Open Top Bus Tour Along the Champs Elysees Paris

From the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe

Jul 12, 2008

The Champs Elysees in Paris is the world's most famous boulevard and runs between the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe.

There is no better way to see the Champ Elysees, the most impressive of Parisian thoroughfares, than from the upper deck of an open top bus.

Paris Open Top Bus

The familiar green and yellow livery of the Paris L’Open Tour buses are a common sight, as they negotiate their way through the four lanes (each way) of traffic on this popular section of the Paris Grand Tour.

There is one stop at the Place de la Concorde, four on the Champs Elysees and one near the Arc de Triomphe, so there are plenty of opportunities to hop on and off in order to visit these special places on the itinerary.

Place de la Concorde

Today the Place de la Concorde is, like the rest of Paris, busy with traffic, but between 1793 and 1795 it was the revolutionary executioner and Madame Guillotine that were busy, with over 1200 people, including Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI, losing their heads.

The Place is dominated by a gold tipped obelisk, which stands in the centre and originally came from the Temple of Ramses in Luxor,Egypt.

The Champs Elysees

If you’ve come to the French capital for some retail therapy, this is a great place to be. Many of the names that characterise the French love of style and elegance have a presence on the Champs Elysees, but sadly so do more and more of the High Street chain stores.

There are also plenty of opportunities to sit in cafes and restaurants, enjoy some good food and watch the world go by, it’s a great way to pass a couple of hours.

Other Places to Visit on or Near the Champs Elysees

Before heading off in the direction of the Arc de Triomphe it’s worth taking the time, particularly on a summer’s day, to walk round the lovely Tuileries Gardens, which stretch back from the Place de la Concorde to the Louvre Museum. This formal French garden provides the perfect place to promenade.

Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe is a superb 50 metre high triumphal arch commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806 to commemorate his army’s victories, but not completed for a further 30 years.

The Arc is located at the end of the Champs Elysees in the middle of the Place Charles de Gaulle, a large circular island from which a total of 12 roads fan out.

It is important to make sure the Arc is accessed through the underground tunnel, it is far too dangerous to cross this very busy road.

Inside is a small museum dedicated to Napoleon’s victories, and if you make it up the 234 stairs to the platform at the top, the view on a clear day is truly stunning.

Paris L'Open Tour

Where to Buy Your Ticket?

You can buy one or two day tickets at a number of places including: Paris tourist offices, at La Boutique on Rue Auber, which is near the Paris Opera House or on any of the L'Open Tour buses. There are distinctive bus stops at all the major sites.

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