It's safe to expect that public transport in Paris will be pretty hectic during the
2024 Summer Olympics. The city will be packed with participating athletes, their coaches, trainers, managers, diplomats, dignitaries, celebrities, and more. Not to mention the fans who will be cheering for their own countries too. They'll be the ones that will crowd the city's many public transport systems. So does that mean you're better off not commuting? Not necessarily! Just follow a few tips for navigating Paris's public transport during the global sporting event. You never know how much riding your bike and walking instead of commuting can really help you!
Know the Special Transport Systems for The Olympics
If you thought that the city of Paris will leave you commuters to the dust during the 2024 Summer Olympics, think again!
Paris 2024 has partnered up with
Île-de-France Mobilités for a much-need collaboration to answer transport needs for the upcoming event. Although not a lot of their plans have been made public so far, what is known is that they will provide various services to accommodate public transport in Paris. These will include buses, coaches, and more. You'd do well to know about them and how you can access them before the Paris Olympics get underway.
In relation to this important collaboration, this should warn you not to delete your transportation apps just yet! Since the French capital will meet quite the influx of tourists coming for the Paris Olympics, it's easy to think that using these digital platforms will be quite a hassle at this time. Surges will most likely be common as tourists and locals alike will be booking rides throughout the event. But as previously mentioned, the partnership with Paris 2024 and Île-de-France Mobilités will offer specific transport services for the Olympics spectators. As such, there might still be many available rides to book through these transportation apps.
Avoid The Venue Locations
If you've
moved to Paris and have been a resident here for quite some time now, you probably find it easy to avoid certain areas while you commute. And if that's the case, then you'll need to apply this knowledge when you take public transport during the Paris Olympics. Once the games go underway, you'd do well to avoid the areas near and around the competition venues. These include the
7th,
8th, and
18th arrondissements, among many others. There's a good chance that these districts will be the most bustling throughout the event.
Every Hour will be Rush Hour
There's no going around it: every hour will be a rush hour during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. At least, it's highly possible. And if you already know it, you can better prepare for it! You'll know the best times to take the
Paris Metro, what to bring that won't take up too much space inside, and more. Perhaps you can gauge what sort of pattern will emerge within
Paris's public transport during the first few days of the event. And from there, you can think up a new strategy for how you'll commute during the Paris Olympics.
Ride a Bike Instead
When all else fails, just ride your bike! Is the Paris Metro too crowded with tourists that you can get inside? Are there too many people on the street hailing taxis that you can't get one yourself? And are all the transportation apps experiencing surges because there are too many people trying to book a ride? In case all of that happen at the same time, then your best bet is to cycle your way throughout Paris. Fortunately, the French capital is a bike-friendly city with lanes specifically for bikes and other two-wheeled vehicles. It may tire you out but at least you'll still get to where you need to be.
Get Used to Walking
Here's one final tip that you really ought to remember come the Paris Olympics: get used to walking! You never know how much the global event will impact public transport in Paris. There's a good chance that not even the plans set up by the important committees will be enough. And if you don't have your own bike, then your other alternative is to walk. Of course, this doesn't have to apply when your destination is too far away. Just walk to places that you can reach on foot. This is more suited for when you just want to go out and explore the city.
There's no doubt that Paris will be extremely hectic during the 2024 Summer Olympics. If you don't want to be hassled when you commute, follow these helpful tips for navigating public transport in Paris.
