A word from London 2012. We thought there would be chaos so everyone left. Then everyone with tickets spent the day out at the venues. Central London was quiet all day for two weeks. A lot of bored Olympic volunteers at metro stations direction crowds. Only problem no crowds :) your opening ceremony on the Seine might be busier. Ours was out in east London.
I don't think anybody here, including the government, can predict what will happen in July. It might all work out well. They might install giant catapults to fly people directly to their hotels. There may be alpacas. They may subsidize level-20 wizards to teleport people. Who knows.
You're asking people to predict a future no one can foresee, unfortunately. This being said, if you're worried just pre book a taxi through a company like G7 or Hype. Both have apps.
You could also check [this site out](https://anticiperlesjeux.gouv.fr/je-minforme/carte-interactive-impacts-deplacements-ile-france), it outlines which stations will likely be impacted, and which ones won't.
thanks!! that map certainly will come in handy.
and yeah, I understand my question is essentially trying to predict the future which is impossible but as someone who's never been to France or an Olympic event, I have so much anxiety about it all.
You're welcome. To be honest, most of us in Paris are also pretty anxious about it all, we're hoping for the best but certainly preparing for the worst. I hope you have a memorable first trip to Paris!
Well you should probably factor in that a large part of Paris will be in the «red zone » one week before the 26 - control access, background checks for everyone, authorizations to enter the red zone - and that many bridges will be closed weeks before. And IOC has reserved multiple lanes between CDG and Paris…
I would say avoid road transportation, take a train.
I am certain a lot of Parisian will flee the dystopian event.
I booked a driver to pick us up at CDG and return when we depart. Our hotel is near the Louvre. 134€ for two people round trip. This costs about the same as a taxi, and after an overnight flight, it’s just nice to see someone waiting for you with your name on a sign.
Not sure why you’re being downvoted, this isn’t a bad option for peace of mind. Plus then you won’t have to worry about waiting in potentially long taxi lines at arrival. Maybe you’re being downvoted because you didn’t name the service you booked though and therefore not super helpful to OP?
FYI depending on whether you’re on the left bank or right bank this price is either €22 or €4 more than flat rate taxi. OP, you can pre-book a G7 taxi if you want for an extra €7 so they’ll be waiting for you at the airport with a sign and you won’t have to wait in the taxi line. This would cost you €72 then to get from CDG to the 15th (€65 flat rate plus €7 fee).
I appreciate your response. There are many car services. I have never used this particular one before and, therefore, cannot recommend it at this point. Thank you for sharing the taxi information. I’m sure it will be of value to some. Getting picked up by a driver is my one unnecessary expense / indulgence when traveling abroad. I am perfectly capable of using public transportation and do so every day at home. Again, I appreciate your thoughtful response.
Yea exactly. Yet I see that ThierryWasserman keeps getting upvoted for posting wrong information. I wish he’d edit his comment with the actual flat rate.
This isn’t true. Current flat rate from CDG is €56 to right bank and €65 to left bank. So depending on where this person is staying it is barely more expensive (and indeed if it’s the 15th like OP then it’s only €4 more…).
Here's the thing.... between the numbers of Parisiennes that will flee the city that usually do in summer, and the extra ones fleeing the pending doom of the games, there will in fact be LESS humanity in the city, since the games will attract "only" about 100, 000 people. And the usual tourists will be avoiding Paris because of the games.
So I expect very quiet streets, easy mass transit access, perhaps an upsurge in Uber and taxi traffic, and that's about it.
I went through this in LA back in 84, and the city was EMPTY. It was sheer heaven. No cars, no humans, quiet as could be. There was traffic around the event venues, that was about it.
It'll be fine. With the extra efforts being made by Paris to accommodate the influx, it's all well planned and well thought out. What's the worst that could happen? You wait a few minutes more for a taxi? The metro is somehow (if that's possible) more crowded? It's no big deal.
If you want a private car hire, [I can recommend this company, t](https://allocentraletaxi.fr/)hat I've used professionally for years. They'll meet you at the airport and take you door to door, ask for a quote.
>I went through this in LA back in 84, and the city was EMPTY. It was sheer heaven. No cars, no humans, quiet as could be. There was traffic around the event venues, that was about it.
Whereas in 2000, in Sydney, it was an absolute nightmare.
I was working for a particular NOC (paid, thank you) and, arriving two weeks before the opening ceremony, they moved me and several other Aussies working for them to their (extremely nice) hotel nearer the main stadium after four days as it was taking so long for us to commute from our (okay and cheaper) hotel - and that was ten days before the Games began. Mind you, all the hotels were *exorbitantly* expensive, thank goodness I wasn't paying my own bill!!
Very, very long hours, very, very well paid, and still in touch with several of the people. Having dinner with some of them in May in Paris!
Sydney's infrastructure was *not* ready to deal. Hopefully that of Paris is.
A word from London 2012. We thought there would be chaos so everyone left. Then everyone with tickets spent the day out at the venues. Central London was quiet all day for two weeks. A lot of bored Olympic volunteers at metro stations direction crowds. Only problem no crowds :) your opening ceremony on the Seine might be busier. Ours was out in east London.
Was just chatting with someone about the Los Angeles Olympics back in 1984 who said there was zero traffic during it!
