How much it costs to secure a last-minute Paris Olympics break - you could be surprised

As the Olympics gets underway in Paris this week, those of us watching from afar on TV are beginning to have a major fear of missing out.

Securing tickets when they first went on sale late last year was as tricky as getting a seat to see Taylor Swift at Murrayfield, with many people giving up after finding their invitation group offered them only a single, back row seat for first round boxing or the second round of the table tennis.

However, now, as the dust settles, sports fans may be regretting their decision not to head to France to soak up some of the Olympic atmosphere. Here The Scotsman takes a look at how much it would cost to take a last-minute break in France this summer - and catch a few Olympic events.

Tickets

Olympic tickets returned for resale are on offer through the official organisers - and some of them are surprisingly affordable.

While a seat at Friday's Opening Ceremony will set you back a minimum of €1,760 (£1,482), tickets for Saturday's first round football match between Israel and Paraguay are just €26.40.

There are tickets available for rhythmic gymnastics on August 10 for €126, while Monday’s badminton mixed doubles has multiple tickets on sale for just €77. Many sports have tickets available for specific events, with only some of the most sought-after competitions a complete sell-out.

Accommodation

Initial horror stories about soaring accommodation prices in Paris appear to have been a flash in the pan amid the early scramble for somewhere to stay during the Games.

At the time of writing, Airbnb lists a number of properties available in Paris for this weekend - the opening weekend of the Games - for under £100 a night. Hotels.com also offers rooms for this weekend at between £100 and £200 a night.

Flights

Getting to France is the main financial stumbling block for last-minute trips.

Direct flights from Edinburgh, leaving on Saturday, returning a week later, start at £294 return. From Glasgow, direct flights for the same dates are even higher, starting at £350 return.

Flights from Scotland to Marseille, which is hosting the Olympic sailing events and ten matches in the football tournament, are even more pricey, starting at £568. Meanwhile, for the same dates, the Eurostar from London is £268 return. However, a ticket from Scotland to London is at least an extra £155.