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Can I Still Get Tickets for Olympics 2024? Last minute trip to Olympics
It’s not too late to find tickets to many Olympic events. There’s still time to plan your last minute trip Olympics 2024 ! However, Paris will be crowded so consider one of the Olympic venues outside Paris as your destination…and make it a more memorable holiday!
Many events are still available on the official Paris 2024 ticketing website.The Olympic committee has set up an official ticket resale platform, Paris 2024 Resale where every Thursday at 10 am Paris time updates are posted. It’s another great way for buying last-minute Olympics tickets. The games start on July 24 and continue through August 11, with the Olympics 2024 Opening Ceremony on July 26.
Paris expects 15 million visitors! By one account, traveling and staying near Paris could cost you as much as $5000, including airfare, hotel, and event tickets, due to elevated accommodation prices.
Recent news articles indicate that prices are trending lower, especially outside of Paris, making it a great time to try and secure accommodation. MSN calculated costs int this article:How Much Does It Cost to Attend the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Read Condé Nast Traveler’s guide to book a last minute trip to the Olympics and read on for our take.
To avoid the hustle and bustle, consider staying outside of Paris in the South of France where there are venues in Lyon (football matches/soccer), Marseille (football, sailing & windsurfing) and Nice (football, swimming, gymnastics and basketball).
As this blog focuses on the Côtes du Rhône wine region, between Lyon and Marseille, we’re here to suggest Olympic travel tips to those cities/venues. We propose that the centrally located towns of Uzès or Goudargues could make an excellent base for an epic Olympics + southern France last-minute getaway.
You can still get tickets at venues outside of Paris. So, let the games begin!
(please note: This site contains product affiliate links. We may receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links. This llows us to continue writing in depth articles. Thanks in advance.)
Avoiding Crowds Paris 2024 - Olympic Venues Outside Paris
Several venues outside of Paris, especially for football fans, will host matches in the . seven of the biggest stadiums in France. Those are: Paris (Parc des Princes), Nantes (La Beaujoire Stadium), Bordeaux (Bordeaux Stadium), Marseille (Marseille Stadium), Nice (Nice Stadium), Saint-Etienne (Geoffroy Guichard Stadium) and Lyon (Lyon Stadium at Déines or Stade de Lyon).
France is encouraging access to the Olympic venues via public transportation.
French Regional Airports near Olympic Venues
Travel to the southern region is highly accessible, thanks to a network of nine regional airports. Among these, the southern France airports in Nimes, Montpellier, and Marseille are the most conveniently located for accessing the Olympic venues, particularly for football matches. The largest airports, Toulouse-Blagnac and Montpellier-Méditerranée, offer the most extensive range of flights.
Air France, the national airline, will offer most flights into France. However, the low cost, long haul airline French Bee also offers an array of flights.
Daily flights connect Paris with both Toulouse and Montpellier. Additionally, these airports maintain direct connections with several major European cities, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, and Warsaw. Beyond Europe, they also serve destinations in Algeria, Portugal, Turkey, Morocco, and Norway. This extensive connectivity ensures that travelers from a wide range of locations can easily reach the region.
Curious? Check out some airfares for a last minute trip to Olympics 2024.
High Speed Rail France + Map
Alternatively, the TGV (train grande vitesse or very fast train) system in France (operated by the SNCF) is excellent and can get you to Lyon or Marseille within a few hours from most hubs. Most International flights will arrive in Paris Charles de-Gaulle (CDG), which I’m sure will be chaotic, but the TGV can be caught at the airport.
Find TGV schedules and tickets here for your last minute trip to Olympics 2024.
TGV Paris To Lyon, Nimes and Marseille - Routes to Venues in Southern France
The region is served by three primary train systems, providing efficient and comprehensive travel options. The TGV INOUI, a high-speed train, connects Paris and Lyon with other cities near venues. This makes high-speed travel to and from these key cities both quick and convenient.
The second system is the TER, the regional network of trains that utilizes SNCF stations to facilitate local trips across France’s twenty regions between cities. This network is ideal for exploring regional destinations but the trains are slower with multiple stops. Additionally, the INTERCITÉS trains use the same rails and offer another layer of connectivity, serving various routes across the country.
Trains into France are part of the Rail Europe and Eurostar systems.
All these train routes can be ticketed through the SNCF Connect website, which allows users to explore multiple itineraries and multi-transportation routes. For regional travel, the TER train site provides search options by specific regions. For instance, Lyon is in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, while Marseille is in Occitanie. The main station (gare) in Lyon is called Part Dieu, while in Marseille it is Marseille-Saint-Charles.
If you decide to stay in Uzès, driving to Avignon or Nimes Centre station offers a convenient departure point.
Travelers may encounter the message “forte affluence attendue sur votre TER” on their train tickets, indicating expected high crowd levels. During major events like the Olympics, public transportation can become very crowded.
Paris is well served by the Metro system. When we were in Paris in 1998 during the World Cup, the experience of traveling by train or metro was joyful and festive. People were friendly, in high spirits, and the international party atmosphere was palpable. Despite potential discomforts such as heat and crowded conditions, the vibrant, international ambiance makes public transportation an exciting part of the experience.
So, choo, choo. Start planning that last minute trip to Olympics 2024!
Football Matches Lyon Olympics!! Olympic Venues in the South of France
Heads up, diehard soccer fans…many elimination rounds will be played in venues outside of Paris.
Game Schedules: Men’s football games start on July 24, while women’s games start on July 25. Sailing and windsurfing events in Marseille start on July 28.
