♫ "Aux Champs Elysees… Aux Champs Elysees… Au soleil… sous la pluie…" ♫
Do you know the song?
If not, at least you must have heard of the Champs Elysees. French people like to call it "The most beautiful avenue of the world". I am sorry to contradict them, but I have always wondered why. It is in fact quite ordinary. You'll find lots of cars, bad traffic, nice crowded shops and over-expensive coffee. That's it. Oh no! How could I forget? Among all that, you will find one of the most famous sights in Paris: the Arc de Triomphe.
It was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 in order to commemorate his victories, but wasn't finished until 1836. It is 50 meters tall and 45 meters wide.
I always thought the Arc de Triomphe was nice to look at, but I had never bothered visited it… until last summer. I had taken my boyfriend with me to show him around Paris, as he had never been to France before. I took him to see all the famous places and monuments, and as we reached the Arc de Triomphe, he insisted on going on top. This wasn't part of my plan (as I have already mentioned in my La Rochelle review, I can get pretty freaky when it comes to planning trips) but I thought it would be a fun thing to do.
Getting There ₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪
The Arc de Triomphe stands in the centre of the "Place de l'Etoile" ,(you may know "Etoile" means "star" in French) a massive roundabout with 12 streets radiating from around it. Needless to say it will take you a fair amount of time to cross all those streets , and I am here speaking from experience.
However, if you want to reach the Arc de Triomphe, you can use the subway that starts from the Champs Elysees.
The closest metro station from the Arc is Charles de Gaulle-Etoile. It is a really handy one, as you can also take the RER A from there and reach the centre of Paris much faster than with the metro.
However, I would advise to get off at Champs Elysees Clemenceau, or Franklin Roosevelt . This way, you get to walk along that "most beautiful avenue" and feel the excitement as you walk towards the Arc de Triomphe. You'll also get a nice view of the Arc in the distance.
You could also start your walk from its smaller version in the Louvre: the Arc de Triomphe du Carousel -also built by Napoleon between 1806 and 1808. This way, you can follow the "Axe historique" , also called "Voie Triomphale" -triomphal way- ( what an obvious name). The Axis is an 8-kilometer line of monuments that consists of The Carousel du Louvre, the Concorde, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Arche de la Defense.
However, once you reach the Concorde after walking across the Tuileries gardens, the walk to the Champs Elysees is longer and more boring than it seems, especially on hot days. I would then advise to use the metro from the Concorde Station to Champs Elysees Clemenceau or Franklin Roosevelt.
Underneath the Arch ₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪
Anyway, once you make your way to the Arc de Triomphe, the first thing to do is to stand underneath it and have a look around you. There, you will be able to admire:
-the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and its eternal flame, an homage to a victim of World War I. Symbolically, the flame is reignited every day at 6.30. There is nothing really spectacular about it, but if you happened to be there at that time, it is always good to watch.
-The names of 660 French generals
-The 30 Shields carrying the names of Napoleonic victories
-The Frieze, curved all around the Arch, showing the French troops departing and returning from battle.
This should take you only a few minutes. Then, if you really want to see everything about the Arc de Triomphe, you will have to consider climbing the 284 steps to the top.
Getting to the Top ₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪
The Arc de Triomphe is open nearly every day (except on a few bank holidays or major events) and stays open until 11 in the summer time (April to September).
The entrance is relatively cheap, especially if you follow my advice. The normal price is 8 euros. However, if you look under 25, you will only pay 5 euros. My boyfriend was 26 but no one checked our IDs so we got cheaper tickets. You'll also get discounts if you are a student. Even better, if you are lucky enough to be or look under 18, you will get in for free! Finally, like many museums on Paris, you can get free entrance on the first Sunday of each month!
The Arc is 51 meters high , which is nearly as high as the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. Tthe stairs are very narrow and climbing seems endless.
However, after all these efforts, the view is undoubtedly worth it.
The best thing to look at is the Great Axis. On one side, you should be able to see from the Champs Elysees up to the Louvre. On the other one, don't miss out on the Arche de la Defense.
Of course, you can also get to see Montmartre, the Eiffel Tower, etc.
You can easily move around the platform and in the centre, there were some steps you could stand on to be higher when taking pictures. It is also very easy to take pictures without having the safety rails on them. Yet, if you want a picture of you with the view in the background, it will be hard to avoid the bars.
However, I must admit I was slightly disappointed with the view. Apart from the Eiffel Tower, most monuments are quite far away, and on hot days, it is a bit hazy so you cannot see everything clearly.
To me, the most interesting part about standing on top was watching the traffic evolving around the 12 streets. The Champs Elysees definitely is the ONE place to avoid if you are driving in Paris, and how those adventurous drivers manage to stay alive is just a miracle to me. We actually spent a long time just being fascinated by the traffic.
The most remarkable sight was that of a policewoman, standing in the middle of the road and giving directions. She must have been praying silently. Similarly, I felt a lot of admiration for all the cyclists, going around on their bikes. Watching all those vehicles was highly impressive, and I must say that the way French people drive can be very entertaining to watch… but only from a safe place!
Finally, there also is a small museum that tells about the construction of the Arc de Triomphe. It was interesting but not a must-see.
When to go (special events) ₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪
We went there on a sunny day in July and didn't queue for more than 5 minutes, so it seems that the crowds should never get too bad. I haven't tried to visit it by night, but a night view of the Champs Elysees must be really enjoyable.
Christmas must be a really good time too, as the Christmas lights and decorations are all over the Champs Elysees.
Every year, in April, the Paris marathon starts from the Arc de Triomphe and participants go down the Champs Elysees. It is an extremely impressive sight, and once everyone is gone and the place is deserted, you get to walk in the middle of the Champs Elysees without having to worry about the cars! I was able to take some really good pictures of the Arc de Triomphe on that day.
On the 14th of July, a military parade takes place to celebrate Bastille Day. The Arc will be closed, but you might get to see Jacques Chirac!
Finally, an interesting fact: only twice a year, you can get to see the sunset right under the arch of the Arc de Triomphe. Your next opportunity will be at the beginning of August (between the 2nd and 5th) depending on how far you stand. If you are planning a trip to Paris at this time, don't miss out!
The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous sights in Paris, so if you want to make the most of your trip in Paris, you have to see in, and get to the top.
I had never been on top before, and I am glad I finally did last year. The panorama is not the best one in Paris, but it is a less common one. You will get a great view of the Eiffel Tower, and won't have to queue for hours. Plus, who would have thought watching traffic could be so much fun?
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