Summer holiday ideas 2024: Malaysia, Sri Lanka for sun and sea, Euro 2024, Olympic Games in Paris, escapes from the heat

Euro 2024 and the Olympic Games in Paris are the big sports events of summer. Not a sports fan? See the midnight sun in Norway or sunbathe in tropical Asia

Experience the majesty of China’s biggest waterfall, check out the expanded Tokyo DisneySea, or escape the summer heat in the hills of Sri Lanka and India

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An illustration of the planned opening ceremony at the Paris Summer Olympics, which will take place on the city’s River Seine. It’s one of our eight summer holiday ideas for 2024. Photo AFP

Tim Pile

Published: 4:15am, 21 Apr 2024Updated: 8:03pm, 21 Apr 2024

Sports fans have a busy summer ahead.

1. Euro 2024

The opening match of the Uefa Euro 2024 football tournament, between Germany and Scotland, kicks off at the Allianz Arena, in Munich, on June 14. The game is a sell-out but fear not, entry to the Olympiapark fan zone is free for each of the six matches to be played at the stadium.

All games, including the final, which will be held in Berlin on July 14, will be shown on three giant screens. The fan zone will also feature live music, open-air cinema, football coaching sessions, a zip line and food trucks.

Bearing in mind that Munich is home to the world’s most famous beer festival, the liquid refreshment is sure to be top notch.

If you are not a lover of the beautiful game, the German state of Bavaria rewards visitors with forests, fairy-tale castles and fresh air – the foothills of the Alps are a 90-minute drive away.

Uefa Euro 2024 Mascot Albärt with the Uefa Euro 2024 trophy at the Arena Frankfurt, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Photo: Getty Images

2. Paris Olympics

If you are unable to score tickets for the football, make a beeline for Paris instead. For the first time in history, the Summer Olympic Games opening ceremony will not be taking place in a stadium.