There will be quite a few traffic interruptions during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and Paralympic Games from mid-July through September throughout Paris and the surrounding Ile-de-France region. But there are two new tools from the Ministry of Transport to help residents and visitors avoid the crowds and closures.
In this article
TL;DR: The Most Important Points to Remember
- Paris is hosting the 2024 Summer Games, which consist of the Olympics from July 26th through August 11th, and the Paralympics from August 28th through September 8th.
- There are generally four time periods with their own restrictions and road/bridge closures:
- the set-up period from early June through July 18th with traffic disruptions and reduced access to areas surrounding the venues (the lower river quays in the center of Paris, Place de la Concorde, Champ de Mars, Trocadéro), as well as limited access to certain bridges and the upper quays as the seating areas are erected.
- pre-Opening Ceremony lockdown from July 18th-25th with strict restrictions and QR code for roads, quays and bridges along and close to the Seine.
- the Opening Ceremony on July 26th which will practically cut Paris in half with road, quay and bridge closures along and close to the Seine, with QR code or ticket required to get anywhere near the Opening Ceremony.
- the rest of the Olympic Games July 27th through August 11th and Paralympic Games August 28th through September 8th, where closures and restrictions are only applicable to motorized traffic around specific venues when events are taking place (the interactive map below is best to use for this time period). Pedestrians and cyclists will be the least affected during this time.
- There are several Olympic event venues in and around Paris, but the restricted zones only apply during events, and change on a daily and often hourly basis. So a street or metro station closed during the opening ceremony or on the morning of the Marathon event may not be closed at all the rest of the summer. That’s why the map tool is so helpful, because it asks you to enter a specific date and time to know the status.
- The interactive map is just for anyone using motorized vehicles or public transport during the Games. Pedestrians, cyclists, and even trottinettes are only restricted July 18th though the July 26th along the Seine to secure the Opening Ceremony .
- A “Pass Jeux” (Games Pass) with QR code will be required for EVERYONE (including residents) to access the 6km stretch of roads, quays and bridges along the Seine from July 18-26th (if you have a ticket for the opening ceremony, you won’t need a Pass Jeux on the 26th).
- There are many exceptions for those with motorized vehicles in the restricted zones, including anyone who is handicapped or transporting a handicapped passenger, residents going to and from their homes, and workers who work within the restricted zones.
- Public transport prices will be higher during the Olympics to cover the extra service, but for visitors there will be digressively priced transport passes, and prices won’t change for residents with a Monthly, Annual, or Liberté + Navigo Pass. Any tickets purchased BEFORE July 20th will still be valid during the Olympics (whether paper tickets or on your Easy Pass).
- More information for visitors in Paris this July: Which Quays, Bridges and Squares of Central Paris are Blocked This Month for the Olympics Set-Up?
Specific Restrictions for the Opening Ceremony
In case you haven’t heard, Paris decided to do something extraordinary for the 2024 Games: hold the Opening Ceremony along the Seine River instead of in an enclosed stadium, with a parade of 10,000 athletes on 94 boats, ticketed places along the lower quays and bridges, and over 200,000 free tickets for spectators along the upper quays. If they manage to pull it off, it will surely be a memorable event for participants, and spectators alike, whether you’re watching from the banks of the Seine or from your TV at home.
But to make sure everyone stays safe, the entire 6-kilometer route along the Seine — including the lower and upper quays, the bridges, and all of the roads in the immediate vicinity — has to be secured to avoid any risk of terrorist attacks. In April the French police announced there would be secure perimeters surrounding this entire area starting July 18th through the Opening Ceremony on July 26th, the grey “SILT Perimeter” and the Red Zone Perimeter.
Pre-Opening Ceremony Perimeters July 18th through 1pm July 26th
The Pont Iena, Pont des Invalides, Passerelle Sédar-Senghor, Pont Notre Dame, and Pont de Sully will remain completely open to circulation, as well as the bridges west of Pont Iena and east of Pont d’Austerlitz. The other bridges listed as closed during the set-up period may be accessible on certain days.
