Good deals and bad

You’ve just arrived in Paris to discover that your favourite group, a famous opera, a well-known play or a big football match are on during your stay. The only thing is, the great event is taking place that very evening. Are last-minute seats really an impossible dream? For the theatre, there are two kiosks, Place de la Madeleine and at the foot of the Tour Montparnasse, which sell half-price tickets for the same day (12.30pm to 8pm from Tuesday to Saturday and 12.30pm to 4pm on Sunday). Specialist web sites also propose last-minute show bookings, often at reasonable prices. If you haven’t reserved your places long in advance for the opera or ballet though, it’s almost impossible to find availability. But don’t despair, if you have luck on your side, an hour before the show begins you might find unsold seats or returns at the opera ticket offices. Watch out if you go to major events that are already sold out! You might just be lucky enough to find an honest person who will sell you their unwanted ticket at face value. It is more likely though that tricksters will try to sell you tickets at hugely-inflated prices, tickets that might even be forgeries. If you decide to take the risk, be especially careful at the moment money changes hands, in case the vendor disappears with your €100 note without handing you the ticket in return!

See “Discounts on theatre tickets?”