The Champs-Élysées: The Avenue That Has It All

Even people who know little about Paris have heard of the Champs-Élysées, and for good reason: it is the city's signature avenue. The song "Aux Champs-Élysées" has only made it more familiar. Its lyrics promise that, day or night, in sun or rain, you'll find everything here, and when you actually walk the avenue, it's easy to agree there is nothing it doesn't have.

Running straight from the Place de la Concorde, the avenue follows a promenade laid out by Le Nôtre. Soon you reach shops, restaurants and cafés, along with embassies, cultural centers and other institutions. Even the French presidential palace is not far away. The street is lively by day and by night, yet the two feel completely different, so it takes a visit at both times to appreciate its full charm.

Grab a seat at a sidewalk café and watch the world go by. Sit for just 30 minutes and, they say, you'll hear every language spoken by people of every nationality, so busy is this street.

From the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe is about 3 kilometers. The Arc may look close, but it takes almost an hour of walking to get there. If you've made it from the Concorde all the way to the Arc, you've walked the entire Champs-Élysées.