Opening Ceremony Perimeters: July 26th from 1pm
Only Pont des Invalides, Passerelle Sédar-Senghor, Pont Notre Dame, and Pont de Sully will remain open to circulation during the Opening Ceremony, as well as the bridges west of Pont Iena and east of Pont d’Austerlitz.
SILT Perimeter: You’ll Need a Pass Jeux with a QR Code
Pedestrians and cyclists are allowed to enter the grey security zones known as the SILT Perimeter with either an Opening Ceremony ticket (on the 26th) or a Pass Jeux with a QR code. This applies to EVERYONE, including residents, hotel guests, workers, and business owners. You will also be subject to bag checks and pat downs.
You can apply for your FREE Pass Jeux in English or French at www.pass-jeux.gouv.fr (it’s basically a security check that will require you to register your passport or national ID card, just like when you fly internationally). You have to have a specific reason (proof of reservation for a restaurant, a museum, or a hotel room, for example), you can’t just get a Pass Jeux to pass through the neighborhood (they expect you to go around). One obtained, you will need to carry this QR code and your official ID if you want to access these areas from July 18th-26th.
Only a few motorized vehicles with a special QR code will be able to enter this zone (and will have their trunk and passengers checked) in the eight days leading up to the Opening Ceremony. This includes taxis transporting people with tickets or QR codes. On July 26th only police and emergency vehicles can enter the SILT perimeter.
Red Security Perimeter
Pedestrians and cyclists can circulate freely without a ticket or QR code in the Red Zone. This perimeter only affects motorized vehicles, which are restricted to residents, business owners, deliveries and other exceptions as long as they obtained the special QR code.
Public Transport Closures July 18th-26th
From July 18th thorough July 26th, bus lines crossing the SILT perimeter will be diverted, and these metro and RER stations located within SILT perimeters will be closed to the public:
Line 7 will pass under the Seine without passengers (the four stations mentioned above) because of inadequate smoke extractors in case of a fire; however this won’t apply to other lines crossing the Seine. The Gare d’Austerlitz is the only train station affected, but since it’s located in the red perimeter pedestrian access will remain open without restriction or QR code needed. On the day of the Opening Ceremony, no buses will be able to circulate within the SILT perimeters.
Metro Station Closures Throughout the Summer
In a press conference on May 2nd, Prefect of Police Laurent Nuñez announced additional metro station closures throughout the summer for security reasons. Basically, they can’t have metro stations that exit within the SILT security perimeters, either before, during, or immediately after the Olympics:
- Concord station platforms for line 12 will be closed starting May 17th, and the entire station (connections for ines 1, 8, 12) will be closed from June 17th to September 21st.
- Tuileries station (line 1) will be closed starting June 17th to September 21st.
- Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau station (lines 1 and 13) will be closed from July 1st to September 21nd.
For more precise, day-to-day information on which stations are closed on any given day, make sure to use the Anticiper les Jeux website or the Public Transport 2024 app, both mentioned below.
An Interactive Map to Avoid Crowds and Closures for the Rest of the Summer
The French Ministry of Transport has created a dedicated site particularly for residents called “Anticiper les Jeux” (Anticipating the Games) with an interactive map that lists traffic restrictions and attendance forecast on public transport during the Olympics.
This isn’t a route calculator to figure out how to get from A to B (use the Public Transport 2024 app mentioned below). This is an interactive map showing day by day and hour by hour which roads or metro stations will be closed, busy, or “normal” throughout the Summer Games. Since it’s already “live” now, that means Parisians can see in advance which days or times of day will be most problematic for getting around as the different events take place, and plan accordingly.
Visitors can use this, too! And there’s even an English version of the map itself, but the tutorial explaining how to use it is only in French, so I thought I’d do a summarized English version of it here for anyone who will be in Paris this summer during the Olympics.
To get started, click here to open the page with the map: https://anticiperlesjeux.gouv.fr/je-minforme/carte-interactive-impacts-routes-transports-paris-ile-france. It will all be in French, but scroll down to the map and you’ll see the “FR – EN” toggle for the English version. You will see the entire map of the Ile-de-France region with Paris at the center and the little Olympic symbol in a circle designating each Olympic venue.
