My husband and I bought most of our tickets over a year before the Games. Navigating the time zone to buy tickets was the hardest part, as we hadn’t yet moved to France from the United States. The cost was reasonable, too, with tickets to many events starting at about 25 euros ($27).
Once the Games began and we attended our first few events, I realized it would’ve been quite easy to wait until the Olympics started to nab tickets instead.
Although high-interest medal rounds in disciplines like women’s gymnastics or swimming sell out first, a fresh round of tickets typically becomes available every morning on the day of scheduled events.
One day, I had the option to purchase quarter-final handball tickets for 24 euros or tickets to the men’s boxing semi-finals for 305 euros. I didn’t buy them, but I was surprised to find that the Olympics could be a show-up-and-go event if you’re flexible enough.