Tokyo 2020 is Over: Ready to Travel to Paris 2024?

Virtually, everything is ready for the closing of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, an event that has been solemn due to the pandemic. Little by little, attention begins to focus on Paris, "The city of light", which is the confirmed venue for the next games to be held in 2024. If the global situation improves as expected, the Parisian games could have a large audience. normality, so if your goal is to travel to France in the middle of the Olympic atmosphere, this information interests you.

How to plan your visit to Paris during the Olympic Games?

France is a destination that needs no introduction. In 2019 it was the most visited country in the world with 89 million tourists according to the World Tourism Organization, a distinction it has maintained for decades. Paris is the jewel in the crown as it attracts almost 35 million visitors on its own, making it a destination that can always be visited. So why travel to Paris for the Olympics? The answer is simple, it is a historical fact that is not repeated often. Paris will host again 100 years after its last games, so if you don't travel in 2024 there may not be a close opportunity to experience the Olympic atmosphere there.

The pandemic affected global sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics in many ways. Paris hopes to arrive in a context with less tension in 2024, so we are three years away from the opening ceremony, you have a good time to plan your visit. For this reason, we give you some tips that may be useful to you.

Travel on your own

It is the most expensive option but at the same time the most flexible. You can decide when to arrive and when to leave France, what events to attend and what tourist attractions to visit. Do not forget:

• Airline tickets: You can find them well in advance, from a few weeks to more than a year. Take into account that when there are events of this magnitude, prices tend to rise. Take advantage of the pages specialized in searches for cheap flights. For example, for dates similar to Tokyo 2020 on Skyscanner, the lowest cost of the round trip from Bogotá is $ 600 USD, Mexico City $ 1,000 USD, Lima $ 900 USD, Santiago $ 500 USD, and Buenos Aires $ 1,200 USD. You will have to "hunt" the offers to find a good flight from your country.

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• Procedures: From the end of 2022 the member countries of the Schengen Area (France included) will request the ETIAS, that is, the entry permit for short stays. Latin American countries are included in the list of those that do require to process the ETIAS.
• Tickets for sporting events and ceremonies: The main event is the opening ceremony. President Macron has promised a spectacular ceremony that will include the Seine River, according to the daily L'Equipe. This is usually the most expensive event for the public, for example in London 2012 (the best comparison for being a European country) the best tickets had a price of $ 3,250 USD according to the newspaper Expansión, while in Rio 2016 it cost less than half. Tickets are obtained in the national Olympic Committees, with companies authorized by the IOC or directly on the website designated by the organizers, take into account that the prices are not the same for each country, nor in all sports, in London the average cost in most events was $ 32 and in Rio $ 12. The exact prices for Paris 2024 we will surely be able to know until 2023.

• The essentials: Do not forget to check prices and book as far in advance as possible the hotels or hostels where you are going to stay, travel insurance, as well as transportation costs. In Paris you will find the RER, Transilien, tram, metro, buses, bicycles and taxis in which you can move around, there are cards that give you passes on different passes for different transports. Paris will be celebrating and especially warm with tourism, take advantage of the events that will be both those related to games and those that are not. Latin American countries are known to bring the atmosphere to international events, so you will surely find other people from your country.

Finally, if your thing is not the organization or you are stressed out planning a whole trip, you can buy a package that includes all of the above. The cost will certainly be higher, but you won't have to worry about a thing. The recommendation, in this case, is to be careful with travel agencies, you must verify that it is an agency authorized by the Olympic authorities and by the authorities of your country so that your money is safe. There are packages that have installment payment facilities, with different activities, events, and other important issues for the trip.