The start of the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024 is still about a year and a half away, but ticket sales have already begun.
At least for those who have already registered their interest. Those who participated in the first order phase for ticket packages - called "Make Your Games" packs - might get an email these days. According to the organizers, the notifications to the drawn people will be sent in the period between February 13 and March 15.
Two days after receiving this message, a 48-hour window starts to buy such a package of Olympics 2024 tickets. The European Consumer Centre (ECC) reports the procedure and criticizes this tight time frame.
Pressure on Ticket Buyers
According to critics, this will put a lot of pressure on those interested in buying. The advice of the consumer protectors to sports fans is to better think twice. The reason is that the tickets are personalized and usually expensive, there is no right of withdrawal, and the resale conditions for purchased tickets have not yet been clarified, according to the ECC.
The first registration phase for people interested in Olympics 2024 tickets on the official sales platform "tickets.paris2024.org" had run from December 1 to January 31. Here it was all about the ticket packages. According to the ECC, those who had registered within this period and were now drawn had the opportunity to buy packages for a combination of three competitions, such as basketball, athletics and field hockey. Within the given 48-hour time slot.
If you miss your window to buy tickets or did not take part in the first order phase, you can register between March 15 and April 20 for the second order phase, which is for individual tickets. The procedure is the same: The tickets will be drawn by lot. Those drawn will receive an e-mail notification with a 48-hour time window for purchasing tickets.
Tips for Sports Fans
The ECC has the following practical tips for anyone seeking tickets to the Summer Olympics and also planning a trip to the French capital for the occasion:
- First of all, tickets should be purchased only through the official platform. Accordingly, the organizers have already announced that they will refuse tickets purchased elsewhere.
- The ticket portal is only available in English and French. If passages in the registration and ordering process are unclear to you, you should ask someone who has a good command of one of these two languages to assist you. Or you can use an online translation service.
- The ticket costs alone can quickly run into hundreds of euros. It is advisable to set yourself a maximum budget and also factor in costs for travel, accommodation and meals. Around the Games, for example, prices for accommodation in and around Paris are likely to be higher than they already are.
- Those who want to save should book as early as possible. Some rooms can already be booked now for the Olympic period via hotel websites. It is then advisable to choose offers that can be canceled later - preferably free of charge.
- The following guidelines apply to travel: According to the ECC, flights can be purchased about eight months before departure, and long-distance tickets with Deutsche Bahn six months in advance. For the French TGV trains, tickets are usually available from three months in advance.
- In addition to travel cancellation insurance, it is also worthwhile to consider taking out ticket insurance. The key point here is whether this insurance also reimburses tickets abroad, for example in the event of sudden illness.