The Champs-Élysées is Paris at its most theatrical: a nearly two-kilometre avenue running from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. Its broad pavements, tree-lined edges and monumental perspective make it worth walking at least once, even if the luxury flagships and chain restaurants can feel more commercial than romantic.
The avenue began as a 17th-century extension of the Tuileries Garden, laid out under landscape architect André Le Nôtre. It has since become a stage for French public life, from Charles de Gaulle’s walk down the avenue during the liberation of Paris in 1944 to the annual Bastille Day military parade and the traditional finish of the Tour de France.
The upper stretch near the Arc de Triomphe is the busiest, with shops and cinemas drawing the crowds. Closer to Concorde, the avenue becomes greener and calmer, with gardens and the Grand and Petit Palais nearby. At dusk, the view towards the illuminated Arc captures the grand scale of Paris’s historic axis.
For a quieter walk, come early on a weekday. Use Métro line 1 to join or leave the avenue at Franklin D. Roosevelt, George V or Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, and look to the surrounding streets for a meal rather than paying a premium on the main drag. To reach the Arc de Triomphe, use the pedestrian underpass rather than attempting to cross the roundabout.