The 2024 Olympics in France

This year, the 2024 edition of the Olympic Games is taking place in Paris, France. However, some of the events will also take place in other French cities outside the capital. To help you navigate the 2024 Olympic Games, Direct Ferries has compiled a guide explaining the events, and how to get there using ferries.

What are the Olympic Games?

The origins of the Olympic Games can be traced back to ancient Greece, between the 8th and 4th centuries B.C. During this period, a truce would take place between the rival Greek city-states to allow time for sporting competitions between the cities. These would take place at a site called Olympus.

The modern version of the Olympic Games was introduced at the end of the 19th century by a Frenchman named Pierre de Coubertin. The goal of these modern Olympic Games is like those that happened in ancient times: bringing people form all around the world together through sport in order to promote peace and brotherhood between nations.

Since then, the Olympic Games have taken place every 4 years (with some notable exceptions). In 2017, Paris was selected as the host city for the 2024 edition of the games.

When are the 2024 Olympic Games events taking place in France?

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will take place from the 26th of July until the 16th of August 2024. Afterwards, the Paralympic games will take place from the 13th of September.

Which French cities outside Paris will host the 2024 Olympic Games?

Even though most of the events of the 2024 Olympic Games will take place in Paris, some other French cities have also been chosen to host selected events. The main ones are Lille, Marseille and Nice. In the following paragraphs, we will explain which events are taking place in these cities and how to get there so that you can support the athletes.

Handball event: Lille

Lille in northern France was the host city for the 2017 handball world cup. Now, the same stadium (Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve d’Ascq) will be used in 2024 for the finals of the handball event of the Olympic Games.

How to get to Lille for the 2024 Olympic Games?

If you wish to go to support your country’s team in the 2024 Olympics handball events in Lille, there are several options to get there.
 

Lille is very well connected to Calais, Paris and to Belgium thanks to the road and rail network. If you’re crossing the channel from the UK, you can easily take the ferry to Calais from Dover, or the Eurotunnel from Folkestone. The journey usually takes less than 2 hours.
 

From Calais, you can then drive or take the high-speed train to Lille (30 minutes train ride from Calais).

Crossing the channel to get to France for the 2024 Olympic Games

While crossing the channel to get to France to watch the 2024 Olympic Games, it’s important to not forget a few important things to make your journey smoother. If you are a British citizen, you will need a valid passport to cross the border to enter France. A driver’s licence is not a sufficient form of ID for the border checks.

Nobody likes to leave their favourite pet at home. If you want to cross the channel with your dog or cat, you need to ensure that you have the relevant documentation for your animal ready to present to border agents as you cross.

Sailing event: Marseille

Marseille has also been chosen as a host city for the 2024 Olympics, for the sailing and maritime competitions.

From the 28th of July to the 8th of August, the marina of “Roucas – Blanc” of Marseille will host 10 categories of different maritime Olympic events, mostly based around sailing. Some of these events are quite original: foil windsurfing (first time at the Olympics), kite foil, laser radial.

How to get to Marseille for the 2024 Olympic Games?
 

If you wish to get to Marseille to watch the sailing events taking place from the 28th of July to 8th of August, you have several ways to get to your destination. Marseille is connected to an airport (Marseille Provence) and is also connected to the French rail network.

If you’re planning to travel to Marseille from Corsica or North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), you also have the option of taking the Ferry to Marseille. This can be a big advantage if you wish to travel with your car of with a pet.

For example, you can take the ferry from Tangier Med to Marseille, Algiers to Marseille or also Ajaccio to Marseille. In order to help you make a decision, check out the Direct Ferries deal finder, which will help you compare prices and availability to find the crossing that suits all your needs.

Football event: Nice and Marseille

This year, six French cities will host the football event of the 2024 Olympic Games. In particular, Nice, Marseille, Lyon, Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux all have stadiums suitable to host the events.
 

Careful to not confuse the 2024 Olympic Games football events with the UEFA Euro 2024 competition taking place in Germany. The football event of the Olympic Games usually only involves under-23 players. Moreover, for the Olympic Games , a women’s competition is taking place at the same time as the men’s competition.
 

Marseille's Stade Vélodrome will host one of the semi- finals of the competition (men and women), and the Nice stadium will only host group stage matches.

How to get to Nice for the 2024 Olympic Games?

If you wish to get to Nice to support your team during the group stage games, you have several ways to get there. Nice is connected to the French rail network as well at the Nice Cote d’Azur airport. If these options don’t suit you, you can also take the ferry.
Just like Marseille, Nice is well connected to Corsica by ferry routes. You can take the ferry between Bastia and Nice, Ajaccio and Nice and also Calvi and Nice.
 

The Direct Ferries dealfinder compares prices and options available for ferry crossings, so that you can find the ideal option for your plans. Don’t hesitate to use our tool to help you book your journey
 

To help you better find your way, we have compiled a table summarising the main events of the Olympic Games taking place outside Paris.