ALL TO THE GAMES

The Paris 2024 Olympics run from 26 July to 11 August 2024 and the Paralympic Games from 28 August to 8 September 2024.

The opening ceremony took place along the Seine, between Pont d'Austerlitz and Pont d'Iéna and was also broadcast on giant screens across the city. The closing ceremony took place at the Stade de France.

The flame departed from Marseille on 8 May 2024. It passed through 65 stage cities across mainland France, Corsica and the overseas departments. It entered Paris on 14 and 15 July, travelled through the rest of France and returned on 26 July to the capital for the opening ceremony.

10,500 athletes from 206 nations are present.

The athletes are housed in the Olympic village named « Pleyel – Bords de Seine » located near the Stade de France.

28 sports and four additional sports are featured, making a total of 32 disciplines represented, for 329 events.

The organisers offer a very comprehensive and well-designed website.

Who are the French athletes taking part?

What is their schedule?

What time can I watch them?

L'Équipe has compiled a comprehensive guide to all the sports, including their history, records and schedule.

Find the complete guide here.

The torch relay will pass through 50 cities over four days before reaching Paris on 28 August 2024.

The opening ceremony will take place on 28 August in Place de la Concorde, preceded by a parade on the Champs-Élysées.

4400 athletes are expected to attend.

The closing ceremony will be held at the Stade de France on 8 September 2024.

🏅 What are the Paralympic disciplines:

🔸Para athletics at the Grand Stade

🔸Para swimming at Paris La Défense Arena

🔸Wheelchair basketball at Arena Bercy

🔸Wheelchair tennis at Roland Garros

🔸Para judo at Arena Champ de Mars

🔸Boccia at Arena Paris Sud

🔸Five-a-side football at Stade de la Tour Eiffel

🔸Wheelchair fencing at the Grand Palais

🔸Goalball at Arena Paris Sud

🔸Para rowing at Stade Nautique de Vaires sur Marne

🔸Para badminton at Arena Porte de la Chapelle

🔸Para canoeing at Stade Nautique de Vaires sur Marne

🔸Para cycling at Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines

🔸Para equestrian at Château de Versailles

🔸Para weightlifting at Arena Porte de la Chapelle

🔸Para taekwondo at the Grand Palais

🔸Para table tennis at Arena Paris Sud

🔸Para archery at Les Invalides

🔸Para shooting sport at Centre National de Tir de Châteauroux

🔸Para triathlon at Pont Alexandre III

🔸Wheelchair rugby at Arena Champ de Mars

🔸Sitting volleyball at Arena Paris Nord

The official Olympic Games website has created the calendar below for Paralympic events.

The incredible "Balloon" Olympic cauldron unveiled at the opening ceremony is located in the heart of the Tuileries Garden.

100,000 tickets were released to get up close. They sold out in less than a day, but new tickets are offered from time to time via the link below.

⚠️ It will not be possible to access the sites by car; you will need to use public transport.

Organisers advise arriving 1 hour 30 minutes before competitions.

The Île-de-France Mobilités network brings together train, RER, underground, tram and bus lines in Paris and the surrounding region. For practical advice and to find out everything about how to use the Île-de-France public transport network, details of lines, or timetables, specific services for spectators during the Games are being rolled out over the coming weeks.

📱 A dedicated app for the Olympic Games is already available to download on the App Store or Google Play: "Public Transport Paris 2024". It helps you organise and optimise your journeys thanks to:

• a route planner,
• traffic information and notifications,
• access to travel passes including the "PARIS2024" PASS
• cycle routes and bike parking...

It is advisable not to use other existing route planning applications that do not reflect the transport plan during the Games (Source @ Paris 2024)

🚌 For the most outlying sites and those with fewer public transport connections, free shuttle buses will operate from strategic departure points such as railway stations. You can find all the information on this link iledefrance-mobilites.fr

A special transport pass will be offered to optimise your journeys on public transport during the Games: the "Paris 2024 Pass"

This is a flat-rate ticket for unlimited journeys for one person over one day (including Orly and Roissy Charles de Gaulle airports) at the price of €16 (and lower rates depending on the number of days purchased)

It will be available in particular on the "Paris 2024 Public Transport" app - info here

⚠️ The price of a metro ticket will increase to €4 from 20 July to 8 September 2024. Plan ahead and buy your standard transport passes beforehand.

The Ministry of Transport offers an interactive map accessible via the button below

👉 It will allow you to identify zones on your route

🔳 The most sensitive point is the crossing of the Seine, if you're affected, check the interactive map and if necessary obtain the required GAMES PASS (there is a delay, it's not instantaneous)

🪪 To find out if you're affected by the "QR Code", that is the GAMES PASS, go HERE

Security perimeters around competition venues are established by the police prefecture during the Games.

There are 4 categories of zones, each with its own rules: grey, black, red and blue zones which form concentric circles starting from grey at the centre and extending to blue.

You will find all the explanations, videos and maps using the button below.

Key points to remember:

🩶 Grey zones cover the competition venue itself, they are in place from site construction through to dismantling, only accredited persons and vehicles or those in possession of event tickets are permitted to enter,

🖤 Black zones (SILT) are protection areas (security screening), in addition to the persons above, local residents with authorisation are also permitted.

❤️ Red zones cover perimeters where road traffic is prohibited. Access is authorised for persons from the two previous zones and is extended to those who have obtained a Games Pass (QR Code) via registration on the dedicated digital platform.

💙 Blue zones cover perimeters where motorised traffic will also be regulated but the requirements for entry are unrestricted (without the need for a Games Pass), although reasons for entry must be legitimate.

