Guide to The Arc de Triomphe: How To Visit + Tips For Visiting

One of the astir iconic landmarks successful Paris is the Arc de Triomphe, a monumental operation that is some a awesome of the city’s architectural quality and fascinating history.

Standing gangly astatine the occidental extremity of the Champs-Élysées, this iconic monument allows visitors to not lone larn astir the country’s subject history, but offers panoramic views from the reflection deck, which are simply breathtaking.

This was my 3rd sojourn to Paris and the archetypal clip climbing up to the apical of the Arc De Triomphe. I’m not adjacent definite I knew you could bash that before. 

On erstwhile visits, this immense monument was conscionable thing beauteous to look astatine arsenic I walked up Champs Elyssee oregon gawked astatine the insanity of the cars driving astir the Charles De Gaulle roundabout.

One elemental ascent up the 282 steps connected the winding spiral staircase wholly changed my position of this iconic Paris attraction from a fleeting glimpse to 1 of my favourite things to bash successful Paris. 

Even better, our girls (aged 15 and 11) loved it conscionable arsenic much!

If you’re reasoning of visiting the Arc de Triomphe but you’re not definite what determination is to see, however to sojourn it, oregon adjacent cognize astir its history, past you’ve travel to the close place. 

Keep speechmaking to research our implicit usher to the Arc de Triomphe and unravel wherefore this is specified an iconic destination successful the City of Light.

About the Arc de Triomphe: A History

The Arc de Triomphe has a affluent and fascinating past that dates backmost to the aboriginal 19th century.

It was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte (1806) aft his triumph astatine Austerlitz.

Construction began successful 1806, but owed to assorted delays including wars and fiscal constraints, it took astir 3 decades for the monument to beryllium completed and was yet inaugurated connected July 29, 1836.

The Arc de Triomphe is champion known for its architecture, which was the imaginativeness of French designer Jean Chalgrin. This architectural bias refers straight to past arches specified arsenic the Arch of Titus successful Rome (85 AD), which we aboriginal saw successful the Roman Forum! 

It not lone features ornately decorated reliefs featuring scenes of war, but it has the lists of names of French subject leaders and battles engraved connected its pedestals.

Standing astatine a tallness of 50 meters, the arch is simply a awesome of French patriotism, and serves arsenic a reminder of the country’s subject victories and the sacrifices made by those who fought for France.

It was built not lone arsenic a commemorative monument to those who fought and died successful the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, but besides serves arsenic a focal constituent for assorted nationalist events and celebrations.

After World War I, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was placed beneath the arch successful 1921, which further emphasizes its value arsenic a awesome of remembrance and respect for fallen soldiers.

The occurrence was lit for the archetypal clip connected November 11, 1923, by Maginot, surrounded by a multitude of veterans; it has ne'er been extinct. Here you tin spot the eternal occurrence is rekindled each evening astatine 6.30pm – you whitethorn privation to adhd that to your Paris itinerary!

The Eternal Flame

A regular worship work is fixed to the Great Dead: each evening, astatine 18:30 pm, the Flame is revived by the relation La Flame nether the Arc de Triomphe which represents the hundreds of veterans’ associations successful France.

Today, the Arc de Triomphe remains an iconic landmark successful Paris, attracting millions of visitors each year.

It’s besides the gathering constituent of 12 avenues successful Paris, including the celebrated Champs-Élysées, and has go much celebrated successful caller years for its dense postulation and buzzing atmosphere.

The champion mode to acquisition the awesomeness of that is to ascent to the apical and spot it from above. 

Skip the Line Tickets

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As Paris is 1 of the astir fashionable destinations successful the world, and the Arc De Triomphe 1 of the apical attractions, I highly urge purchasing a skip the enactment summons – oregon timed introduction pass – earlier your visit. 

That means you tin debar waiting astatine the summons table by purchasing your e-ticket and caput consecutive to the admissions entrance.

The lines were rather agelong erstwhile we visited. Be warned that Paris attractions tin beryllium unorganized and the Arc de Triomphe was nary exception. 

We had a similar acquisition astatine the Eiffel Tower. There are nary marked lines to separate betwixt those who person pre-purchased clip introduction tickets and those who person bought tickets upon arrival. 

Once you get astatine the bottommost of the arch, determination is conscionable 1 line. We waited connected a precise dilatory moving enactment for astir 10 minutes, earlier I decided to locomotion up and inquire the attendant if we had to enactment up with our timed ticket. 

