The Paris 2024 Olympics, with a detour through Burgundy

I'm a soccer fan first, so when I planned my trip to the Paris 2024 Olympics, I built it around football. What I didn't expect was how much the days between matches would make the trip.

Lyon: a semifinal to remember

I landed at Charles de Gaulle on August 5 and took the TGV straight to Lyon, checked in, and headed to the stadium that night. France and Egypt played a men's semifinal that went to extra time, and France won 3 to 1 in front of a home crowd that never sat down.

The Saône river in Lyon with Fourvière hill and its basilica above the trees — Lyon, on the morning after the semifinal.

Emily in a red soccer jersey with a friend in the stands at the Lyon stadium — Semifinal night in Lyon, surrounded by French fans.

Beaujolais and Burgundy, slowly

The next few days were for wine. From Mâcon I rented a bike and rode through the Beaujolais crus, Fleurie and Juliénas among them, stopping at small family estates where the person pouring was usually the person who made the wine. The day ended at Le Hameau Duboeuf, a playful wine park in Romanèche-Thorins, before a short train ride back.

Then it was north to Dijon for lunch at Les Halles, the covered market. It closes early, so get there before one. Beaune is a short train ride away, and its wine cellars are worth an afternoon.

Paris for the finals

I finished in Paris for the football gold medal matches at the Parc des Princes. Spain beat France 5 to 3 after extra time, and the next day the United States beat Brazil 1 to 0 for the women's gold. In the evenings, Champions Park at Trocadéro showed the other finals on big screens with the Eiffel Tower behind them.

The Eiffel Tower at sunset above the Seine, with a river cruise boat in the foreground — An evening on the Seine between finals.

Emily and a friend waving small American flags in the stands at the Parc des Princes — Waving the flag at the women's gold medal match.

I stayed at Le Parchamp, a Tribute Portfolio hotel in Boulogne-Billancourt, an easy walk from the Parc des Princes and a calmer base than the center of the city during the Games.

The columned front of the Panthéon in Paris under a blue sky — The Panthéon, on a walking day with no tickets at all.

If you're planning an Olympics trip

Pick your sessions first, then build the trip around them. Venues can be hours apart.
Use the train. The TGV made Lyon, Mâcon and Dijon easy, and it's often faster than driving.
Stay near your venue for finals days, and somewhere you love for the rest.
Leave whole days with no tickets at all. Those were my favorite days.

LA28 is next. If you'd like an Olympics trip with more to it than the stadium, tell me which sports you want to see and I'll plan the rest around them.