On their website, the PARIS 2024 organisers offer a page specially dedicated to practical information about accessibility for people with disabilities and reduced mobility.

You'll find all the information and useful links to the services and special programmes offered by public transport networks. (SNCF, AIR FRANCE, Disability Access Shuttles/Reduced Mobility Shuttles, etc)

There are also links to pages dedicated to Accessibility on the websites of the various cities hosting events.

Don't forget to also consult the INFOMOBI platform and/or the ACCESLIBRE website

NOTE:

Shuttles specially dedicated to people with disabilities and reduced mobility for people holding tickets for a competition will be put in place from the 6 main train stations in the capital as well as Paris-Bercy and Rosa Parks stations (RER E).

It is mandatory to book your place in advance - £4/journey/person

For more information about these shuttles: click here

The website "Ile-de-France Mobilités" offers a journey planner, dedicated maps and lots of other information such as lift status etc...

Welcome : At event venues, trained volunteers will greet you.

Services : Dedicated counters, priority access, hearing loop systems at information points and ticket counters, spaces for assistance dogs. Some events will offer touchscreen tablets, audio description ...

Dedicated taxi drop-off zones will be clearly marked.

Find all this information on the Accessibility page of the official Games website.

Ticket sales have been carried out in several phases since late 2023.

Tickets continue to be released every Thursday morning until the start of the event.

👉 Remember to check the official ticketing website regularly – you might just find your gem there!

Please note that tickets can only be obtained through official sales and the Paris 2024 Tickets app. There are no authorised resellers.

🔄 A resale is open for ticket holders. Tickets may therefore appear at any time on the official resale platform (different link from the ticket office).

💸 These tickets are resold at purchase price (with a 5% commission for the seller, 10% for the buyer).

💳 On gaming sites, you can only pay by Visa card or in cash. Remember to use the cash machines.

If you don't have a Visa payment method, you can visit the sites at a "Visa Prepaid Card Space" or download the Visa Go app to add money to a virtual Visa prepaid card.

🛅 Venues are not equipped with luggage storage for your bags or prohibited items!

⚠️ Any prohibited item will be confiscated and cannot be recovered.

👉 Make sure to check the list of permitted items specific to each venue in the guides as it can vary from one venue to another (water bottles are not allowed in Marseille stadium for example whereas they are permitted elsewhere). You'll find the links to the guides below, in the "Guides to rely on" menu.

✅ If you need luggage storage, our partner Nannybag offers storage with professionals (hotels/shops). You can find the many storage options here on Nannybag.

🚭 Smoking and vaping are prohibited on the grounds.

♻️ You'll find recycling bins throughout all pitches and grounds—please follow the instructions!

Available on Google Play or the App Store

3 apps are essential for your visit to the Games.

👉 The Basics: the Official Paris 2024 App

You'll find all the latest news, videos, games, but above all practical information, interactive maps of competition venues, alerts and more...

👉 Transport: Public Transport Paris 2024

You'll be able to plan your journeys with this dedicated app and its real-time maps and information.

🎟️ You'll also be able to buy transport tickets through it.

👉 Your Tickets: Paris 2024 Tickets

You'll find your tickets here, and you can also transfer them to loved ones or resell them.

🚨 Warning: this app is the only way for you to present your tickets! It's impossible to print tickets. You'll need to make sure your phone is always charged!

🛜 How it works: as the session approaches (a few hours before), a secure QR Code will appear on your ticket in the app. From that moment on, no internet connection will be needed for your ticket to work.

However: you'll need to have logged into the Paris 2024 Tickets app beforehand with your credentials for it to work.

Finally, available on search engines or by clicking below:

👉 Official ticketing: Official Ticket Sales Platform

👉 Official resale: Official Ticket Resale Platform

The games organiser has created Official Spectator Guides that are very comprehensive for each Olympic venue.

They are really thorough and very well designed!

They include all the useful information and links needed for a smooth experience and reminders of the different apps at your disposal.

You'll find, for example, tutorials for using the app containing your "Paris 2024 Tickets", how to load them, transfer them, resell them, information on access, car parks, facilities for people with disabilities, services and more.

They are classified by event type and even give you the code of conduct to follow during these events, information on the rules of these disciplines, anecdotes, historical facts and so on.

Do consult them in advance!

These are ".PDF" files

🚶 Wander and discover "Olympic-style" sights throughout Paris, such as the steps leading to Sacré-Cœur, the grand avenues, ...

🎉 Various Fan Zones and other entertainment venues are freely accessible:

Fan Zone "Terre des Jeux" located on the forecourt of the Hôtel de Ville

Fan Zone at Château de Vincennes

Décat' Playground at La Villette (DJ sets, sports shows etc)

Parc des Champions at the Trocadéro

Fan Zone at Saint Quentin leisure island

Club France in the great Hall of La Villette (Athletes' headquarters)

👉 You'll find many more Fan Zones and entertainment venues in Paris! the website sortiraparis.com has listed them HERE

👀 Why not visit free Exhibitions:

"The Body in Motion" at the Petit Palais

"Paris!" at the Hôtel de Ville

or paid exhibitions:

"Olympism" at the Louvre Museum

"Fashion on the Move#2" at the Palais Galliera (for fashion enthusiasts / clothing designed for sport)

🏖️ and of course you can head to the banks of the Seine to enjoy the unmissable PARIS PLAGE

🛍️ For shopping enthusiasts, a giant Paris 2024 Olympic Megastore has opened on the Champs-Élysées ... you won't leave without your mascot!