“Oh no. I’ll fto you through” she said arsenic she opened up the gross for me. 

Why was determination nary motion telling radical this?

So immoderate you bash successful France, ever inquire earlier you enactment up! And ever pre-purchase your tickets! 

How to Visit the Arc de Triomphe

One of the astir commonly asked questions we get asked astir visiting the Arc de Triomphe is however to get there.

If you’re readying to sojourn by metro, the nearest metro presumption to the Arc de Triomphe is Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, which is served by lines 1, 2, and 6. From determination it’s conscionable a abbreviated locomotion to the Arc.

The closest autobus presumption to the Arc de Triomphe is besides Charles de Gaulle – Étoile – Champs-Élysées. Many autobus lines halt here, truthful if you’re traveling by bus, it’s precise casual to scope the monument from astir parts of the city.

However, we don’t urge the autobus due to the fact that the postulation successful Paris is crazy!

Once you get astatine the Arc de Triomphe, you volition request to transverse the brainsick roundabout…

Beware the Crazy Roundabout

This is quiescent traffic.

The Arc de Triomphe is good known for its vibrant atmosphere, which is mostly created by the bustling postulation ellipse surrounding the arch. 

Remember that this roundabout has 12 avenues of postulation coming onto it. It’s implicit and utter chaos, and I would adhd astatine slightest 5 minutes into your docket to basal by and ticker each mode of vehicles maneuver themselves around. 

While this creates a consciousness of vigor and dynamism, it is besides beauteous unsafe to cross, truthful bash support an oculus connected your children and beryllium definite to look for the underpass which takes you to the arch. You’d person to beryllium insane to effort crossing it (possibly adjacent much insane to effort and thrust connected it).

There are really 2 underground passages connected the outer ringing of the roundabout (which are some connected the aforesaid way arsenic the metro stations). One is connected the northbound broadside of the Champs-Élysées, conscionable earlier you scope the roundabout. The 2nd is connected the bluish broadside of the Avenue de la Grande Armée. 

Both are close adjacent to the roundabout truthful if successful uncertainty conscionable support walking astir until you find one. The passages volition instrumentality you straight to the Arc, truthful you don’t request to transverse the traffic.

Opening times and entranceway fees

Montparnasse, Tower Eiffel & Champs Elysees

The Arc de Triomphe is unfastened 7 days a week from 10.00am – 11.00pm from April 1st to September 30th, and 10.00am – 10.30pm from October 1st to March 31st.

The Arc closes connected January 1st, May 1st, the greeting of May 8th and July 14th, arsenic good arsenic connected December 25th.

 It whitethorn besides beryllium closed erstwhile upwind conditions are atrocious and during unofficial ceremonies.

It’s escaped to participate the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, you lone request to wage to entree the depository and the reflection platform which costs €13.

It’s besides escaped to participate if you are nether the property of 18, oregon if you sojourn connected the archetypal Sunday of January, February, March, November, and December.

The Spiral Stairs & The Mezzanine

Love these stairs

Once you wide security, you volition locomotion up a gorgeous spiral robust staircase, which was renovated conscionable past twelvemonth (2022).

 After looking up and down astatine its stunning circular design, I Knew we had made the close prime to wage to locomotion to the top. I could archer by the looks connected everyone else’s look we were not the lone ones enamored with it. 

Before you get to the top-level viewpoint, determination is simply a tiny depository wrong the apical of the arch (mezzanine) that you whitethorn privation to walk clip perusing. There are mediation screens, the molding and the exemplary of the monument. 

Don’t miss the replica of the winged pistillate that’s connected The Departure of Volunteer precocious alleviation connected the extracurricular of the arch. She’s uttering a outcry of alarm successful the look of the force penetration arsenic she brandishes her sword inviting the radical to fight.

I perfectly loved this magnetic sculpture, which is the look of the warrior successful the Departure of Volunteers sculptured radical (also known arsenic La Marseillaise) connected the north-east pier of the arc.

There was thing astir the look connected it that represented fierce committedness and strength.

When you get backmost down to the bottommost of the arch, basal successful beforehand of it and look up astatine wherever that sculpture is connected the extracurricular of the arch. It’s rather astonishing to spot it. 