Using the Map for the Paris Metro, Tram or RER
When you arrive on the interactive map, you can click on one of the boxes on the left to choose your mode of travel, between Road and Public Transport.
The Public Transport vision displays the entire metro, tram, train and RER network in Île-de-France. If you’re zoomed out, you see just the lines themselves. When you start to zoom in you’ll see individual stations represented by dots (they may take a few seconds to load, so be patient). Hover over any given dot to see the name of the station.
It can be a bit hard to see when all of the lines are showing, but you can choose a line or a station on the left to just highlight one at a time. This is really handy if you know which stations and what lines you’ll be using the most during your stay (usually the ones closest to where you’re staying). Then you can just adjust the date and time to see how busy they will be throughout the Games. When you click on the dots you’ll see the estimated peak times for whichever date you’ve got selected at the top. This one shows that Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre station will be busy from 2-4pm on August 1st, and that the Tuileries and Concord stations next to it are closed.
Here I’m searching for line 6 traffic on July 28th at 6am. All’s green:
And by 3pm the same line has a few stations that are showing larger crowds, including La Motte Picquet – Grenelle (which is close to the Grand Palais Ephémère venue on the Champ de Mars).
You can also just put in a date and a time at the top of the map while all of the lines are showing to see at a glance which lines will be crowded or stations closed on any given day.
The color coding key at the bottom is pretty clear: black is closed; red is to avoid; orange is extremely busy; yellow is busy; green is a preferred route; and white means it’s not affected at all. If you’re not sure where you are in relation to the stations or zones on the map, enter your address in the box on the upper right. In my example above, I’ve got “5 Rue des Rosiers” entered as the address, so you see the blue dot in the Marais.
Don’t forget you can also use the Paris 2024 Transport Public app for iOS and Android or the Citymapper app, both which may be easier to navigate on your smartphone.
Using the Map for Road Access with a Vehicle: Restricted Zones
This won’t generally affect visitors (or anyone without a car in Paris), but can be useful if you’re planning on using a taxi or Uber to get around, or even if you’re having food delivered.
On the interactive map, certain major roads appear in dark gray. These are the axes hosting “Olympic routes”. They are not completely closed to traffic, but will have a lane dedicated to accredited Olympic and emergency vehicles.
On the interactive map, certain roads will be impacted if they are located within a security perimeter of the competition sites, but only during the individual events, not during the entire Summer Games. As you can see above, there are no restricted zones at 6am on July 28th. However, by 9am there are some restricted zones around the Olympic venues on the west side of Paris (Concorde, Champs Elysées, Champ de Mars, Porte de Versailles). You can see “my” address on the Rue des Rosiers in the Marais isn’t affected:
However on the morning of the Men’s Marathon, August 10th, the area around the Hôtel de Ville in the Marais — as well as the entire Marathon route — will be restricted, so I wouldn’t be able to get a taxi or even a bus from the Marais to the Arc de Triomphe unless I went around the northern side of Paris:
Understanding the Blue and Red Security Perimeters on the Map
These only apply AFTER the July 26th Opening Ceremony, which will have its own specific restrictions starting July 18th.
Blue Perimeter
These zones have regulated access for motorized vehicles (pedestrians, cyclists and trottinettes are not affected). There are MANY exceptions allowing access to anyone in a motorized vehicle with “a reason” to be in the zone, including anyone with a ticket to the Olympic event, residents, city and tourist busses, workers who need vehicles for their jobs, taxis and VTC car services (like Uber), and deliveries.
Red Perimeter
This zone is more restrictive to motorized vehicles. For example, taxis are only allowed if you’re an athlete or have a ticket to/from the event, but not VTCs/Ubers. No city buses nor tourism buses will be able to circulate here, but anyone with a handicap license or passenger will be allowed. Residents, businesses, and deliveries will be allowed but they will need to show proof to cross the checkpoints. Again, pedestrians, cyclists and trottinettes are not affected. If you’re worried you may be restricted from getting to your hotel or vacation rental (or home, if you live in one of the Olympic venue zones around France), then you may want to play it safe and have proof of your address on you (a recent utility bill if you’re a resident; your reservation confirmation from your hotel or vacation rental). Again, this will only be necessary if you’re in a car, taxi, or Uber. Worst case scenario is that you may get dropped off a block or two away and have to walk the rest on foot if you’re staying in the “red zone”.