Lyon will have 11 matches between July 24 and August 9. See schedule.
Located in the center of the country, Lyon can be accessed by international airport, train or car. The stadium (also known as Groupama Stadium) is located to the east of city center, towards the airport and TGV train station. There are still lots of Booking accommodations available!
I found some surprisingly good airfare rates (under $1000) on Expedia with less than 2 weeks advance booking!. Check out below the fares departing from LAX on July 30th and arriving at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport (LYS) on Lufthansa and Air Canada. Also look into the low-cost, long-haul carriers French Bee, from the US and Canada or Ryan Air from European cities.
Use the map below to find hotel accommodations near the stadium in Lyon for your last minute trip to Olympics 2024!
Football, Windsurfing and Sailing Fans - Olympic Events in Marseille
Marseille will host 10 football matches and 8 sailing events. Search the Olympic ticketing site for last minute Olympics 2024 sailing tickets in Marseille.
Marseille has an international airport and is accessible by TGV and obviously cars with a local metro line.
There are two venues:
Marseille Stadium (Stade Vélodrome) for soccer is served by the Rond-Point du Prado and Sainte-Marguerite Dromel metro stations (line M2).
Marseille Marina is served by the Rond-Point du Prado metro station (line M2), and bus stops at La Plage (line 19) and Plage Roucas Blanc (line 83).
At time of writing this article, Olympics 2024 last-minute tickets “first category” for football on July 24th and August 3rd were still available!
Pro Tip: Once you arrive via train you will need to identify dedicated “navettes” which are shuttles to get to the venues. Plan on a 15-to-20-minute ride. See the Olympic website for how to get local transportation to the various venues.
- Marseille Stadium (also known as Stade Vélodrome) will be served by the Rond‑Point du Prado and Sainte‑Marguerite Dromel metro stations (both on line M2). Note that line M2 can be taken from Marseille Saint‑Charles station. Find more information on the official website
- Marseille Marina will be served by the Rond‑Point du Prado metro station (line M2), and by bus stops at La Plage (line 19) and Plage Roucas Blanc (line 83). Note that line M2 can be taken from Marseille Saint‑Charles station. Find more information on the official website.
Zoom out on the map below to find accommodations near the stadium!
Book a Car for your last Minute Trip to Olympics 2024
Traveling to South of France for Olympics - Make Uzès or Goudargues Your Olympic Base and Enjoy a Provençal Vibe
Perhaps you’d like a bit of an Olympic experience coupled with a memorable French vacation. If so, making Uzès, located in the Gard Department, your base might be ideal. I’d say it’s one of the best places to stay near Olympics venues in South France.
- Strategic Location: Uzès is centrally located with access to Lyon and Marseille venues via train and car. Trains from Avignon or Nimes TGV stations are about 2 to 3 hours.
- Natural Beauty: Set in the Côtes du Rhône countryside, there’s beautiful landscape and many outdoor activities to enjoy
- Cultural Sites: Visit the Pont du Gard, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and enjoy the unique sound and light show during the summer.
- Great Accommodations and non-Paris rates!
Discover reasons to make this your homebase in our other articles:
- An Unforgettable Escape: Explore Uzès, France’s Most Welcoming Town
- Unforgettable Stays in Uzès: Your Guide to South of France Provence Accommodation
- Touring Uzès: A Captivating Town Near Avignon
Goudargues, about 30 km from Uzès, offers a more intimate country village experience.
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How to get to Uzès and then to Olympic venues
Uzès is in the Gard Department with Marseille having the closest airport (2 hours by car).
Uzès offers easy access to Lyon and Marseille via train or car.
The TGV INOUI high-speed train runs from Avignon or Nimes stations to Lyon and Marseille. There are also the TER regional trains, but they are slower.
By car: Lyon is 3 hours to the north along the major autoroute A7 or autoroutes du Soleil (Motorways of the Sun), which also goes to the sunny beach resorts of the south including Marseille. The French have a site called Bison futé that forecasts traffic in the region. Google maps on your phone works well too.
Unfortunately, given the fact that most of the Football matches are in the evening with start times between 17:00 and 21:00, it may not allow you to utilize the train networks after the games as the last trains seem to stop running sometime around 20:30 pm at the time of this article.
On the other hand, the Sailing and Windsurfing events will take place from 12:00 to 19:00 in Marseille. Providing many opportunities for train travel to the Olympic venues.
Final Thoughts…Last Minute trips to Olympics
So, if planning a last minute trip to Olympics 2024 wisely, you can enjoy the excitement of the games while exploring the beautiful South of France. With accessible transportation options and venues in cities like Lyon, Marseille, and Nice, you can avoid the crowds in Paris and create a memorable Olympic experience. Stay in charming towns like Uzès or Goudargues for a blend of Olympic thrill and Provençal charm. Get your tickets now and be part of this historic event!
…and thanks to my sister who helped me with this post and shared that memorable World Cup experience!
And finally, if you decide to make this trip and want a little help email me at occitanlife (at) gmail (dot) com, I’ll do my best to make some suggestions!
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Liz D.
Hello and welcome to our blog! My husband is French and we've had a home in the region for the last 20 years. I'm thrilled to share my love of history, wine and discovery with readers. If you like what you read, drop us a note in the comments! or by the contact form.
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Staying outside of Paris seems like a great way to experience some of the events while avoiding the crowds.
Add a little more fun and plan a day at Disneyland Paris while you’re there!
exactly!