ADVERTISEMENTParis is preparing for a travel boom when the Olympic Games begin this Friday.
Sports fanatics from around the world plan to visit the French capital, with flight bookings up by 62 per cent compared with last summer, according to online travel agent Opodo.
European travellers are making the most of the Games’ proximity - but which country is leading the pack?
Here’s who’s travelling to Paris 2024 this summer.
Spanish travellers make up the largest group heading to the Paris Olympics
Spanish competitors will have no shortage of fans to cheer them on at Paris 2024 - with their fellow citizens making up 22 per cent of travel bookings, according to Opodo.
Germany and Italy come in joint second place, making up 12 per cent of bookings each.
While many Parisians plan to leave their hometown to take advantage of the short-term rental boom and escape the anticipated chaos of the Games, French citizens travelling into the capital make up 9 per cent of bookings.
Brits come in fifth place, accounting for 7 per cent of bookings - with travel from the UK to Paris up by 54 per cent compared to last year.
Additional data from travel sites Expedia and Hotels.com shows that Paris is the most popular international destination for UK travellers this summer, with searches for hotels across France - including in smaller towns just outside the capital - up by 654 per cent among Brits.
Outside of Europe, French hotel searches are surging in the US, Japan, Canada, Australia, Brazil and South Korea.
Last minute trip to Paris: Cheapest and quietest days for flights
The research from Expedia and Hotels.com also reveals the cheapest times for Brits to fly this summer.
You’ll find the cheapest UK domestic flights on 28 July and 19 and 23 August, while the best bargains on international flights can be found on 28 August.
Booking your domestic flight on a Wednesday could save you 20 per cent versus flying at the weekend, while flying internationally on Thursdays is 15 per cent cheaper.
It’ll be tricky to beat the crowds during the Olympics, though: the quietest times to fly internationally this summer are 27 and 30 August - thankfully still in time to make the Paralympic Games.
Athletes are as excited as regular visitors to be tourists in Paris during the Olympic Games
Spectators aren’t the only ones buzzing to experience iconic Paris during the Olympics. US athletes shared what they’re looking forward to, apart from trying to win a medal of course.
ADVERTISEMENT“I’m excited to just explore and just take in everything Paris has to offer, because me and my friends, we look at things and we get inspired,” says US breaker Jeffrey Louis, also known as b-boy Jeffro. Breaking, or breakdancing, is making its Olympic debut in Paris. Read all about the history of breaking.
“We’re looking at the structure of buildings and we’re like, ‘Oh, that’s tight! We could do this; we could do that with this.’ We look at fashion and we’re like, ‘OK, what can we pull from and what can we add to our crew?’ So there’s a lot of things that we want to try and just explore.”
Fellow breaker from Team USA Sunny Choi is most excited about the food: “After the Games, I will be eating everything,” she says.
She’s not the only one. “Looking forward to macaroons, pastries, bread,” says sitting volleyball Paralympian Nicky Nieves.
ADVERTISEMENTRower Michelle Sechser knows they'll need to set those sorts of culinary delights aside until the last part of their stay.
“We do have weight-class restrictions; we have to weigh in two hours before a race,” she says. “So after racing’s done, I’m most excited to get out and explore the Parisian food and really enjoy some French meals.”
Paris sightseeing tips for first timers, from an Olympian
For 20-year-old canoe/kayak star Evy Leibfarth, the first American woman to qualify in three whitewater events at an Olympics, this will be her fifth trip to Paris.
She offers some words of wisdom to Olympians headed to the City of Light for the first time.
ADVERTISEMENT“Probably the best piece of advice I’d give is: see all of the touristy things you can - and then move on to the smaller things. Some of the little art galleries that you just run into, walking down the street, are some of the best that I’ve ever been in,” Leibfarth says.
“So don’t be afraid to just drop the recommendations and everything and just walk around and find things to do, because that’s the best I’ve done. And the same with thrift shops and other cutesy little places.”