the competition venues will be within 10 kilometers of the Olympic and Paralympic Village in the heart of Paris. The most popular sporting venues in Paris will play host to the world’s best athletes this summer. Venues include:
As preparations for Paris 2024 are underway, the country is planning to showcase its rich cultural history while hosting the upcoming Olympic Games. The 2024 Olympics will transform world-famous French landmarks into showstopping venues for the Games. In an approach that the city says “integrates sports into the fabric of the city,” museums, palaces and even the Eiffel Tower will host competitions.
Here’s a look at the iconic landmarks that are being transformed into temporary venues for the Olympic Games:
Outside of Paris, six soccer stadiums around the country in Bordeaux, Nantes, Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille will host men’s and women’s soccer competition. Handball and basketball qualifying competitions will be played in Lille. Meanwhile, Marseille (above) on the Mediterranean coast will host the 2024 Paris Olympics sailing competitions.
Finally, the Olympic surfing competition, which is a new sport for the 2024 Games, will be held 10,000 miles from France, at the world-famous surfing hot spot of Teahupo’o in Tahiti, French Polynesia.
The Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to Aug. 11, 2024. To find the full sport-by-sport schedule, visit the official website to access the full competition schedule.
For the first time in the history of the Summer Olympics, the opening ceremony will not be held inside a stadium. Instead, the parade of athletes will be held on the Seine River with boats transporting athletes along the parade route through the heart of the city. The ceremony kicks off on July 26 at 8:24 p.m., or 20:24 if you’re using a 24-hour clock.
The Olympic flame is scheduled to reach Paris on July 14, which is Bastille Day, a national holiday in France. The official start of competition for rugby, soccer and handball events is on July 24 and July 25, ahead of the opening ceremony. The first medals will be awarded on July 27 for road cycling, diving, fencing, judo, rugby, shooting, skateboarding and swimming. (A full sport-by-sport Olympics schedule is also available here.)
The City of Light will shine brightly this summer as the world’s best athletes compete in 329 events across 45 sports. This year, four new sports will debut in the Olympic program, as breaking, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing are added to the official lineup.
Track and field was named the most-watched sport of the 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo, ahead of swimming, gymnastics, diving, beach volleyball, basketball, soccer and baseball. Other sports that are popular with U.S. television viewers include rhythmic gymnastics, boxing and synchronized swimming.
The 2024 Paris Games will see around 10,500 athletes from 206 national Olympic committees take part in the competition. Because of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes will not take part in the parade of athletes at the opening ceremony, but athletes can still compete as neutral athletes at the Olympic Games.
A total of 156 current and historical national Olympic committees have earned at least one medal at an Olympic Games. Those with the most medals at a Summer Olympics since 1896 include:
Here are some ways to experience some of France’s wonders outside of Paris.
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Just as preparations to host the Olympics are well underway, so are travel plans for the estimated 15.9 million spectators expected to visit during the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games this summer. To ensure that you get an experience worthy of a gold medal, you should start planning your trip now to secure accommodations, flights, sporting event tickets and more.
If you’re planning to attend the 2024 Paris Olympics, the most important thing to find immediately is accommodations. Rooms in many of the best hotels have already been booked, and even mid-tier properties may have limited availability. Many hotels do still have space, though often with minimum-stay requirements and premium prices.
To find the best Paris hotel deals for the Olympics, including AAA Member rates and hot deals, search the AAA website or contact a AAA Travel Agent today.
Flights to and from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport during the Olympics are also booking up quickly. To discover the best flight options for your Olympic Games vacation, search the AAA website or contact a AAA Travel Agent for the best round-trip airfare. Another option is to seek out flights in neighboring European cities, such as Amsterdam, Brussels, Barcelona, Geneva, London and Zurich—all of which have options for reaching Paris via train.
Tickets to specific sporting events can only be purchased through the official Paris 2024 ticketing site. The bulk of tickets remaining on the website are for team events outside of Paris, but because schedules haven’t been announced for specific teams, you may still be able to nab tickets to watch the U.S. soccer and basketball teams. (Be mindful of ticket scams during the Olympics. The official resale platform will open in mid-May 2024, which could increase your odds of finding last-minute ticket deals to your favorite events.)
Another option for tickets is to reserve hospitality packages, which are still available for high-demand events such as gymnastics, track and field and more. It may also be worth it to look into travel packages by official hospitality partner On Location that include hotel, event tickets, accommodations, transportation and more.
Learn how AAA Travel Agents can help you plan a memorable European river cruise.
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AAA has great travel advice to make a 2024 Paris Olympic Games vacation one for the memory books:
Ready to stroll through Parisian streets? Paris boasts some of the world’s most exciting sights, picturesque landscapes and majestic palaces, like the famous Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower. AAA is here to help you create the itinerary of your dreams—without breaking the bank. Plan and book with AAA today.
Your AAA Travel Agent can help you plan and book your trip.
