A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I had the opportunity of a lifetime to attend the Paris Olympics! It’s something that had been on both of our bucket lists for quite some time, and it lived up to every expectation we had and more. I wanted to share some details about this very special trip here!

Accommodations:

Handsome Hotel: We stayed in this great little hotel for two nights during our time in Paris. It was located in an wonderful area surrounded by tons of restaurants, shops and sites! The rooms were tiny, but it was quiet and had good working AC, which was very important to us visiting in the middle of July.
Best Western Paris Montcalm: We stayed here for the second portion of our trip, as it was closer to some of the events that we were attending during the Olympics. It was also a great hotel, in a quieter area but still surrounded by many amenities. Our room was bigger here, and it was also very quiet and had great AC.

How to Purchase Tickets for Olympic Events:

Tickets are typically released on the official Olympics site well in advance of the games. However, by the time we decided to plan this trip, some of the tickets for events we wanted to attend had already sold out on the official Olympics ticketing site. Because of this, we decided to purchase our tickets through P1 Travel, which is an official Olympics hospitality partner. These tickets were a bit more expensive than the tickets sold through the Olympics website, but they each included access to the Palais de Tokyo which was transformed into a massive hospitality suite for the duration of the games. Per person, our tickets cost roughly $250 for Beach Volleyball, $220 for Equestrian Dressage, and $110 for Men’s Soccer. As the games approached, our tickets were distributed to us digitally and it was a very seamless process! When attending the events, we would just show a QR code on our phones to enter - easy peasy!

Things to Do & See:

Olympic Events: We absolutely LOVED the events that we chose. Our favorite of the three was watching Beach Volleyball under the glittering Eiffel Tower - I don’t know if I can think of a more iconic event venue! Versailles was of course an iconic venue as well, although it was about a 3 mile walk from the event venue to the actual Palace of Versailles! (The gardens stretch that entire length!) We ended up taking a shuttle in between which made our lives much easier. Seeing Paraguay compete against Mali in men’s soccer at Parc des Princes was amazing as well - the energy was electric and the stadium was perfectly equipped for the events. Attending the Olympics in Paris was truly one of the most special and unforgettable experiences I’ve ever had, and I could not recommend it enough!
Montmarte: This picturesque Parisian neighborhood is the perfect place to spend a morning! First, take the funicular up to Sacré-Cœur and admire the view - you can see for miles! Then, stroll over to Place du Tertre and admire the beautiful paintings on display by local artists. This square used to be the hangout spot of many famous artists like Dali, Renoir and Van Gogh! After checking out the various works of art, be sure to stroll over to the famous and picturesque pink restaurant, La Maison Rose. On the walk down from Montmartre, you can also get a peak at the Moulin Rouge!
Eiffel Tower: This one is obvious. :) Whether you book a ticket to go up into the tower, or just peep at it from the banks of the Seine, you absolutely have to see this iconic landmark during your time in Paris - especially at night. When dusk falls, get ready to see the entire tower sparkle for 5 minutes at the beginning of each hour!
Tuileries Garden: We unfortunately weren’t able to go inside this beautiful garden, but we were able to peak at the Olympic Flame floating in the sky here, and it was one of the most breathtaking sites I’ve ever seen!
Palace of Versailles: We were only able to spend a few hours after our Dressage event wandering around Versailles, but it was absolutely spectacular. I would love to make it back there one day and have more time to enjoy it - you could truly spend an entire day exploring the palace and its many rooms and gardens! Also, be sure to wear comfortable shoes - you will be doing a LOT of walking!

Food & Drink:

Le Relais de l'Entrecôte: This was my favorite meal that we ate in Paris! This famous restaurant specializes in one thing: a meal that includes a green walnut salad and steak frites. Greg and I each got this, as well as a glass of red wine and profiteroles for dessert. It was all absolutely delicious. There can be quite a long line, but it goes quickly! I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Paris.
Chez Fernand: We stopped here for some pre-dinner snacks one night and ordered the escargot and bone marrow. The food was wonderful and the atmosphere on the street was fun and vibrant!
Creperie Chez Suzette: No trip to Paris is complete without trying a traditional French crepe! This cute creperie makes delicious to-go crepes so that you can snack while wandering! Be sure to try the butter and sugar crepe - it’s to die for!
Eat at a cafe surrounding Place du Tertre in Montmartre: Although these are quite touristy, it is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat and people watch. We stopped for a snack at Au Clairon des Chasseurs, and while the food was just okay, the atmosphere completely made up for it.

Paris & Olympics Travel Tips:

Depending on the type of event and venue, you may want to do a bit of research before attending. Look up some information on dress codes, how to get to and from the venues, etc. and use this to plan your events and parts of your trip. For example, we specifically chose to stay in a hotel on the outskirts of the city, towards the direction of Parc des Princes and Versailles, just to make it a bit easier to find Ubers without the chaos of the busiest areas.
Attending the Olympics doesn’t have to be expensive! While we may have had a unique experience, we were able to easily find affordable accommodations in Paris, and the event tickets were not super pricey either. The largest expense was our flights, which we set price alerts for on Google Flights and purchased when the prices dropped.

Here are some photos from our time at the Paris Olympics!