If you need to get back to seeing all of the lines and stations, click on “delete my selection” to clear your search selection.
Public Transport Prices & Passes During the 2024 Summer Games
Public transportation is greatly expanding their services during the Olympic and Paralympic Games to be able to accommodate the 10 million visitors expected from July 20th through September 8th. To pay for this, there will be a higher rate for public transportation tickets purchased during this time (any tickets you already have purchased will still be valid).
To be clear, residents and anyone planning ahead ARE NOT AFFECTED by these price hikes unless you have neither a monthly/annual/Liberté + Navigo Pass, nor the foresight to load up on tickets on the Navigo Easy Pass before July 20th. You can purchase up to 30 tickets at a time per card; anyone needing more than that during the Games should get a Liberté + Pass or just buy extra Navigo Easy Passes and load them up in advance.
“It is out of the question for the people of Île-de-France to finance the Olympic Games,” said Valérie Pécresse, Regional President of the Île-de-France, to Le Parisien. Trains will be more numerous and frequent on almost all lines during this period at an estimated cost of about €200 million. Therefore, they’re introducing the “Paris 2024 Pass” at €70/week to cover these costs, and to dissuade visitors from purchasing single-day (€16) or even single-ride (€4) tickets, which would result in huge lines at the ticket booths.
Once purchased, the Pass will be valid for unlimited use, whether for a day or a week, throughout the network. That means you can go anywhere from the center of Paris to all of the suburban destinations such as the Olympic events at the Stade de France or to visit the Château de Versailles or Disneyland, as well as Orly and Roissy-CDG airports.
You can still get a digital carnet of 10 tickets on your Navigo Easy, but this will cost €32, hardly a bargain. “We are going to run a major communication campaign and recommend that people of Île-de-France buy their tickets beforehand,” said Valérie Pécresse. Franciliens (the residents of Paris and Ile-de-France) who travel occasionally will be encouraged, before July 20th, to load the maximum number of single ticket carnets on Navigo Easy cards (single metro, tram, and bus tickets), up to a maximum of 30 tickets. There are no carnet limits on suburban trips. As for holders of a Liberté + Card (for residents with an EU bank account), they will not see any change and will not be impacted by the Olympic surcharge.
Tickets during the Olympic Games: July 20-September 8
- Paris 2024 Pass
- 1 Day All Zones: €16
- 2 Days All Zones: €30
- 3 Days All Zones: €42
- 4 Days All Zones: €52
- 5 Days All Zones: €60
- 6 Days All Zones: €66
- 7 Days All Zones: €70
- 14 Days All Zones: €140
- Single Ticket: €4
- Carnet (10 Tickets) on Navigo Easy Card: €32
The Paris 2024 Pass is available on the Paris 2024 Transport Public app & website, where buyers have the option to have it sent as a card to their home or to download it onto their smartphone (starting in mid-June). I already have a Navigo Pass, so if anyone from outside France purchases this to be sent to them, let me know how it goes. 😉
A Public Transport App for the 2024 Games
A new multilingual app called Paris 2024 Transport Public for iOS and Android launched in April to help public transport users figure out the best — if not fastest — way of getting from A to B during the Games in real time. This will work to help you determine the best route to the Olympic site of your choice if you’re attending an event, by integrating crowd data or estimates of waiting times on platforms, for example. It will allow you to put in the venues you’ll be visiting so you get specific notifications for the stations affected. According to the press release, “The day before, users will receive a notification to plan their journey in advance, and on the big day, they will be notified in the event of disruptions on their route, in order to adapt it accordingly. The recommended route is labeled “Trajet Paris 2024”. Others are also indicated, as are the walking and cycling options.” There’s even a wheelchair accessible tab (the RATP has made elevator maintenance a priority throughout the Games). It’s not allowing me to look ahead to July yet, so not sure if this will be useful for getting across Paris during the Opening Ceremony or the eight days of restrictions leading up to it.
