The 2024 Paris Olympics are quickly approaching, and even though it’s only February, most people started planning their trips back when tickets were first launched in November 2022. Much like the putting on the iconic international sporting event itself, attending the Olympics takes a ton of planning and preparation.
This year, with the Olympics taking place in such an extremely popular tourist destination, being able to attend this late in the game feels like a complete non-starter. Time before the Olympics is warped; in terms of planning, six months is basically akin to planning a three-week vacation a month out—difficult, but not impossible.
While snagging tickets to the events themselves might be tricky, getting your feet on the ground in Paris during the event is entirely possible. Hopper just released its Summer Games Travel Guide, which has a ton of useful tips on planning a trip to the big event. You won’t be alone, either. Flight searches have increased by 60% for the dates of the Olympics, compared to the search for the same period of dates in 2023.
Based on Hopper’s data, the average cost of a roundtrip flight to Paris during the Summer Games is $947 — which is actually 2% lower than the prices for flights to Paris in 2023. For hotels, you can expect to pay about $400 per night for a four-star hotel in the Hopper app. Three-star hotels can be found even cheaper, starting at $200 per night.
But, if you want to avoid the absolute mess that is likely to befall Charles de Gaulle airport during the Summer Games, Hopper recommends flying into a different major city in Europe, and then taking a train into Paris. Average flight prices are not cheaper, based on Hopper’s predictions, but will likely include shorter wait times for customs and security checks.
Another crucial tip? Time frame. While it’s not too late to book your trip, you don’t want to wait too long. Hopper recommends booking your flights by April at the latest, and plan on being flexible with your dates. For hotels, don’t wait at all if you can. The sooner you book, the better.
“Many hotels in Paris are already sold out for the peak event weeks of summer,” Hopper’s guide advises. “If you can’t find a hotel in your price range available now, consider looking in neighborhoods outside of Paris which offer easy access to the city via the metro.”
If you were wondering how much tickets to the 2024 Olympics events themselves will cost, prices vary widely from event to event. As NBC has previously reported, gymnastics tickets can range from as cheap as $26 to as much as $684, while opening ceremony tickets can go from $98 to almost $3,000. According to the Paris 2024 website’s FAQ page, among the 10 million tickets available for the Games, one million are priced starting around $26, and nearly half the tickets available for all events are no more than $54.
Want even more insight about what will be taking place on the ground in Paris during the Summer Games? Check out the official Paris 2024 website for details on venues, scheduling, and tons of other visitor information.