This week, the 2024 Olympic Games will be taking over the French capital. If you’re lucky enough to have tickets to the greatest show on earth – or even just happen to be in Paris during the Games – you might want to brush up on how to get around.
And that’s particularly necessary if you plan on driving, as many areas surrounding the Olympic sites will be completely closed to traffic. Here is everything you need to know about these new traffic perimeters, and how to get around Paris by car or bus during the 2024 Olympic Games.
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Driving in Paris during the Olympics
There will be colour-coded traffic regulations in place across Paris. Grey areas are for athletes, ticketed spectators and accredited people (e.g. journalists), and black areas are for searches and pat-downs for anyone entering an Olympic site. Here’s what we know about what each one means for traffic:
- Red: this one means cyclists and pedestrians can move around freely, and only people with an authorised QR code can move around via motor vehicle. QR codes are available to local residents, professionals and visitors with proof of a hotel, museum, ticket or restaurant reservation. Read more about QR codes here.
- Blue: pedestrians and cyclists are allowed to move around freely here too, but only people with a legitimate reason to go to a Blue Zone address (such as for work or for those who live there) can use a motor vehicle.
These perimeters will apply from July 27 to August 11 and August 28 to September 11. Check out the maps for all red and blue zones and road closures below.
Paris road closures for the 2024 summer games
From Trocadéro to Concorde
The largest number of official Paris 2024 sites are concentrated between the 16th, 8th, 7th and 1st arrondissements, including Arena Champ-de-Mars, Trocadéro, Invalides, and Concorde. This traffic ban zone will be the largest in the capital, covering roads from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre. Between the Champ-de-Mars to Trocadéro area and the Tuileries, traffic will be completely prohibited, even for local residents.
St Denis
This is the main district of Greater Paris affected by road closures and diversions: it encompasses the athlete’s village, the Stade de France, the aquatics centre, and the Pleyel district, after all. Here, the red zone is at its most extensive, making for quite an inconvenience for local residents.
XXL red zone for the Opening Ceremony
An XXL red zone will be implemented along the routes of the various events, such as the opening ceremony, the marathon and the cycling. For the opening ceremony, this perimeter will extend across the whole of Paris along the Seine, and well above the Trocadéro, up to Porte Maillot. The zone will be closed to traffic for non-local residents (except in exceptional cases, if they need to go to a specific location) several days before the ceremony.
Will metro stations be impacted?
There’s a long list of all the Metro stations that will be closed, and when, in our metro station closures guide here.
Will buses still be running?
Yes, buses will be running, but there will be some diversions in place across Paris, and most routes only operate until 8.30pm. However, there might be some additional bus services running in less sociable hours. You can find a full list of all routes that will be impacted here, and an itinerary planner here.
French train travel disruption
After a series of coordinated arson attacks were reported across France’s high speed railway network this morning, it’s thought that 800,000 passengers are affected by severe delays and cancellations. To read more about how that might affect your travel, you can do so in our guide right here.
How to get around Paris during the Olympics
Read our full guide on how to get around the city during the games – and here’s an interactive map of closures and diversions.
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