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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

Where to see the Olympic torch in the Paris region this week

Having arrived in the capital on France's national day - July 14th - the Olympic torch will now be travelling around the Paris region for the next 10 days. Here's where to see it.

Published: 15 July 2024 16:54 CEST
Where to see the Olympic torch in the Paris region this week
This photograph shows the Olympic torch with the tip of the Eiffel Tower in the background during the Olympic torch relay in Paris on July 15, 2024 (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD / AFP)

After a whirlwind weekend in Paris, the Olympic torch relay will continue across the suburbs of the capital from July 17th to 25th, before it makes its way back into central Paris for the Opening Ceremony on July 26th.

It will visit dozens of towns along the way, and you can download a full map of where it will stop in the region, put together by French daily Le Parisien (PDF) or click the link HERE.

For more detailed information giving a precise route plus timings, you can also consult the préfecture websites for each département, or the dedicated page for that leg of the relay on the official Olympics website.

READ MORE: Hotels, tickets and scams: What to know about visiting Paris for the 2024 Olympics

Here is the overview;

Wednesday, July 17th – Saint-Quentin and the Familistère de Guise, and the Aisne département

The flame will pass through seven towns in the Aisne département; Château-Thierry, Villers-Cotterêts, Soissons, Axo’Plage, Laon, Guise and Saint-Quentin. You can find the département’s hour-by-hour plans here.

Thursday, July 18th – Beauvais and the Oise département

There are about 100 torchbearers expected to participate in the flame’s journey across the Oise département, with stops in 10 towns; Compiègne, Margny-lès-Compiègne, Venette, Creil, Nogent-sur-Oise, Chantilly, Gerberoy, Breteuil and Chiry-Ourscamp.

More info about the torch in Oise here.

Friday, July 19th – Soisy-sous-Montmorency and the Val-d’Oise département

The route will involve seven circuits, passing through 18 towns. The relay will start at 8am from the Château de Théméricourt and end at Soisy-sous-Montmorency at 7.20pm.

Some of the villages it will pass through include; Pontoise, Cergy, Cormeilles-en-Parisis, Franconville, Sannois, Argenteuil, Méry-sur-Oise, Auvers-sur-Oise, Sarcelles, Garges-lès-Gonesse, Saint-Prix, Deuil-la-Barre, Enghien-les-Bains, Saint-Gratien, Ermont, and Eaubonne.

More info on the torch in Val d’Oise here.

Saturday, July 20th – Meaux and the Seine-et-Marne département

The torch will go through Fontainebleau, Provins, Meaux, Melun, as well as the Olympic event venue of Vaires-sur-Marne. It will pass through 13 towns in the département.

You can see the hour-by-hour breakdown on the préfecture website here.

Sunday, July 21st – Créteil and the Val-de-Marne département

The torch will be carried through the largest département in Paris’ inner suburbs, starting off at Orly airport. 

Then it will go from Ormesson-sur-Marne, passing by the castle, and then to Champigny-sur-Marne. It will go by the Rungis international market, and then take the road toward Vincennes and Maisons-Alfort. It will stop and visit Boissy-Saint-Léger, going between Villejuif and Vitry-sur-Seine. Finally, it will end the day in Créteil.

More info here.

Monday, July 22nd – Evry-Corcouronnes and the Essonne département

The flame will go through the following towns and locations – Étampes, Massy-Palaiseau, Draveil to Montgeron, Chamarande, the national rugby centre in Marcoussis, Dourdan, Évry and Courcouronnes. There will be celebrations at the Robert Bobin stadium after the last stop of the day in Bondoufle.

More info here.

Tuesday, July 23rd – Versailles and the Yvelines département

It will travel across the département from 8am to 7.30pm, passing through the towns of Rambouillet, Les Mureaux, Mantes-la-Ville, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, le Golf National, Poissy, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse and eventually Versailles.

The relay will end with a celebration called the “cauldron lighting ceremony” at the Domaine de Madame Élisabeth in Versailles. The Chateau de Versailles is a Games venue, staging the equestrian events.

More info on the route here.

Wednesday, July 24th – Nanterre and the Hauts-de-Seine département

Just two days before the start of the Games, the flame will travel from Sceaux to Nanterre and Puteaux in the Hauts-de-Seine département, passing through the iconic Sceaux park.

It will also visit Châtenay-Malabry, Plessis-Robinson, Clamart, Marnes-la-Coquette, Vaucresson, Sèvres, Meudon, Boulogne-Billancourt, Issy-les-Moulineaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Gennevilliers, Asnières-sur-Seine, Courbevoie, La Garenne-Colombes, Colombes, and Suresnes.

More precise info here.

Thursday, July 25th – Seine-Saint-Denis

On the eve of the opening ceremony, the flame will head to the home of the Athlete’s Village – Saint-Denis. It will go through 21 communes, including Montreuil, Bagnolet, Romainville, Les Lilas, Pantin, Aubervilliers, La Courneuve, Saint-Denis, Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, Stains, Neuilly-sur-Marne, Noisy- le-Grand, Noisy-le-Sec, Sevran, Bobigny, Bondy, Les Pavillons-sous-Bois, Aulnay-sous-Bois, Livry-Gargan, Drancy and Tremblay-en-France.

