My wife and I will be in Paris soon and would like to go to the top of the The Arc de triomphe, but I believe 284 stairs would either kill one of us, or blow out our knees.
What are the odds 2 50 year olds would be able to use the elevator to get to the top?

We had no trouble at all, it is self-service.

50 years old? You're still young. The view from the top is great, think of the sense of achievement after climbing up to it. Note though, there are still a few dozen steps after the elevator.

Yes, the elevator is self-service, but really, unless you have some medical condition, you should be able, and eager, to walk up. My Dad did it when he was 80. It's not a big deal.

We used it last summer with my mother. She is not handicapped, but was having a foot problem. It was not self service when we were there, but it was easy to just go ask someone for the use of it.

If you are healthy though, I would just take the stairs. We have done that before and honestly I didn't think it was bad at all. When we did it, we had our younger children with us and they didn't whine or anything either.

If you already have knee problems, go for the elevator. There's no point being brave and trudging up all those stairs.

We were very happy to use the elevator. If you get one of those museum passes, the museum at the Arc de Triomphe is free, but it probably doesn't cost much anyway. Do go at night...it's a fabulous view, especially if you're there when the Eiffel Tower is twinkling.

I've used the elevator. By the time we got to the Arc we had been travelling/walking for the best part of a month. I was 50 years old then and young at heart but, my hips didn't think so!! We hovered near the elevator for a few minutes and an attendant came to see if she could help. We explained that while we are not handicapped the stairs were going to be impossible. No trouble, into the lift and off we went. Enjoyed the divine view and nibbled on some macaroons we had with us and took the stairs back down.