Which way to the Eiffel Tower? Mapping how the Olympics are transforming Paris.

As one of the most visited cities in the world, the French capital of Paris is well-accustomed to tourists. But in a matter of days, the city will swell to new heights. The Olympic Games will bring an expected 15 million visitors, 10,500 athletes, and 20,000 international journalists during the more than two-week event that officially kicks off July 26.

But for all the anticipation that the Games bring, the apprehension about an overly congested city has sent many locals fleeing for the countryside. Familiar jokes on social media are about yet another metro station closed for construction or the difficulties of getting around the city due to security restrictions.

What can Parisians and tourists expect of the city during the Games? And does the excitement match reality? 

First, a clarification: The Paris Olympic Games should really be called the France Olympic Games. 

This year’s 329 events will be held at 35 venues spread across the whole of France, with sailing in Marseille, basketball in Villeneuve-d’Ascq (near Lille), and soccer matches in stadiums around the country. For those looking to really dépayser – get away – the surfing competition will be held amid the crystal-blue waters of Tahiti, in the semiautonomous region of French Polynesia.

That’s in line with the Paris organizers’ goals of making this year’s Games as sustainable as possible, and hopefully avoiding mistakes of Olympics past that have left dozens of costly buildings in disuse.

For that reason, many of the sporting venues in Paris, which will hold the majority of events, are either temporary or built on existing infrastructure. Buildings constructed expressly for the Games – and there are only two – have been done so with legacy in mind. The Olympic Aquatics Centre and Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue will serve the local population in Seine-Saint-Denis, a region seriously lacking sporting facilities, after the Games.

However, that’s not to say that Parisians, or those who’ve visited the city before, will find the French capital unchanged. Many of the temporary venues have been erected at beloved tourist sites in the city center. 

The Champ de Mars – the lawn that cascades out from the Eiffel Tower – has been transformed into a giant sand pit with ringside portable bleachers for beach volleyball events. La Concorde Urban Park, just off the avenue Champs-Élysées, will hold events for skateboarding and the newly added sport of breakdancing. And an ephemeral structure has been built off the Champ de Mars to host judo and wrestling.

In order to monitor security and crowd control around those venues, City Hall has closed Paris to most vehicles as well as several metro stations. Visitors are being encouraged to walk whenever possible. 

The city has also erected a maze of metal barricades around venues in the center ring, which are only accessible by showing a special QR code. It’s already created a few problems. While residents of those neighborhoods have had since May 10 to apply for the QR code, many tourists are only getting wind of it upon their arrival. 

“We can go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, but we can’t cross the street,” says Kai Herzberg, an Australian visitor who came with a tour group to visit Paris. They have struggled to do simple things around the city, like cross the River Seine, due to security barricades. But, he says, they’re dealing with it. 

“We don’t really have a choice,” says Narelle Warwick, a fellow tour group member. “In this case, we’ll just go the other way.”

The restrictions are also having an impact on some local businesses.

“We’re a neighborhood restaurant that usually serves locals, but they’ve all gone on vacation, and the tourists aren’t able to get past the security barriers to reach us,” says Pierre, a server at a French bistro near the Seine, who requested anonymity for himself and his restaurant. “I hope it gets better as the Olympics go on, but we haven’t served any customers today. Not a single one.”

Apart from the center of the city, however, visitors will likely find the rest of Paris unchanged – and empty. Many locals have taken advantage of the high price of hotels during the Games to put their apartments up for rent on Airbnb and skip town. “In the Paris region alone, we’ve seen a 40% rise in active listings in the first quarter, compared to the same period in 2023,” the company writes on its site. 

At the same time, fewer visitors are coming to the Games than initially expected. Air France has reported an expected loss of €180 million ($196 million) in the current quarter, and Delta reported a $100 million reduction in bookings to Paris.

While that may not please Olympic organizers, fewer visitors to Paris could actually be a good thing for visitors themselves. 

“What we’ve experienced so far is a very calm city,” says Christelle Kieffer, who visited the Eiffel Tower one week before the Games began with her husband and son. “It’s really enjoyable.”