2023-12-17 18:14:00
15.9 million people are expected in the Paris region during the Olympic Games (from July 26 to August 11, 2024), according to estimates from the Paris tourist office. “Living in Paris is already difficult, but during the Olympics it will be hell. The city will be under tension. It will be stifling. I don’t want to experience that,” explains Camille to our colleagues from Capital. Like many Parisians, she planned to desert the capital during the sports competitions, fearing the inconvenience linked to the organization of the competitions and the influx of tourists.
“Traffic is complicated all year round. So, during the Olympics, it will be carnage. I’m going to take advantage of my vacation to spend time with my mother in the provinces and avoid this hell,” continues the thirty-year-old, who works in publishing. For Maxence, the Olympic Games will also be in front of the television. This 31-year-old civil servant fears the crowds on public transport.
There too, a word comes up: “hell”. “The quality of service is already catastrophic, the metros are permanently armored and waiting times continue to increase. So, I can’t even imagine the travel conditions during the Olympics: it will be hell. » The question is particularly sensitive: the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, declared in the TMC program Daily that the city “will not be ready” on the subject of public transport.
Jackpot for owners
In the 18th arrondissement, Florent and Mélissa both own a 55 square meter apartment. And they intend to take advantage of the Olympic Games: the couple in their thirties have bought themselves tickets to attend basketball, volleyball and football matches at the Parc des Princes. “Overpriced” tickets. And it is for this reason that, paradoxically, they will leave Paris during the Games and settle in Florent’s father’s pavilion, in Val-de-Marne. “We rented our accommodation on Airbnb during the two weeks of competitions for financial reasons. The goal is to earn money to reimburse the cost of our tickets,” explains Melissa.
READ ALSO 2024 Olympic Games in Paris: why transport prices will soarAn operation which is already largely profitable for them. Eight months before the event, their property is rented for two weeks, despite the exorbitant price: 695 euros per night. “Usually, we rent our apartment for around 140 euros per night. We therefore more than quadrupled the price and yet we found a buyer. I think we could have even offered even higher prices,” Florent is surprised. Accommodation prices have indeed soared: the average price of a night during the Olympics on Airbnb reached 1,050 euros in November, according to a study carried out by the Lycaon Immo platform.
For other Parisians, the fear lies in the soaring cost of living during the Olympics. “We can clearly see that housing and transport prices will soar during the competition. I am convinced that restaurateurs and cafe owners will also try to line their pockets by increasing their prices,” anticipates Thierry, a resident of the 11th arrondissement who plans to flee the city in the summer.
Metro ticket prices doubled
The public authorities also share this concern. The Minister Delegate in charge of SMEs, Commerce, Crafts and Tourism, Olivia Grégoire, announced that the crackdown on fraud will double controls in French hotels and restaurants between now and the Olympics. No less than 10,000 establishments will be controlled so that tourists “get value for their money”.
READ ALSO Paris 2024: during the Olympics, you will need a pass to travel “There is no question of once again undergoing checks carried out by the police, who will be in very large numbers in Paris. I am going to leave the capital to escape the surveillance drones and biometric cameras that will be installed during the Olympics,” protests Claudia, living near the Roland-Garros stadium, where the tennis and boxing tournaments will take place. “I don’t have a Navigo pass and I have no desire to pay 4 euros for my metro ticket to travel during the Olympics,” she emphasizes. The president of the Île-de-France region, Valérie Pécresse, has, in fact, announced that metro ticket prices will double during the Olympic Games.
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