On July 26, the Paris Olympics will be in full swing. More than 15 million visitors are expected to enjoy these two exceptional weeks of competition. But for Parisians, the Olympic Games will also be synonymous with transport problems. Find out all you need to know about the changes to come.
Buses every minute, free shuttles… All you need to know about public transport during the Olympic Games
To make life easier for you, free shuttles will be available during the Olympic Games. These will serve the most remote games sites, such as Roland-Garros, Parc des Princes, Versailles, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and Vaires-sur-Marne. In all, 300 buses on 10 routes will be used. They will circulate only on competition days and will pass every minute towards the site from 2 h 30 before the start of the event and 2 h after the competition.
Other shuttles, specially designed to transport disabled people, will be introduced. These will leave from Paris stations and take you to the various Olympic venues. The shuttle can be booked in advance and costs 4 euros per person.
Reinforced metro lines and an expanded fleet of electric bicycles
It’s probably the biggest fear of Parisians: how to get around by metro in Paris? If you know that certain stations are to be avoided, the choice is not necessarily available to everyone. According to Valerie Pécresse, 8 metro lines serving the Olympic venues will be reinforced by 23%, and up to 70% for the three most affected RER and metro lines (metro 9, RER A and RER C). Overall, transport capacity will be increased by 15%.
An additional 2,000 electric bikes will be added. Cyclists will be able to get to most of the Olympic venues on two wheels, thanks to 415 km of cycle paths.
JO : There will be night-time public transport for the marathon
On the night of August 10, themarathon race will be open! For all spectators who come to cheer on the riders, public transport will be available all night long.
Bus routes diverted and metro stations closed…
A week before the Games and throughout the competition, some bus and metro lines will be heavily affected. Bus routes include: lines 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 52, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 80, 82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 89, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96 and PC. The routes of these lines will be modified from July to September. Details can be found here.
On the metro front, the situation is not much better. Several metro stations will be closed in preparation for the opening ceremony. Likewise, on the road, the quays of the upper Seine are now closed to traffic, and some bridges are also temporarily blocked. ..
An app helps you find the best route to the games
Called “Transport Public Paris 2024“, this free application will be a great help. It measures the distribution of spectators in real time, and therefore suggests an alternative route. You can also buy transport tickets from the app. Translated into 6 languages, the application has been available on all platforms since May. There are still a few days left to buy your metro tickets without breaking the bank! Between July 20 and September 8, a single T+ ticket will cost 4 euros, compared with the current 2.15 euros. So it’s time to fill up!