How much does it cost to attend the Paris Olympics? (2024)

It's an expensive vacation, but the event has lived up to their expectations. "It's a dream to be here," said Sergio and Rosa, two Mexicans Le Monde met on Monday, July 29, in the Trocadéro fan zone, as they gazed up at the Eiffel Tower. Including airfare, accommodation in an Airbnb in Fontainebleau and tickets for five competitions, the couple have already spent almost €4,000. And that's not counting the restaurants, metro tickets, shopping...

For visitors to the Olympic Games in Paris, there are often big expenses. And it all starts with buying tickets. Cyril, Jérôme and Aurélia Meary, French siblings from Grenoble traveling with their spouses and a friend, attended a basketball match in Lille, followed by a 3×3 basketball match in Paris, on the Place de la Concorde. Then came beach volleyball on the site built at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. "In total, that's €430 worth of tickets for each of us. That's crazy!" But the Paris Olympics are a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience. The same reasoning applies to the Khanna family – a couple and their son – who came from London. They bought tickets for volleyball, rugby and basketball: For the three of them, the total bill came to €720.

Some people spent much more: this was the case for spectators who bought tickets coupled with a "hospitality" service. For the first time at the Olympics, a company called On Location is offering packages to the general public, combining a ticket for a competition with an "experience" at a specific site, accessible at a given time slot. On Location has privatized part of the Palais de Tokyo, the gardens of the Maison de l'Amérique Latine... Drinks, screens, deckchairs and Instagrammable decorations are offered on site: enough to feel like a VIP, but at a golden price. A ticket for a basketball semi-final combined with access to Clubhouse 24 at the Palais de Tokyo costs between €475 and €995, depending on the seating category.

'We have to be on our toes'

But you can also enjoy the Games for much less. Selected in the first draw for tickets, Alexandre Jardino, 29, who lives in Brétigny-sur-Orge, 30 kilometers south of Paris, paid €24 euros for his tickets – he will be attending the 3 x 3 basketball and golf events. There have been no other expenses for him: To enjoy the atmosphere, he goes to the fan zone at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris, which is free of charge. Everyone shares their tips. A young university graduate we met at Club France in La Villette recounted how, on the Labaz app, offered by the Paris region council, she won four tickets for events – including the highly prestigious gymnastics final – as well as tickets to Club France.

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