2024 Summer Olympics Travel Tips

Last updated on 06/14/2024

In 2024, Paris, France, will become not only the city of lights but the place where top global athletes' dreams can come true. For aspiring spectators, it also means the potential trip of a lifetime.

If you're eager to be in the crowd for the Paris 2024 Olympics, we hope you have an amazing time—just getting into the bleachers can be a competition by itself. With hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of tourists from all over the world clamoring to visit the host country, getting into any Olympics presents unique challenges.

Part of Olympic glory, however, is the belief that you can achieve anything, and that doesn't just apply to athletes. That means your Olympic travel dreams can happen, too. To help you out, we've collected our top travel tips for Paris to help you make it to the games.

1. Book Travel Early

If you haven't done this yet, we suggest getting started. You can expect airlines to begin allowing reservations for specific dates almost a year in advance, regardless of events like the Paris 2024 Olympics. That said, fans wanting to visit as many competitive events as possible or a few select ones will likely know their dates. The result? Plane seats will fill up fast.

The available options also disappear quickly for hotels. Since they also tend to increase prices during the games, you may want to consider completing these reservations at the same time you reserve your flights. (You can also skip hotels altogether, and we have more on that below).

2. Consider Alternate Airports

Fortunately, Paris has three major airports you plan to fly into on your Olympic travel itinerary: Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), Orly Airport (ORY), or Beauvais-Tille Airport (BVA). Each has their own benefits and limitations (Orly, for example, only provides flights to select international destinations, while Beauvais is the city's airport for budget airlines), but more importantly, each may become much busier just before, throughout, and directly after the games.

To avoid these crowds—and potentially higher costs—you may want to consider flying into international airports at other nearby European destinations, then making your way to Paris by car or train. Flying into London a little before the games, for example, could give you time to explore an extra destination without paying such a steep airfare, then provide easy access to high-speed rail that could carry you directly to Paris.

3. Skip Hotels

We mentioned a little earlier that you may want to consider skipping hotels when heading to the Paris 2024 Olympics, and we mean it. When popular events take place, from sporting matches to concerts and beyond, hotels may use them as justification to increase their prices. This is especially for the Olympics, which are always historic occasions.

That's why passing on potentially expensive hotel bookings could be one of your best travel tips for Paris in 2024. Instead, look to sites like VRBO or AirBnB (both in and outside the city center) for single rooms, small apartments, or comfortable flats that could be easily affordable by traveling with a group. If you're more the backpacking type, consider staying in one of the city's popular hostels.

Protect Your Trip with Winning Travel Insurance

Out of all our travel tips for Paris, our most important might be to protect your trip with international travel insurance. When you go to the 2024 games, you should be focused on the incredible athleticism and heart-pounding action—not the obstacles that could get in the way of enjoying the momentous occasion. However, if flights get delayed, your baggage gets damaged, or you find yourself needing medical care while you're away, travel insurance may be able to financially protect you.

The best way to find the right travel insurance for the Paris 2024 Olympics is to compare options using InsureMyTrip.com. As the world's first travel insurance comparison site, we are a source of unbiased information that you can use to learn about different types of coverage, build quotes, and begin analyzing plans from top providers. Thanks to our dedicated Customer Care team, you can also directly connect with licensed professionals for any of your coverage-related questions.

To begin exploring your international travel insurance options, begin a quote on our site, then get ready to enjoy your Olympic travel.