Starting in mid-June it will also allow you to purchase the Paris Pass tickets (public transport passes specifically for the Olympic Games) to upload directly onto your phone.
You don’t have to be attending one of the Olympic events to use the app, it could come in handy just for avoiding crowds. I also recommend you download the free Citymapper app and Google Maps (if it’s not already on your phone). They’re all free and if you’re in Paris this summer, it’s good to have every tool available at your disposal!
Using Taxis and VTCs like Uber
Most visitors and residents I know in Paris won’t be driving a car, but may need a taxi. The VTCs (like Uber) were previously restricted from entering the red zones, but fought and won the right to access them, just like taxis (and in the gray zones as well, with handicapped passengers). However, the VTC’s still cannot use the “Olympic Lanes” — special lanes around the main arenas and on the Périphérique ring road — reserved only for Olympic delegations, official taxis, buses, police and emergency vehicles, and journalists.
Because of this, I would still make sure you also have contact details ready for official taxis like G7 (tel 01 47 39 47 39), Taxis Bleus (tel 08 91 70 10 10) or Alpha Taxis (tel 01 45 85 85 85), not only because there are NO restrictions to where they can go, but also because they’re often (in my experience) cheaper than Uber, which bumps up its rates a LOT when the demand increases (official taxi rates per kilometer are fixed nationally).
Beware of Googling “Paris Taxi” because you may still get a VTC. The easiest way to tell is that official taxis have the “taxi” light on the roof of the car or minivan (and VTCs do not have these).
Get Updates from the Frontlines
As I’ve mentioned to the Secrets of Paris Community, I’m not a fan of the Olympics in general (too commercial, too corrupt), and really wish Paris hadn’t won the right to host the 2024 Games. But they did, so I’d like it to go as smoothly as possible for everyone involved, whether residents or visitors. Haters and the infamously cynical Parisians themselves have been almost gleefully predicting “disaster” for everyone involved, but unless complaining will help change things for the better before July rolls around, I prefer to focus on helping everyone enjoy their time in Paris this summer, whether attending the Olympics or not.
As my partner is required to work throughout the Games, I’ll be here myself to see how everything goes — including whether this interactive map actually works. That means I’ll be reporting “from the frontlines” for the Secrets of Paris Community on a weekly basis (with any emergency/breaking news updated as it happens). If you’d like to get these regular updates, access to the Paris Olympics Q&As, and other exclusive content, consider becoming a supporting member of the Secrets of Paris Community. Click here to learn more.
I was supposed to be there for the Olympics but my mother changed her mind. What’s a quick way to get rid of my Olympic tickets: Opening and Closing Ceremonies and Athletics. Thanks. Ed
You can resell them on the official resale platform: https://tickets.paris2024.org/faq/en_en/category/competitions/how-can-i-resell-tickets-on-the-official-paris-2024-resale-platform/
We are theire the 18 and 19th as a stop over. Is the Lourve and Eiffel Tower in the red or grayzone. Trying to figure out if we need a pass or not.
Yes, and you also need prior reservations for both in those days (you’ll find the best info direct on their websites, and tickets, which you should not get through online agencies).
And for anyone else who doesn’t know if they need a QR code, go to the Anticiper les Jeux website (https://anticiperlesjeux.gouv.fr/carte-interactive-impacts-deplacements-ile-france), enter the date and time in the box at the top, and the exact address of where you want to go on the right, and it will tell you (it’s very slow with everyone using it all at once, so give it time to load).
Hi, we are coming in just for the day on Wed 24 July (from a cruise) and have a private driver given the complexities with the Olympics. We would like to see the main sites/attractions given this is our first time and we only have a day. Any advice? Anything we won’t be able to do? Thanks!
