Often hailed as the embodiment of romance and sophistication, Paris is a dream European destination for many Singaporean travellers. With its iconic landmarks, rich history, world-famous cuisine and vibrant cultural scene, the City of Light beckons with the promise of enchanting experiences. Additionally, Paris will host the 2024 Olympic Games from July 26 to August 11, further elevating its profile on the world stage. However, for many, the reality of visiting Paris can be vastly different from the idealised fantasy.
Beyond the charming streets and quaint cafes, the reality of being in the city can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not prepared. This is especially true these days, as the city gears up for the Summer Olympics. Find out more about all the fun On this site.
No entry to the Concorde-Tuileries area
Paris officials have blocked all access to the Concorde-Tuileries area, with varying levels of security in place as part of an “anti-terrorism” no-go zone. Since April, all areas within 100 metres of the area have been completely off-limits. It is only accessible to those who live or work there, even on foot, and even then they will need to obtain special authorisation in advance.
Interestingly, there is also a hospital within this restricted area, where some patients need vital care. Patients must also apply for a permit. Furthermore, access to the hospital will be completely off-limits to anyone during the ceremony itself.
There is a much larger “red” zone around this area, which is “only” closed to road traffic. Although the area is accessible on foot, businesses requiring regular deliveries (e.g. restaurants, supermarkets, etc.) may face some difficulties.
Traveling around Paris will be difficult.
After the red zone is the “blue” zone, which is closed to most, but not all, road traffic. In addition, most of the highways connecting Paris to the surrounding suburbs have special “Paris 2024” lanes, reserved for Olympic officials. This includes the famous ring road around Paris, known as the “ring road,” which is notorious for its bad traffic.
Even if you don't have a car, getting around Paris is difficult because many metro stations are also closed. So, Paris Metro It is now a maze of disconnected lines and randomly closed stations, with Line 1 being the worst affected. For example, Concorde, Tuileries and Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau stations will not be served for the duration of the Games.
Furthermore, Paris metro ticket prices will almost double for tourists, with a single metro ride costing €4 per trip (up from €2.10).
The situation for cyclists and pedestrians is not much better. From May 17 until the end of the Olympic Games on August 11, several areas will be closed to cyclists and pedestrians, including the Place de la Concorde, the Cours la Reine, and the cycle path between the Pont Alexandre III and the Pont de la Concorde.
Even if you are in Paris on foot, your view of the city is likely to be affected, as barriers of all kinds are starting to appear all over the city. These barriers will also affect travelers in wheelchairs or those accompanying the elderly.
Although the airspace over the Paris region is closed for security reasons during the opening ceremony, trains will operate outside the security perimeter.
Heavy security presence
Naturally, with an event of this magnitude, security is a top priority. There are police everywhere in Paris – some 35,000 police and gendarmes will be on duty every day during the Games, and up to 45,000 are expected for the opening ceremony. Since all French police are deployed in Paris, all other major events (such as music festivals) have been cancelled throughout Paris and France.
In addition, about 2,000 foreign soldiers from different countries will be sent to Paris to enhance security.
In addition, the authorities have deployed security cameras on a large scale. They also use Experimental monitoring system based on artificial intelligence This goes beyond video cameras. According to news reports, the prime minister’s office negotiated a secret decree to ramp up traditional surveillance tools, including wiretapping, geolocation, collecting communications data, and capturing more video and audio data during games.
Mass evacuation of students, homeless and displaced persons
Last year, students living in Ile-de-France were asked to vacate their student residences (for €100 and two tickets to the tournament) over the summer because they would be used as accommodation during the games. Now many students will not know if they will have housing by the start of the new school year in September.
Students were not the only ones affected. Authorities have been dismantling tent camps in and around the city since April last year, and nearly 13,000 people have been evacuated. Removed from Paris Over the past 13 months, police have cracked down on sex workers and drug addicts, separating them from their usual networks in the Île-de-France region. While this may seem like a boon to those visiting the city, some of these people include asylum seekers, as well as families and children.
While all these measures make the place seem safe and crowd-free, tourists aren’t really flocking. Some Paris tour guides have seen their client numbers drop sharply—by as much as half—after Paris became too expensive for the Games this year. That’s a shame, given the huge amount of effort—and money—poured into the Games (particularly cleaning up the River Seine).
