Summer vs Winter Olympics: Comparing Costs and Fan Experience

When Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas captured hearts around the world during the London 2012 Summer Olympics while flipping, twisting and flying through each routine, I stared awe-struck at my TV convincing myself that someday I would go to the Olympics.

Phillip Phillips’ heartwarming song “Home”, which played constantly during the commercial breaks, became my anthem. I purchased every Team USA leotard and gave it my all at every gymnastics practice. 

While I didn’t make it to the Olympics as an athlete, my Olympic dream came true at the Summer 2024 Olympics in Paris where I attended as a spectator. Rather than watch eagerly behind a TV screen like I did for every event prior, I sat among the frenzied crowds, cheering for the world’s best athletes while seeing Olympic dreams become a reality in real time. 

The global event sitting at the top of my bucket list became an unforgettable reality…a possibility made possible in part by my extensive research on buying Olympics tickets and finding ways to make attending affordable (more details below!). I felt incredibly lucky to hold coveted events tickets for popular sports like gymnastics and track & field. 

Two years later when the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics came around and half-price opening ceremony tickets went on sale, my “once-in-a-lifetime” experience became something more…tradition. 

Both the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics were incredible opportunities, each with their own charms and excitement. With the LA 2028 Olympics on deck, I wanted to share my fan experience for both the Summer and the Winter Olympic Games to inspire you to make this bucket list experience a reality!

In this blog post, I’ll compare the Summer vs Winter Olympics, in a head-to-head competition across multiple “disciplines”: venues, ticket costs, travel/accommodation costs, and the overall fan experience. 

The Olympic Games with the biggest WOW-factor wins GOLD! 

Read on to discover everything you need to know about attending the Olympics including how to purchase Olympics tickets, what to expect as a fan, and my Summer vs Winter Olympics comparison!

Summer vs Winter Olympics: Which One Should YOU Attend?

Host Cities and Venues

Most Olympic host cities are well-equipped to handle Olympic crowds (I only say *most* because I am patiently waiting to see how the LA 2028 Olympics go!). 

The Summer Olympics in Paris had venues scattered all over the city and beyond. Pre-existing transport infrastructure made it convenient for fans to travel easily and affordably around the city to different Olympic venues.

I was captivated by the way Paris decorated for the Olympics. Colorful Olympic signs lined the streets, metro stations were transformed to make it easy to find your way to Olympic venues, and the Olympic rings decorated the monumental Eiffel Tower. 

Summer Olympics venues are a mix of indoor and outdoor stadiums in epic locations. In Paris, beach volleyball events were held in a stadium beneath the Eiffel Tower, track and field events were held in the 80,000+ capacity football and concert stadium called Stade de France, and equestrian events were held in the gardens of Versailles.

The LA 2028 Olympics will have a collection of venues scattered around the greater Los Angeles area making it possible for more fans to experience the magic of the Summer Games. Additionally, many other competition venues will be held in states all over the US. Venue locations for soccer will be held in New York, Tennessee, Missouri, and Ohio. Softball and Canoe Slalom will be held in Oklahoma City. This allows more opportunities for fans to experience the Summer Olympics.

The Winter Olympics in Italy were one of the most spread-out Olympic Games in history with competitions held in the urban landscape of Milan to the snow-covered Dolomites near the Italian-Austrian border.

Milano-Cortina 2026 was the first Olympics to host an opening ceremony in multiple places at once: athletes paraded simultaneously in Milan, Cortina, and Livigno (and I got to witness it LIVE!). Like the Summer Olympics, Milan went all out in creating the perfect atmosphere for fans. Subtle symbols of this winter event decorated the Italian host cities and metro stations in Milan were amped up for excited fans. 

Depending on the sport, Winter Olympics venues will either be indoors or outdoors. Events like figure skating, speed skating and curling are held in indoor arenas while mountain events like freestyle, ski jumping and bobsled are held in outdoor arenas. If you’re attending outdoor events, you’ll want to be prepared for any weather and dress for colder temperatures!

Olympics Tickets Costs

Before attending the Olympics (Paris 2024, Milano-Cortina 2026), I truly thought my dream of attending this incredible global sporting event was out of reach…and certainly out of budget!

However, as a savvy, budget-conscious traveler, I always find ways to make my adventures affordable. When it comes to buying Olympics tickets, there are several ways to purchase affordable tickets.

First you’ll need to sign up for the ticket lottery – a registration that gives fans the chance to buy tickets (NOT a free ticket giveaway, which it sounds like!) – which usually happens a year or two prior to the start of the Games. If you get selected in the ticket lottery, you’ll then have a short window to buy available tickets. 

