Tickets for the IO

The organisers of the XXXIII Summer Olympics in Paris prepared nearly 10 million tickets for individual events. Mostly, they were sold out months before the athletes began competing, even though the prices may have seemed high. The best seats for the final basketball game cost 980 EUR each (around 16,000 Ghanaian cedi). The athletics or swimming final sessions were equally expensive, but that was still not much compared to the premium tickets for the opening ceremony. The most expensive seats were priced at 2,700 EUR or about 44,000 GHS. Of course, you can also watch the Olympic athletes compete by paying much less. Cheaper tickets for canoeing, for example, are priced at 79 EUR (approx. 1,300 GHS), while the least attractive seats for the closing ceremony are priced at 45 EUR (approx. 700 GHS).

"The official ticket distribution channel paris24tickets.com is still available to hunt for seats, where reservations are released for various reasons. Tickets are also available on services not authorised by The International Olympic Committee," points out Robert Blaszczyk, Head of Strategic Client Department at fintech Conotoxia.

Prices in Paris

Average prices and cost of living in Paris are many times higher than in Ghana. Examples from supermarkets: a litre of milk in a market - 1.40 EUR (about 23 GHS), 12 eggs - 4.7 EUR (about 75 GHS), a 1.5-litre bottle of mineral water - 0.95 EUR (about 16 GHS), beer - EUR 2.3 EUR (about 37 GHS). For a meal for two in a medium-priced restaurant, you will pay around 70 EUR (GHS 1,100), a set in a fast food chain costs 12 EUR (about 200 GHS), a coffee in a cafe - 4.3 EUR (about GHS 70), and a beer in a pub - 7 EUR (about 111 GHS).

When the Olympic Games are on, you must be prepared for increased accommodation prices. For two people's weekend stay (including the event ceremony), it is difficult to find offers below 7 thousand GHS, proposals twice as expensive prevail - from 14 thousand GHS, or just over 900 EUR.

“Transportation also seems to be relatively expensive. A several-kilometer cab ride is an expense of several euros, renting a car for 24 hours - about 30 EUR (470 GHS), and a ticket for a single trip on public transport costs 2.15 EUR (about 35 GHS)," the Conotoxia expert calculates. 

On the occasion of the Games, fans will be able to take advantage of the Paris 2024 Pass, a card that allows an unlimited number of rides. There will be options for one day, two, three, four, five, six and seven. Prices - from 16 to 70 euros (251-1100 GHS).

The app will show the way

All Olympic venues (25 of them - 13 in Paris and 12 on the outskirts) will be connected by the organisers by a mass public transport system, which will carry 500,000 people a day. The Transport Public Paris 2024 application, prepared especially for the Games and available in six languages (French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Italian), should prove very useful in using the subway, buses and streetcars. It will suggest the best routes for fans, providing real-time information on possible traffic jams. It will also enable the purchase of virtual tickets on both Android and iOS devices. There are also expected to be 400 free buses moving fans along potentially the most popular routes.

Be careful where you exchange your currency

France has been a member of the Eurozone for more than 20 years, and the average exchange rate of the European currency against the Ghanaian cedi remains around 16.3 GHS.

“When exchanging Ghanaian currency to euros, it's worth avoiding mistakes that can increase the cost of your trip. Stationary currency exchange offices, especially those in airports or city centers, often offer unfavorable rates and high spreads, i.e. the difference between the purchase and sale price of the currency. Using a regular debit or credit card abroad for non-cash payments also exposes you to uncontrollable commissions, which can reach up to dozens of cedi. A multi-currency card seems to be a much more convenient and advantageous way to pay in other countries. You can recharge it on an ongoing basis, keeping your expenses in check, but also withdraw money from ATMs with it. Cash can come in handy, for example, in some Parisian bars, restaurants or bakeries, where it is not possible to pay by card," warns Robert Blaszczyk of Conotoxia.

Sports fans heading to Paris who prefer cashless payments should remember that VISA remains the exclusive payment technology partner and the only card accepted at the Olympic and Paralympic Games until 2032.

Budget for an Olympic weekend or week

Two people will fly from Accra to Paris and back for about 25,000 cedi. They will spend about 14-18 thousand GHS on two nights' accommodation during the IO, food, transportation and the purchase of small Olympic souvenirs. A separate issue seems to be tickets to the Olympic arenas, where expenses can range from 100 to 1,000 EUR (about 1,600-16,000 GHS), and, if time permits, also for sightseeing in Paris, such as entry to the symbolic Eiffel Tower - about 29.4 EUR (480 GHS). In total, one can estimate an average budget of about 21-25 thousand GHS. A week-long stay with cheering at the Games and exploring the attractions of the French capital could turn out to be twice as expensive, reaching about 43-54 thousand Ghanaian cedi for two people.