To experience Paris is to walk Paris, eat Parisian street food, talk to Parisians, and go to Parisian shops, rather than just looking around as you traverse from one tourist site to another.
One experience I highly recommend is the walk down Champs-Élysées. It would be best to give three hours or more to allow yourself to meander, window shop, go into stores, and sit while you embellish une patisserie and drink un café.
This prodigious promenade begins at Place de la Concorde, which is also the name of the metro station. Once you get out of the metro, take a look around this city square, where the focus is on an obelisk that was a gift from Egypt.
From here, walk along Champs-Élysées—it’s a straight shot to Arc de Triomphe, so you can put that in your phone to get started in the right direction.
As you begin your walk, you’ll want to get off the street and into the garden, which is mostly just a walking mall next to the street. There are fountains, and flowers, and people. Lots of beautiful people—c’est Paris!
After you pass through the Jardins des Champs-Élysées, you’ll come to a highly congested six-way stop. Cross Avenue Matignon and Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt to stay on Champs-Élysées. Once you do, you’ll be in the shopping and fashion center of the world!
It also happens to have many upscale Italian and French restaurants, but being one of the most visited places in the world, it has affordable alternatives, too, including the typical American chains, which you should avoid because you’re there to experience France. I recommend having a gourmet pastry (patisserie) and a glass of wine. Try getting a snack at Paul’s instead of McDonalds. This will keep your experience classy.
Go into the stores. Champs-Élysées features high-end fashion, but it has stores for everything. From gadgets to games, there can be something for everyone. To be sure, it is mostly fashion, including jewelry priced to last year’s salary and accessories to match any style of outfit.
Behold the power of magnets!
You also may be intrigued by checking out some supercars. With classic supercars at DS World Paris, about a block off the street, and the Aston Martin store showcasing some of today’s hottest new designs, there’s something for everyone. If you’re looking for French supercars, don’t forget to check out the Renault Cafe, which is actually on the main street. You can also go to the Peugeot Store to learn about the latest automotive technologies, such as maglev cars.
Sometimes you’ll find Lamborghinis and Ferraris simply parked on the cross streets.
People bring their cars to the west side of the street and just let kids climb inside. So if you have kids (of any age), you might be lucky enough to have this fun experience.
There are also some chain stores on Champs-Élysées. These are not cheap chains: they’re names like Ralph Lauren, BOSS, and Tiffany.
Try going beyond the main street. You’ll walk into a small mall with high ceilings, or sometimes an outdoor mall that is a substitute for an alley. Here you will find the independent designers and unique boutiques that you want to see. Remember, the best fashion lines want to be on Champs-Élysées, but they don’t have the resources of the chains, and they don’t want the common tourists.
As you pass the fashion capital of the world, you’ll begin to approach the Arc de Triomphe. The arch has an interesting history: it took 30 years to construct it, and it remains an important French patriotic monument. It acts as the tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. More practically, it is in the center of the world’s biggest roundabout.
The walk from Place de la Concorde, down the Champs-Élysées, to the Arc de Triomphe is one of the most worthwhile experiences in Paris, and yet you won’t find it in most travel guides. If you take your time, have some delicious food and drink, and learn from what you see and read, you will start to understand Paris.
