[tennisbiz] French Open tickets

Dear Mike

Whilst the French Open surely provides the best tennis spectacle of all
Grand Slams, DO NOT turn up without any tickets.
Having grown up close to Wimbledon, I'd queue up on the day and usually
get ground passes (if not show court tickets); and I assumed that the
same system would rule at the French Open. But, to my dismay, the
French does not hold any tickets for queuers (apart from the few that
are returned on any one day).... ie: they are all pre-sold, including
ground passes.
I had to buy tickets at extortianately inflated prices from the ticket
touts that stalk around the entrances (it was either that or go back
home).

A couple of tips:
- if you are going to buy from ticket touts, then get there around late
morning. By this time, the touts will be panicking over their unsold
tickets and will be more inclined to haggling over the price.
- if you have a ground pass, there are still ways of getting into the
show courts by hanging around the entrances to those courts and asking
anybody that comes out if they still need their ticket. People often go
back home early and, with a nice friendly smile, even the grumpy
Parisians can be convinced to let go of their tickets.

Hope that helps

Phil

 
Received on Thu May 09 2002 - 07:37:26 CDT