Why Should Olympic Visitors Choose the Paris Suburbs This Summer?
The Ile de France region and the Paris suburbs offer a refreshing alternative to the capital for those travelling to France for the Olympics this July.
Imagine: you wake up in the morning in late July, the Sun’s sneaking through the curtains, the birds are chirping and you hear the neigh of a horse. You look out of the window onto the courtyard below where a rider is returning to the stables after a canter in the fields.
You’re staying in a riding school called the Haras de la Clairière, which rents out rooms on Airbnb from just €35 a night. You’re one of 2.3 million people who have bought at least one ticket for an Olympic event. And, since the Olympic events are scattered across the Paris region, you’ve had the clever idea of booking a room in one of its rural extremities.
Le Haras de la Clairière is 60km west of Paris and, although it’s a bit of a trek to the Eiffel Tower (40 minutes by train from the local station of Gazeran to the Gare Montparnasse, plus 15 minutes on the metro), it’s handy for Olympic events taking place west of Paris like the cycling at the Vélodrome at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the equestrian events in the park of the Palace of Versailles or the mountain biking at Élancourt.
On the days when you don’t have Olympic tickets, you can wander into the shade of the towering oaks of the Rambouillet forest, which is larger than Paris itself, row across the lake in front of the Rambouillet château or even visit an 18th-Century And there are hundreds of places like this on the bucolic borders of the Paris region.
John Laurenson La Bergerie nationale, Rambouillet’s model farm, was created by Louis XVI in the late 18th Century (Credit: John Laurenson)John Laurenson
La Bergerie nationale, Rambouillet’s model farm, was created by Louis XVI in the late 18th Century (Credit: John Laurenson)
Airbnb, which is expecting 500,000 Olympic bookings, reports strong demand close to event sites in the suburbs.
Getting around Paris:
The Paris regional transport authority will be supplying 15% more train and bus services than usual from 20 July to 8 September. Between those dates, metro/bus tickets will cost €4 each while “Origine-Destination” tickets for anywhere in the Paris region will cost €6 each/€48 for 10.
Bus services to and from Roissy-Charles-De-Gaulle and Orly Airports will cost €16.
No daily or weekly travelcards will be sold during the Games.
For calculating complicated bus and train combinations, transport apps like Moovit and Citymapper will guide you deep into the sticks.
For example, they’ve seen a three-fold increases in listing views in Vaires-sur-Marne where the nautical stadium for the rowing and canoeing is situated, and in Le Bourget, where the climbing will take place. But don’t wait to book as people are catching on.
And even if you’re heading to events in the city itself, staying in the suburbs can still be a good choice as it’s cheaper, less touristy and allows you to explore beyond the usual landmarks.
Public transport is excellent in Ile-de-France (as the Paris region is also called). It’s a dense network with 390 train stations outside Paris itself. French public transport is heavily subsidised, so even though ticket prices have been raised during the Games, an “Origine-Destination” ticket to go anywhere in the Paris region will still only cost €6 (or €48 for 10). That means you can travel, say, the 70km south from Notre Dame to the town of Fontainebleau – where there’s an extraordinary château in the middle of an even more enormous forest – for the price of a café crème.
Another option is Versailles, just 15 minutes by train to the centre of Paris. Here, as well as the palace, the gardens and Marie-Antoinette’s toy village, you have an opera house inside the palace itself and, opposite it, the king’s equestrian academy where France’s man-of-horse theatre Bartabas puts on shows. And right opposite the palace is the Petit Bouillon Versailles. The revival of bouillons, cheap, traditional restaurants pioneered in the 19th Century, is the French restaurant phenomenon of the moment – and this is a worthy example.
John Laurenson Just 15 minutes by train from central Paris, Versailles is home to the e
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As Dawn breaks over the French Countryside the first rays of the sun slip through the curtains casting a gentle glow on The Rustic wooden floors outside the birds serenade the morning their songs harmonizing with the distant nighing of a horse here nestled in the Parisian suburbs the haras de la
Clarier riding school offers a Charming Retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city just 60 km west of Paris this idyllic Haven places you within easy reach of the Olympic events taking place west of the city it might be a bit of a journey to the Eiffel Tower but the
Local train station at gazon whisks you into the heart of Paris in just 40 minutes and with the Vel Drome at San quantana nin the equestrian events at the palace of versailes and the mountain biking at elanur all nearby you’ll have plenty of Olympic action at your
Doorstep on the days when the Olympic events are not on your itinerary the surrounding area provides a wealth of attractions Venture into the rambu forest a sprawling Woodland that eclipses Paris in size row across the Serene Lake in front of the rambu Chateau or step back in time with a
Visit to the 18th Century laerie National a model Farm established by Louisa 16 with the Olympics drawing in a crowd of 2.3 million accommodation in the suburbs is proving popular Airbnb has reported strong demand in areas close to to event sites with listings in V surar home to the nautical stadium and
Labour the site of the climbing events seeing a three-fold increase in views but don’t delay these hidden gems are quickly being discovered even if your Olympic plans involve events in the city the suburbs offer an appealing alternative cheaper and less crowded they provide a chance to discover a side
Of Paris beyond the iconic landmarks the excellent public transport system in il defrance with its 390 train stations outside of Paris makes exploring easy despite the slight increase in ticket prices during the games a 6 origin destination ticket gives you access to anywhere in the Paris region in summary
The Paris suburbs provide a unique and refreshing alternative for those attending the Olympics from The Rustic charm of the harus de la clarier to the wealth of attractions in the surrounding Countryside this corner of France offers a truly unique Olympic experience so why not Venture beyond the city limits and
Discover a different side of Paris during the Olympics after all sometimes the journey is just as exciting as the destination