The Champs-Élysées Orientation
Getting Here
This neighborhood includes the 8e and 16e arrondissements. For the top of the Champs-Élysées/Arc de Triomphe, take métro Line 1, 2, or 6, or the RER A, to Charles-de-Gaulle–Étoile. For the bottom of the avenue, near the Grand Palais, go to the Champs-Élysées–Clemenceau métro station on Line 1. For the Palais de Chaillot, use the Trocadéro métro station on Lines 6 and 9.
Top Reasons to Go
Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Splurge in the upscale boutiques on and around this fabled avenue, or simply practice the fine art of lèche-vitrines (literally "window licking," the French term for window-shopping).
Palais de Chaillot. A favorite of fashion photographers, this statue-lined plaza-terrace at Place du Trocadéro boasts the city's best view of the Eiffel Tower.
Musée Guimet. One of Paris’s finest smaller museums has a world-class collection of art from all over Asia. Don't miss the rare Khmer sculptures from Cambodia.
Macarons from Ladurée. Is it worth lining up for 30 minutes to get a little taste of heaven? You decide. But rest assured: the round meringue cookies made by this famous pâtissier since 1862 are as scrumptious as ever.
Making the Most of Your Time
This neighborhood is an essential stop for every first-time visitor to Paris, and returning travelers will find plenty to do, too. Leave yourself a full day to tour some of the museums around Place du Trocadéro before heading to the Champs-Élysées, worth a walk from end to end. Stop for lunch or dessert at one of the cafés or tea salons en route; then detour down Avenue Montaigne, Paris's answer to Rodeo Drive.
If your time is limited, you can just come for a stroll at night, when the Champs is alight: there are bars and nightclubs for all tastes, plus movie houses showing French films and English-language blockbusters (look for v.o., meaning version originale, if you prefer to see an undubbed one).
Best Cafés
Café La Belle Férronnière. A favorite of Parisians for morning noisettes, business lunches, and after-work apéros, this popular spot is a short walk from the Champs-Élysées. Settle in at a sidewalk table or retreat to the quieter interior. The enigmatic painting for which the café is named—da Vinci's Portrait of an Unknown Woman—hangs in the Louvre. 53 rue Pierre Charron, Champs-Élysées, Paris, Île-de-France, 75008. 01–42–25–03–82.
Ladurée. With 50-plus locations worldwide, the most opulent branch of the Ladurée tea salon empire is worth the splurge. Reserve a table upstairs or grab a bite in the Art Nouveau bar in the back. The menu promises generous salads and flavorful plats du jour. Sweets are a house specialty. In addition to more than a dozen flavors of macarons, it has assorted cakes, pastries, and beautifully boxed treats ideal for gift-giving. 75 av. des Champs-Élysées, Champs-Élysées, Paris, Île-de-France, 75008. 01–40–75–08–75; www.laduree.com.