Registration for the LA 2028 Olympics ticket lottery has officially closed and ticket sales have begun. If you didn’t sign up for the official ticket lottery, there will be other opportunities to get tickets as the Games get closer including buying official resale tickets or waiting for remaining tickets to be released.

Olympics tickets are NOT sold seat by seat, but instead sold by category. Category A is the highest category and therefore the MOST expensive. Categories C, D and beyond are the lower-tier categories and therefore the least expensive.

NOTE: Some venues only offer A, B and C seating. Like a concert, the more you pay, the closer you’ll be to the action. HOWEVER, there’s NO BAD SEAT at the Olympics…you’ll still witness history even if you buy the more affordable tickets in lower-tier categories. 

My ticket buying experiences for the Summer and the Winter Olympics were very different. 

For the Paris 2024 Olympics, I bought my tickets to gymnastics and track and field events in the ticket lottery, a year and a half prior to the Games. Popular summer events like gymnastics, athletics, and swimming sell out quickly during the ticket lottery. Less popular events may have tickets available closer to the Games, a good option for budget-conscious fans or people who didn’t sign up for the ticket lottery.

For the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics, I bought my tickets a week prior to the Games. It was a VERY last-minute decision, only made spontaneously because the Milano-Cortina Olympics were offering discounted tickets. I got affordable Category C and D seating to popular events like the opening ceremony, figure skating prelims, and long track speed skating finals. 

In my ticket buying experience, I found ticket prices for the popular Summer Olympics sports to be generally more expensive than ticket prices for popular Winter Olympics sports.

Generally, tickets to the Summer Olympics tend to be in higher demand than tickets for the Winter Olympics and the prices reflect that. However, that’s not to say that there are no affordable tickets! Less popular sports and preliminary events (qualification events, no podium moment!) are more affordable than medal events.

Whether you’re planning on attending the Summer Olympics OR Winter Olympics, it is a good idea to register for the ticket lottery so you can be first in line for Games tickets to popular events!

Travel and Accommodation

The Summer Olympics usually occur right in the middle of a host city’s peak season, so flight and accommodation costs can be very pricey! When I brought my family with me to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, my biggest struggle with planning this event for a group of five was finding affordable accommodation. 

I compared different accommodation types including hostels, Airbnbs, and hotels and no matter the accommodation type, prices during the Olympics were significantly higher than  regular peak season pricing (which is already VERY pricey!).

The best option for my group was a packed family-size hotel room with a few extra sleeping bags on the floor. Hostels are great options for budget-friendly Olympics travel or you could find a suitable Airbnb. I didn’t want to push my luck with vacation rentals because of unfortunate past experiences. 

Traveling to Milan during the Winter Olympics was surprisingly more affordable than you would think (certainly more affordable than traveling to Paris during peak season!).

The 2026 Winter Games occurred during the city’s off-season, which made flight and accommodation costs more affordable. However, the Winter Olympics are not always an off-season event. The next host region of the Winter Olympics, the French Alps, will experience their peak season during the next Games. Prices vary depending on the event!

The common theme of this post is this: the Olympics can be as affordable as you make it! Trade hotels for hostels, book flights with points, and take public transport everywhere (if you can!).

The Fan Experience and Olympics Culture

One of the BEST things about attending an incredible global event like the Olympics is the fan experience, which goes beyond just attending an Olympics event. 

Olympic host cities create epic fan experiences for all travelers, even those visiting without planning on attending a sports event. From global exhibitions including “country houses” which serve as cultural showcases and meeting places for athletes and fans, to epic fan zones where you can watch events for FREE with other fans, the spirit of the Olympics transforms host cities.

Who WINS Gold? Summer or Winter Olympics?

So which Olympics, Summer or Winter, WINS gold for best experience overall? 

The Winter Olympics WINS!

The Winter Olympics are a great event to start with for fans hoping to experience a once-in-a-lifetime global sporting event. Perhaps you’ll make it a tradition like I did and attend both Summer AND Winter Olympics!

NOTE: I still LOVED attending the Summer Olympics, especially as a retired gymnast (but the Winter Olympics were overall more affordable, perfect for first-timers!).

Are the Olympics Affordable for Spectators?

Attending the Olympics can be as affordable as you make it. There are many ways to make your trip to the Olympics more affordable including buying tickets to preliminary rounds instead of medal events, attending free fan events, and waiting to buy souvenirs until the Games conclude. 

Want to learn more about how to make your Olympics adventure more budget-friendly? Read my detailed list of the 10 ways to plan a budget-friendly Olympics trip!

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Answers to Common Questions