NBA stars, tennis champions, footballers, javelin stars, and a myriad of other top-level sports, all in one of Europe’s most beautiful capitals. There are plenty of reasons for fans to head to Paris for the Olympic Games between 26 July and 11 August. We advise you on how to get to the sporting arenas and how much travel, hotels, and on-site living might cost.
Tickets for the Olympic Games
The organizers of the XXXIII Summer Olympics in Paris prepared nearly 10 million tickets for individual events. Mostly, they were sold out months before the athletes began competing, even though the prices may have seemed high. The best seats for the final basketball game cost 980 EUR each, which is about Rs. 294,000). The athletics or swimming final sessions were equally expensive, but that was still not much compared to the premium tickets for the opening ceremony. The most expensive seats were priced at 2,700 EUR or about Rs. 809,099.
Of course, you can also enjoy the competition of the Olympians by paying much less. Cheaper tickets for canoeing, for example, were priced at 79 EUR (about Rs. 23,674), and the least attractive seats for the closing ceremony were priced at 45 EUR (about Rs. 13,485).
“The official ticket distribution channel paris24tickets.com is still available to hunt for seats, where reservations are released for various reasons. Tickets are also available on services not authorized by The International Olympic Committee,” points out Robert Blaszczyk, Head of Strategic Client Department at fintech Conotoxia.
Prices in Paris
Average prices and cost of living in Paris are much higher than in Pakistan. Examples from supermarkets: a liter of milk in the shop – 1.40 EUR (about 421 PKR), 12 eggs – 4.7 EUR (about Rs. 14,000), a 1.5-liter bottle of mineral water – 0.95 EUR (about Rs. 285), beer – EUR 2.3 (about Rs. 691). For a meal for two in a medium-priced restaurant, you will pay around 70 EUR (about Rs. 21,000), a set in a fast food chain costs 12 EUR (about Rs. 3,600), coffee in a cafe – 4.3 EUR (about Rs. 1,300), and beer in a pub – 7 EUR (about Rs. 2,100).
During the Olympic Games, you have to expect increased prices for accommodation. For a weekend stay for two people (including the event ceremony), it is difficult to find offers below Rs. 135,000, proposals twice as expensive prevail – from Rs. 270,000 or more.
“Transport also seems relatively expensive. A several-kilometer taxi ride is an expense of several euros, renting a car for 24 hours – about 30 EUR (about Rs. 9,000), and a ticket for a single ride on public transport costs EUR 2.15 (about Rs. 646),” the Conotoxia expert calculates.
On the occasion of the Games, fans will be able to take advantage of the Paris 2024 Pass, a card that allows an unlimited number of rides. There will be options for one day, two, three, four, five, six and seven. Prices – from 16 to 70 euros (Rs. 5,000-21,000).
The App Will Show The Way
All the Olympic venues (25 of them – 13 in Paris and 12 on the outskirts) will be connected by a mass public transport system capable of carrying 500,000 people daily. The Transport Public Paris 2024 app, specially developed for the Olympics and available in six languages (French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Italian), should prove very useful for using the underground, buses, and trams.
It will suggest the best routes for fans and provide real-time information on traffic jams. It will also enable the purchase of virtual tickets on both Android and iOS devices. There are also expected to be 400 free buses moving fans along potentially the most popular routes.
Be Careful Where You Exchange Your Currency
France has been a member of the Eurozone for more than 20 years, and the average exchange rate of the European currency remains around Rs. 300.
“When exchanging rupees for euros, it’s wise to avoid mistakes that can increase the cost of your trip. Stationary exchange offices, especially those at airports or in city centers, often offer unfavorable rates and high spreads, i.e. the difference between the purchase and sale price of the currency. Using an ordinary debit or credit card abroad for non-cash payments also exposes you to uncontrollable commissions. A multi-currency card seems to be a much more convenient and advantageous way to pay in other countries. You can recharge it on an ongoing basis, keeping your expenses in check, but also withdraw money from ATMs with it. Cash can come in handy, for example, in some Parisian bars, restaurants, or bakeries, where it is not possible to pay by card,” warns Robert Blaszczyk of Conotoxia.
Sports fans heading to the Olympics in Paris who prefer cashless payments should remember that VISA remains the exclusive payment technology partner and the only card accepted at the Olympic and Paralympic Games until 2032.
Budget for an Olympic Weekend or Week
Two people will fly from Islamabad to Paris and back, for example, for about Rs. 600,000. They will spend about Rs. 295,000 on two nights’ accommodation during the Olympics, food, transportation, and the purchase of small Olympic souvenirs in Paris. A separate issue seems to be tickets to the Olympic arenas, where expenses can range from 100 to 1,000 euros, or about 30 thousand PKR to about Rs. 300,000.
If time allows, you should include a budget for sightseeing in Paris as well, such as entry to the symbolic Eiffel Tower – about 29.4 EUR (about Rs. 88,000). In total, you can estimate an average budget of about Rs. 400,000-500,000. A week-long stay cheering at the Games and exploring the attractions of the French capital could turn out to be twice as expensive, reaching for two people about Rs. 900,000.
