By: Caroline Wyatt Read Time: 6 minutes and 46 seconds

Fencing in front of the Eiffel Tower, equestrian events in the gardens of Versailles, an opening ceremony floating down the Seine. Never before has a cityscape played such an integral part in the backdrop of Olympic events.

The countdown is no longer in months but in weeks, and Context is here to help with all you need to know to get the most out of your Olympic trip this summer. 

Table of Contents

1. How to Enjoy Paris During the Olympics a. Montmartre b. The Marais c. Day Trips from Paris by Train d. Audio Guides 2. Paris Olympics 2024: What's Available 3. Paris Olympics 2024: Practical Details a. How to Get Around Paris During the Olympics: Transportation b. Getting Around Paris During the Olympics: General Tips c. Getting Around Paris During the Olympics: Using QR Codes d. Are the any security concerns during the Olympics? e. How to Pay During the Olympics 4. Paralympics 5. Continuing Your Travels?

Olympic events will be held in some of the most central neighborhoods and in the shadow of important monuments. On days when you are not attending Olympics events, you may be looking to avoid some of these crowded areas. Here are our top picks to do just that: 

Montmartre

The hill in the north of Paris was home to a number of famous artists and thinkers throughout its history. It is one of the more charming areas of the city, and with its many winding streets and small cafés,  the perfect place to escape the crowds in the center and experience a bit of calm. 

For a delicious cappuccino to start your day, we recommend stopping into the The Beans on Fire. More into a refreshing glass of rosé and a spot of people watching? Head to the north side of the hill and down one of Montmartre’s iconic staircases to Café Francoeur. 

If you’d like to learn more about the neighborhood and the people who lived there, our Montmartre Tour is available throughout the summer. For visitors looking to discover Montmartre at their own pace, we also have a new audio guide which will take you to all of the intriguing sites in the area. 

One of the best-loved neighborhoods by Parisians, the Marais finds itself just outside of the zone of Olympic chaos. Home to synagogues, revolutionary history, and the first LGBT hub in the city, the Marais is a microcosm of everything Paris has to offer. 

Why not stop for Breton galette at Breizh Café before embarking on a neighborhood tour with a Context expert? You may also want to explore some of the many delicious shops detailed in our Parisian Picnic audio guide before finding a sunny spot in the beautiful Place des Vosges to while away an afternoon. 

If you are looking for something a bit different, why not get out of the city for a day? There is a huge variety of charming destinations in reach for those willing to hop on a train. 

Monet’s Gardens in Giverny are reachable by local train and a short ride on a shuttle bus and are in their full glory during summertime. Our team can handle all of the logistics for your trip to Giverny on our Half-Day Giverny Tour from Paris. 

Just an hour from Paris, Chartres Cathedral stands as one of the best representations of high Gothic architecture. It’s collection of stained glass windows are impeccably preserved and highlight of any visit. 

For those who dream of the romanticism of a French country castle, the Loire Valley is a longer but still easy day trip from the city. Culminating in a visit to the iconic Château de Chambord, our full-day tour conveniently packs in the best of the region. 

Looking for a bit of cultural diversion in between events? Our suite of Paris audio guides can be paused at any time and experienced in bits and pieces throughout your stay. From orientation visits, to following in the footsteps of Hemingway, our audio guides offer something for everyone. 

As one might expect, the games will have an effect on which cultural sites and areas can be conveniently visited. Lucky for you, Context has done the research for you and we know

The Louvre will be open throughout the summer with the exception of July 25th and 26th as it awaits the arrival of the Olympic flame. Tickets will be at a premium, though, so we suggest you book early to visit with one of our experts if the museum is on your bucket list for this summer. 

Musée D’Orsay, Centre Pompidou, and Musée Rodin will also be open with a few exceptions for the opening ceremony and a few key events. Sainte Chapelle and its unmissable stained glass windows will also be keeping its doors open.

The majority of our neighborhood and history tours will be running with little interruption except for a break on the days when cycling events and the marathon will be dominating the city streets. 

If it’s food you are after, we recommend aiming to schedule a food tour early in your visit. Olympics notwithstanding, many Parisian shopkeepers head to the countryside early August for summer holidays, therefore availability is limited. 

The city of Paris is gearing up for the number of visitors set to arrive in the city this summer. In the interest of safety, a number of secure zones will be set up around each of the Olympic venues, as well as along the banks of the Seine. This will severely limit the number of cars permitted to circulate in these zones. 

Accordingly, our best advice for the Olympics is this: get yourself a very comfortable pair of walking shoes, a metro pass, and download a reliable navigation app. 

Go paperless this summer by downloading the Bonjour RATP app directly on your smartphone, or picking up a Navigo Easy pass at a metro station kiosk upon arrival. This will allow you to purchase individual tickets in advance and make traveling around and outside of the city simple. Purchasing a ‘carnet’ of 10 tickets at a time will help reduce the cost. 

If you are staying a bit longer and plan on taking public transportation frequently, we recommend looking into the one-day travel pass or the Paris Visite pass, which can be purchased for use up to 5 consecutive days. 

To find the best route from point A to point B in and around Paris, we love the Citymapper app. The app allows you to choose which method of travel you prefer, from metro or bus to your own two feet, and even gives you public transportation options which avoid stairs, should be travelling with a wheelchair or stroller. 

A special application developed by the French government called JOPtimiz is forthcoming and should give both alternative itineraries to avoid security zones, as well as specifications as to what is needed to enter certain areas of Paris which will be subject to stricter security measures. We will provide information on this application once it is available. 

Due to security restrictions, unpredictable transportation disruptions, and dense crowds, we urge you to allow extra time when traveling in Paris this summer. The city of Paris has developed an interactive map to help anticipate closures and high traffic areas throughout the summer. Should you arrive early for a Context tour, remember, a charming Parisian café is never far… 

Starting a week before the opening ceremony, and throughout the Olympic Games, all visitors wishing to circulate in certain areas of the city will be required to display a pre-obtained QR code. They will be able to display this code on their phone, and printed versions will also be accepted.

This code serves as proof of registration for security purposes and is meant to ensure maximum safety during Olympic events. An exclusive website will go live on May 10th which can be used to register in advance for your QR code. We will link it here and provide instructions as soon as it is available. 

Paris will be on high alert for the event. While we will inform you of any restrictions we know about ahead of time regarding venues visited on our tours, it is always good to check websites and venue restrictions ahead of time, particularly in regards to forbidden items and bag size restrictions. 

VISA is an official sponsor of the Olympic Games and rumor has it that it may very well be the only card accepted within Olympic venues. We suggest that visitors contact their bank to know more about obtaining a VISA card or assuring they will be able to make cash withdrawals while in Paris. 

Outside of Olympic shops and venues, major cards are generally accepted, with the exception of American Express in some places. It is always advisable to have a bit of cash on hand when visiting Paris. 

Paralympics

We would be remiss not to mention the paralympics which will shortly follow the Olympic Games and also take place in Paris. The opening ceremony is slated to take place on August 28th on the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées. 

Traffic disruptions, closures, and crowds will not be nearly as widespread as during the Olympics, but some offerings may still be affected. Check out our full list of available experiences to know more. 

Continuing on your travels? 

For travelers visiting other parts of Europe before or after the Olympics, take a look at other Context destinations and get inspired for your summer adventures. 

A trip to Paris is easily combined with a jaunt up to Belgium for a refreshing beer and a taste of art nouveau or down to Provence to take in the smell of lavender and a cold glass of rosé.