Hi Brad,
You’ll be coming during the pre-ceremony period where the entire center of Paris along the Seine is closed off to everyone unless you have a QR code (July 18-26). That includes the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Orsay, and Sainte Chapelle. There are plenty of other parts of Paris that are outside the restricted areas that are nice to visit, like Montmartre, the Marais, St-Sulpice and Luxembourg gardens, and the Paris Opera. You’re welcome to joint he Secrets of Paris Community if you’d like more customized answers, otherwise there’s plenty here on the website you can continue to peruse for free. 😉
Bonjour Heather, and thanks for the great article. If I’m riding in a taxi or Uber and need to enter a red zone to get to my apartment, do I need a QR code or does the taxi/Uber’s QR code give us access?
Hey Hugh! This official Paris City Hall page (https://www.paris.fr/pages/perimetres-de-securite-et-circulation-pendant-les-jeux-comment-ca-marche-25203#tableau-des-personnes-autorisees-a-acceder-aux-perimetres) seems to indicate your taxi driver can enter with their own QR code as long as the passenger can show identity and proof of where you’re staying (a reservation confirmation with your name and the address).
What do you think about renting a car for the Olympics? I know that you said most people won’t have a car themselves, but it seems like it might make things easier?
I would never recommend renting a car in Paris, even when it’s not the Olympics. It’s the worst way to get around (traffic jams, nowhere to park), and during the Olympics cars are subjected to the most restrictions. Public transport, walking, and cycling are best. And call taxis when necessary.
I am trying to understand if my son and his friend will need a pass when in Paris to access certain tourist sites. They are staying from the 6th-10th August on Rue Popincourt in the 11th arrondissement. They will likely want to visit Louvre, Musee de L’Orangerie, Notre Dame etc. Should they apply for a red zone pass so that they will be able to get access to those areas or not necessary? Will they be able to get a taxi to the 11th arrondissement from the airport (and when they leave to the train statin) as far as I can see the airbnb is not near a red zone or grey zone but may be affected by the Olympic Way/road (a purple like I see) that says Voies Olympiques. Will they be able to walk along the Seine at all? Thanks so much
Pedestrians don’t need a pass for the red zones, and taxis aren’t blocked by the Olympic Ways (they just can’t use that lane; a bit like a carpool or bus lane). They can walk along sections of the Seine in areas that aren’t closed for specific events. There’s a swimming event near Pont Alexandre III/Invalides on August 8th, so they won’t be able to walk around down there.
I’ll have more information about what the lower quays of the Seine are like in July.
Great info and also the savings with the passes in time and money ! Merci beaucoup!
Hello, I have ordered the card version of the Paris Pass 2024, and they were delivered to my UK home within two weeks. We purchased 4 days worth of travel each to cover our events and much to my surprise, our gite is in zone 5 near Meaux, so it covers all our travel into Paris.
Thanks for sharing, Kirsty! 🙂
Hi Kristy, did yo have to make a reservations to attractions before ordering passes? It would be great if you could share the links and the process
Nilay, do you mean the QR Code to enter the restricted grey SILT zones? Or the public transportation pass? The latter doesn’t require you to have reservations for anything, you just purchase on the link in the article (https://pass.paris2024.iledefrance-mobilites.fr/en-US/). If you’re talking about the QR code, you only need a reservation or proof of needing to be in the SILT zone if you don’t have tickets for Olympic events there (https://www.pass-jeux.gouv.fr/).
It’s not clear to me what will happen between august 28-Sept 11 when I will be in Paris. I’m not sure if QR code will be required for pedestrians or not, if any other restrictions. Great article heather !
Thanks Stephanie, pedestrians won’t need a QR code after the opening ceremony because the only gray SILT areas after this period are the venues themselves (obviously open if you have a ticket). You can use the map on https://anticiperlesjeux.gouv.fr/ to enter any date and time of day to see what public transportation (like metro stations) or streets will be closed (like for the marathon) at any given time, but there’s no QR code you need to worry about.
It would seem that the Paris 2024 pass does include travel to the airports
https://www.iledefrance-mobilites.fr/titres-et-tarifs/detail/passe-paris2024
Thanks, they’ve changed some of the tariffs since the original announcement, as well, trying to keep up with the daily breaking news is going to keep me busy! 😉
thank you so much for this very readable and complete guide to getting around during the Olympics!