European summer is just around the corner and this summer promises more outdoor activities and sports with the 2024 Paris Olympics hosted in France.
Similar to a leap year, this event comes around every four years and promises to be one of the biggest sporting events. An estimated 16 million visitors are expected to flood into France, so ensuring smooth entry and a hassle-free stay is crucial.
Last year, France hosted the Rugby World Cup and if that’s anything to go by, the Olympics will be a bigger and better sporting spectacular.
If you’re planning to make your way to the Olympics and enjoy a Parisian summer from July 26 to August 11, here are a few things you should know as a South African traveller, according to SchengenVisaInfo.
The site that provides travellers with information about travelling the Schengen Area said that South Africans intending to travel to Paris from July 26 to August 11 and book a hotel room, must have a minimum of €1 105 (about R23 000).
They also said that South Africans who intend to travel to Paris during this period and decide to stay at the residences of family or friends will require a minimum of €552.50.
SchengenVisaInfo also said that South Africans who intend to travel to Paris for the Olympics and did not book a hotel in advance need to have a minimum of €2 040.
“If planning to stay in Paris until August 11th for the entire duration of the Olympics, ensure that your passport remains valid until at least November 11th, 2024. Regarding visas, it’s necessary to apply for one in France,” said SchengenVisaInfo.
The travel info site advised travellers to check for France’s visa requirements and procedures for more information.
The Schengen Area travel experts also revealed that visitors will spend more than €8.32 billion during the whole Olympics period and that ticket prices vary between €24 and €990, excluding the ceremony tickets, which are priced at up to €2 700.
“The 2024 Olympics will host around 10 500 athletes representing 206 National Olympic Committees (NCOs) and feature competitions in 40 distinct sports. Of the 206 NCOs, nationals of 99 of them need to obtain a visa to enter France,” said SchengenVisaInfo.