Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe

The Champs-Élysées may not be what you expect. It wasn’t for me, at least. I had an image of a grand avenue lined with designer clothing stores, but the high end stores are mainly located near the Ritz. The Champs-Élysées is very congested with tourists and traffic. There is even a McDonald’s, but a pretty nice one at that. Definitely walk the avenue to get to the Arc de Triomphe, which is located at its end. I love the Arc. To me, it’s more of a symbol of Paris than the Eiffel Tower. Look for the eternal flame that sits directly under the center of the arch and marks the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Also, if you look straight on through the arch, you can see the modern arch that was built to replicate the Arc. When I was little, I climbed to the top of the Arc. It was a great view, but not as good as the one from the roof of Notre Dame. Also, the spiral stairwell is extremely narrow and the climb can be pretty intense.