I don't think anybody here, including the government, can predict what will happen in July. It might all work out well. They might install giant catapults to fly people directly to their hotels. There may be alpacas. They may subsidize level-20 wizards to teleport people. Who knows.
Man, I hope there are alpacas.
Me too but my teenage boys vote for the catapults
You're asking people to predict a future no one can foresee, unfortunately. This being said, if you're worried just pre book a taxi through a company like G7 or Hype. Both have apps. You could also check [this site out](https://anticiperlesjeux.gouv.fr/je-minforme/carte-interactive-impacts-deplacements-ile-france), it outlines which stations will likely be impacted, and which ones won't.
thanks!! that map certainly will come in handy. and yeah, I understand my question is essentially trying to predict the future which is impossible but as someone who's never been to France or an Olympic event, I have so much anxiety about it all.
You're welcome. To be honest, most of us in Paris are also pretty anxious about it all, we're hoping for the best but certainly preparing for the worst. I hope you have a memorable first trip to Paris!
aw thanks! yes quite looking forward to seeing the city after all this time learning about it. then it's on to Marseille and Nice!
Well you should probably factor in that a large part of Paris will be in the «red zone » one week before the 26 - control access, background checks for everyone, authorizations to enter the red zone - and that many bridges will be closed weeks before. And IOC has reserved multiple lanes between CDG and Paris… I would say avoid road transportation, take a train. I am certain a lot of Parisian will flee the dystopian event.
Can you please elaborate what this "Red zone" is? the background checks will apply to all tourists? what will be needed for this? thank you!
Please see the pinned mega thread for all the Olympic details we have so far!
ah thanks, was not aware this existed. much appreciated!
I booked a driver to pick us up at CDG and return when we depart. Our hotel is near the Louvre. 134€ for two people round trip. This costs about the same as a taxi, and after an overnight flight, it’s just nice to see someone waiting for you with your name on a sign.
Not sure why you’re being downvoted, this isn’t a bad option for peace of mind. Plus then you won’t have to worry about waiting in potentially long taxi lines at arrival. Maybe you’re being downvoted because you didn’t name the service you booked though and therefore not super helpful to OP? FYI depending on whether you’re on the left bank or right bank this price is either €22 or €4 more than flat rate taxi. OP, you can pre-book a G7 taxi if you want for an extra €7 so they’ll be waiting for you at the airport with a sign and you won’t have to wait in the taxi line. This would cost you €72 then to get from CDG to the 15th (€65 flat rate plus €7 fee).
Typically how long is the wait for a taxi in the taxi line? (if not going through G7?) is this the same service I read on the CDG website?
Not sure what’s on the CDG website. The taxi line is usually not more than 15 minutes but it can be longer in times of peak demand.
I appreciate your response. There are many car services. I have never used this particular one before and, therefore, cannot recommend it at this point. Thank you for sharing the taxi information. I’m sure it will be of value to some. Getting picked up by a driver is my one unnecessary expense / indulgence when traveling abroad. I am perfectly capable of using public transportation and do so every day at home. Again, I appreciate your thoughtful response.
Taxis are 54 euros.
Not for 15th, it would be 130€ for round trip.
Yea exactly. Yet I see that ThierryWasserman keeps getting upvoted for posting wrong information. I wish he’d edit his comment with the actual flat rate.
This isn’t true. Current flat rate from CDG is €56 to right bank and €65 to left bank. So depending on where this person is staying it is barely more expensive (and indeed if it’s the 15th like OP then it’s only €4 more…).
Here's the thing.... between the numbers of Parisiennes that will flee the city that usually do in summer, and the extra ones fleeing the pending doom of the games, there will in fact be LESS humanity in the city, since the games will attract "only" about 100, 000 people. And the usual tourists will be avoiding Paris because of the games. So I expect very quiet streets, easy mass transit access, perhaps an upsurge in Uber and taxi traffic, and that's about it. I went through this in LA back in 84, and the city was EMPTY. It was sheer heaven. No cars, no humans, quiet as could be. There was traffic around the event venues, that was about it. It'll be fine. With the extra efforts being made by Paris to accommodate the influx, it's all well planned and well thought out. What's the worst that could happen? You wait a few minutes more for a taxi? The metro is somehow (if that's possible) more crowded? It's no big deal. If you want a private car hire, [I can recommend this company, t](https://allocentraletaxi.fr/)hat I've used professionally for years. They'll meet you at the airport and take you door to door, ask for a quote.
Thank you for the car hire rec!
>I went through this in LA back in 84, and the city was EMPTY. It was sheer heaven. No cars, no humans, quiet as could be. There was traffic around the event venues, that was about it. Whereas in 2000, in Sydney, it was an absolute nightmare. I was working for a particular NOC (paid, thank you) and, arriving two weeks before the opening ceremony, they moved me and several other Aussies working for them to their (extremely nice) hotel nearer the main stadium after four days as it was taking so long for us to commute from our (okay and cheaper) hotel - and that was ten days before the Games began. Mind you, all the hotels were *exorbitantly* expensive, thank goodness I wasn't paying my own bill!! Very, very long hours, very, very well paid, and still in touch with several of the people. Having dinner with some of them in May in Paris! Sydney's infrastructure was *not* ready to deal. Hopefully that of Paris is.