2024 Olympics: Practical questions about getting around Paris, on foot, by public transit, bike or car (2024)

The Paris police prefecture has set out three types of perimeters: blue, which is the least restrictive; red, an intermediate level; and gray, the most restrictive. Specific rules have been decreed, depending on your profile (worker, resident, ticket-holding spectator) or your transport method (on foot, by bike or motorized vehicle).

The blue perimeter is the largest, encircling each Olympic venue for dozens, or even hundreds of meters, in order to reduce motorized vehicle traffic. Access to this zone by car or motorcycle will require written proof in "any form," which is different to the QR code that can be obtained on the Pass Jeux website. Police checks may be carried out in this area to verify the reason cited. Pedestrians, cyclists and scooters, including electric ones, will have unrestricted access to this area.

The red perimeter, which is more restricted than the blue one, is intended to "reduce the risk of terrorism" and to "guarantee the safety of the public entering or leaving a site, as well as of local residents" according to the police prefecture. Access on foot, by bike or scooter will be authorized, as it is in the blue zone, but motorized vehicle access will require a digital pass with a QR code. Applications must be submitted in advance on the dedicated website, and requires supporting documents.

A gray perimeter or "SILT" (in reference to the 2017 law on domestic security and counter-terrorism) will be set up around the opening ceremony area, as well as several Olympic venues where events will be held. Police officers will carry out pat-downs and searches in this area. Access to this perimeter will only be possible for ticket-holding spectators, for people accredited by the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG) and for people with a digital pass (over 13 years of age). Only authorized vehicles will be allowed to cross the perimeter.

People travelling on foot, by bike or on a scooter (including electric ones), will be able to access the blue and red perimeters surrounding the Olympic Games opening ceremony on July 26, as well as the road events (cycling, running), which will take place over longer distances across the Paris region. In these zones, spectators will not need a ticket. Access to the gray zones, on the other hand, will only be possible with a pass.

A digital platform was opened on Monday, May 13, to apply for a Pass Jeux, a digital pass with a QR code. Depending on the situation, supporting documents such as an identity document, proof of residence or accommodation, or an employer certificate may be required. For requests for access to the gray zone or SILT, an administrative check, which may take a few days, will be carried out by the authorities, with particular attention paid to criminal records. Once the request has been approved, the person will receive a QR code that will enable them to move around the red zone with a motorized vehicle or in the SILT zone.

Local residents and people working within the security perimeters will be able to enter these zones with their vehicles, provided they show police a pass. A document as proof, in any form, is sufficient for the blue perimeter, but for the red and gray perimeters, you must register in advance on the dedicqted platform by submitting a series of documents (an identity document, proof of address, etc.). For people working within these perimeters, it will also be necessary to justify that no alternative to taking a car is possible and that a parking lot is available at their work.

Like local residents and workers, hotel guests will need to show police a pass at the entrance to the secure perimeters to gain access to them by car. The hotel must have off-street parking. To obtain the QR code, guests will need to provide identity documents for the vehicle's occupants and proof of their hotel's parking space on the dedicated platform.

House moving vehicles will be authorized to drive in the blue and red perimeters, provided they have a pass. In addition to proof of address, proof of vehicle rental for a private individual or a professional certificate for a mover, you'll also need to show that the move is imperative.

People with disabilities will be able to move around or be transported by cars within the security perimeters (blue, red and gray) with a pass. To enter the gray zone, you must live or work there. The QR code can be obtained by providing an identity document, vehicle registration document, proof of employment and a French mobility inclusion card (CMI) or European disability card.

Tourist buses and coaches will only be allowed to operate within the blue perimeter.

How many métro stations will be disrupted during the Olympic Games?

Which public transport lines will be the busiest?

According to the Anticiper les Jeux website, the lines likely to be most crowded will be those serving the major competition venues:

• Métro lines 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14
• Tram: T3a and T3b
• Train: line J (to Ermont-Eaubonne), line L (to Versailles-Rive droite), line N, line P (to Meaux) and line U
• RER B, RER C and RER D

Paris region travelers are advised to avoid the areas affected by the events, adapt their schedules and routes, or opt for "other means of travel such as walking and cycling."

Before the start of the Olympic Games, which métro and RER stations will be closed or inaccessible?

Even before the start of the Olympic Games on July 26, 20 stations will be closed:

• Concorde: As of May 17, no line 12 métros stop at this station. The station, which is also served by lines 1 and 8, will be completely closed to the public from June 17 to September 21.

• Tuileries: Like Concorde, this line 1 station will be closed from June 17 to September 21.

• Champs-Elysées - Clémenceau: The station will be closed from July 1 to September 22 (lines 1 and 13).

• Alma - Marceau (line 9), Iéna (9), Trocadéro (6 and 9), Passy (6), Quai de la Rapée (5), Cité (4) and Javel (10): These stations will not be accessible from July 18 to July 26, the date of the opening ceremony.

• Châtelet, Pont Marie, Pont Neuf and Sully - Morland (line 7): These stations will also be closed from July 18 to 26. The same applies to line 11, which will no longer be accessible at Châtelet.

• On the RER C, Musée d'Orsay, Pont de l'Alma and Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel stations will be closed from July 18 to 26.

During the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which métro stations will be closed?

The Tuileries (lines 1, 8 and 12), Concorde (1) and Champs-Elysée - Clemenceau (1 and 13) métro stations in central and western Paris will be the only ones to close completely during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They will reopen on September 22.

Other stations on lines 7, 9 and 10 will be partially closed. The Pont Marie (7), Exelmans (9), Michel-Ange - Auteuil (9 and 10), Michel-Ange - Molitor (9 and 10), Boulogne - Jean-Jaurès (10) and Boulogne - Pont de Saint-Cloud (10) stops will only be closed at certain times, from the end of July to mid-August.

Will it be possible to change lines in métro stations that are inaccessible from the outside?

How can closed or overcrowded stations be avoided?

The Transport Public Paris 2024 application has been set up to give travel solutions and the fastest routes for users. According to the Paris region authorities, the app will show "the real-time distribution of spectators" in Paris.

The transport ministry has also developed an interactive map to show the effects that the Olympic and Paralympic Games will have on public transport travel. By selecting a day and time, the map on the site Anticiper les Jeux indicates lines and stops on the métro, tram and RER lines as ones "to avoid" or "to prioritize."

Which tram stations will be closed during the Olympic and Paralympic Games?

Three tram lines will be affected by the events:

• In southwest Paris, near the Parc des Expositions Olympic site, the T2 line will not serve the Porte de Versailles and Porte d'Issy stops from July 25 to August 11, and then again from August 29 to September 7.
• During the same period, the T3a line will also not stop at Porte de Versailles.
• The T3b line will also not stop at the Colette Besson stop from July 27 to August 10, and then again from August 29 to September 8.

Which bus stations will be closed before and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games?

With the infrastructure for the Olympic and Paralympic Games being set up, since March dozens of bus routes have already been diverted in the vicinity of the Champ-de-Mars, Trocadéro Square, Invalides and the Grand Palais. During May and June, some 15 other lines are changing their routes for the same reasons.

Contacted by Le Monde, the RATP transport authority specified that "this summer and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, around 80 lines will be affected." Details about these lines are not yet known, but "will be communicated," according to the transport operator.