At the end of the day, from 6.20 to 7.20pm, there will be a celebration at the Parc Georges-Valbon in La Courneuve.

More info here.

Friday, July 26th – Travelling from Seine-Saint-Denis back into Paris

On Friday the torch journeys from Saint-Denis – site of the athletes village – into central Paris where it will on Friday evening take part in the opening ceremony along the River Seine. In Olympics opening ceremonies the lighting of the torch marks the moment when the Games officially begins and is usually the climax of the ceremony. In Paris this will take place at Trocadero, in front of the Eiffel Tower.

While the exact pathway for the torch is still to be announced, we know it will visit the following sites;

  • Saint-Denis Basilica
  • Quartier Pleyel – Along the Seine in Saint-Denis
  • Olympic village in Saint-Denis
  • The Canals between Seine-Saint-Denis and Paris
  • The Olympic aquatic centre in Saint-Denis
  • Stade de France 
  • The Parc de la Villette (in Paris’ 19th arrondissement)
  • The Berges de Seine (park along between Pont de l’Alma et le Pont Royal)

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PARIS

Tickets and dates: All you need to know about Notre-Dame reopening

There are 100 days left before Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris will finally open its doors to visitors again. Here is what you need to know about getting tickets in advance, the reopening plans, and the status of the restoration.

Published: 30 August 2024 10:57 CEST
Tickets and dates: All you need to know about Notre-Dame reopening

August 30th marks a major milestone in the restoration of Notre-Dame in Paris, with just 100 days – or three intense months of work – remaining for the 500-plus artisans working against the clock to ensure the cathedral is ready in time.

The Cathedral has been closed to the public since it was badly damaged by fire in April 2019.

Since then, Parisians and visitors have been able to see a lot of the progress, as the outside work redefined the city’s skyline, but they have not been able to go inside.

But soon, visitors will be able to re-enter the famous cathedral. Here is what you need to know;

When exactly will the cathedral re-open?

The Cathedral is on track to re-open on time on December 8th – the Festival of the Immaculate Conception.

How can I get tickets?

Anyone planning to visit Notre-Dame after its grand reopening should be aware that, when it does throw open its doors to the public, you will need to have a pre-booked ticket to enter.

In anticipation of an estimated 15 million visitors a year, the diocese is taking steps to better manage the flow of people in the 6,000m2 of the building – which can accommodate 2,500 people at a time. 

A mobile app is due to be rolled out in the autumn, and the official website is being redesigned to allow visitors to book free tickets.

But officials are keen to point out that potential visitors do not need to rush to the website or app to book months in advance. Spaces are expected to be available probably a day or two in advance, and visitors will be able to book a visit at the cathedral itself on the day they intend to visit.

What about groups?

Be aware that admission will initially be reserved for individual visitors. Group bookings will not be possible until six months after the cathedral’s reopening, officials have said.

What is the status of the restoration work?

“We can see that we are close to the goal and that fuels our confidence that we will achieve the objective,”  Philippe Jost, president of the public institution responsible for the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris, told Le Parisien, in an interview to mark the date.

The vault of the transept crossing was completed in May, allowing work to start on finishes to the interior of the building, and the gradual removal of scaffolding from the outside. The cathedral’s renewed silhouette has been visible throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Spectacular steps” have been taken in the past six months, Jost said, including the completion of the solid oak frames above the nave and the choir, and the installation of the lead roofs.

But, he said, there are still “an incredible amount of things to do in every corner” – including restoring the flooring, connecting electrical networks and installing new liturgical furniture. In just 100 days. “There is no question of falling asleep and telling yourself that it’s in the bag,” Jost said.

What can I do in the meantime?

You can still walk around the site and read the posters explaining the restoration process, though you will not be able to enter. Photos of the fire-damaged cathedral and its restoration form an exhibition on the barriers keeping people out of the site.

Guided tours exist in the area, including one offered by Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and CASA volunteers. These tours are free and they go around the cathedral, lasting about one hour. More info for booking here.

Will there be other work in the future?

Even though Notre-Dame is reopening, the cathedral’s restoration work will continue for another four to five years. 

“The City of Paris … will be carrying out work around the cathedral, notably on the forecourt, for at least three years,” the diocese said in a press release.

Starting in 2025, the cathedral’s stone exterior will begin to be refurbished, using surplus funds from the huge pot of donations that poured in after the fire.

The plans include adding trees and vegetation to the square in front of the cathedral, as well as a small stream that will help to cool the area during hot weather. 

The space behind the cathedral will also be transformed, adding in a lawn and grassy area. Under the monument, the underground parking lot will transform into a visitor centre, offering an interior walkway that will give access to the archaeological crypt and will open up onto the Seine.

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