Views from The Arc De Triomphe

The gathering of the avenues

One of the main reasons wherefore radical sojourn the Arc de Triomphe is for the views. I deliberation it has immoderate of the best views of Paris, particularly the Eiffel Tower arsenic you’re rather adjacent to it.

Here is wherever you tin find immoderate of the champion views…

The Observation Deck

The Observation Deck of the Arc de Triomphe is 1 of the champion places to spot views of Paris. 

Located 60 meters supra the ground, it provides a unsocial vantage constituent to respect the City of Lights and spot the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur Basilica, and Champs-Élysées.

Overlooking Champs-Élysées

It besides allows you to instrumentality successful the show of the 12 Parisian avenues radiating retired from the roundabout. It’s a captivating experience successful Paris that showcases the architectural quality and charm of this singular city.

Is it worthy it to ascent the stairs?

There are 282 steps to ascent to get to the reflection deck, oregon you tin instrumentality an elevator and ascent a further 60 steps.

The queue for the elevator is often rather long, truthful if you are capable and fit, past it’s recommended to ascent the stairs. Since you request to ascent 60 steps anyway, it’s worthy it to ascent each the mode (and tin sometimes adjacent beryllium quicker!).

Best Place for Views of The Outside

Taken from Champs Elysees

 The champion spot to presumption the Arc de Triomphe is from the Champs-Élysées connected the archetypal Sunday of each period erstwhile they adjacent the thoroughfare to cars, making it wholly pedestrianized.

 However, if you are not visiting connected the archetypal Sunday of the month, you tin caput to the rooftop edifice of the Hôtel Raphael, which has unthinkable views of the Arc de Triomphe up close, arsenic good arsenic the Eiffel Tower.

Outside the Arc de Triomphe

Apart from watching the traffic, walk clip either earlier oregon aft the step ascent to admit the quality of the marble monument from the outside. 

Walk astir and get your photos from antithetic angles.

The Departure of Volunteers

Spend clip looking astatine the sculptured groups adoring the pedestals of the arch. Made betwixt 1833 and 1836, these masterpieces evoke circumstantial events.

The Departure of Volunteers showing the conscription of 1792; the Triumph of Napoleon illustrating the twelvemonth (1810) of his empire expansion; The Resistance symbolizes the 1814 absorption against overseas invasion; and Peace representing the instrumentality of bid to France aft the 1815 Treaty of Paris. 

Tips for Visiting the Arc de Triomphe

• Be definite to usage 1 of the underground passages to transverse the road!
• You tin download a escaped guidebook from the authoritative website.
• Leave your luggage astatine your edifice arsenic you cannot instrumentality a container larger than 40 x 40 x 20cm, which is astir the size of an craft carry-on. You besides cannot bring successful selfie sticks (good!), tripods, motorcycle helmets and solid bottles.

Things to bash Near the Arc de Triomphe

Champs Elysse

Explore Champs Elysee, 1 of the astir celebrated streets successful the world, with precocious extremity brands. We deliberation it’s overrated but inactive worthy looking at. We had a large trade java from close adjacent the Arc at Azur Cafe just disconnected the Champs Elysee.

On Champs Elysee you’ll find truly agelong lines extracurricular Laduree Bakery and Tearoom for their celebrated macarons. You’re successful France. Macarons are beauteous bully anywhere. Why discarded your precious Paris exploration clip lining up here? But if that’s your obsession spell for it! 

If you’re up for it, locomotion each the mode down to the beauteous Tuileries Garden and the Louvre (30 – 40 mins)

The Eiffel Tower is besides astir a 30-minute locomotion – though rather a boring one!

FAQs About the Arc de Triomphe

Here’s what radical usually inquire america astir visiting the Arc de Triomphe…

Looking for a spot to enactment successful Paris?

Use the representation beneath to assistance you find hotels and flat rentals successful your desired locations successful Paris. We urge the Latin Quarter oregon St Germain.

Final Thoughts

Visiting the Arc de Triomphe is an unforgettable acquisition that allows visitors the accidental to spot immoderate of Paris’s affluent history, respect the architectural beauty, and observe a unsocial position of Paris from the viewpoint.

It’s a must-see attraction that volition permission you successful awe of France’s taste practice and awesome buildings. It’s nary wonderment this is 1 of the astir celebrated attractions successful Paris!

We besides person different guides connected Paris, you whitethorn find helpful. Please stock them with friends, connected your socials, oregon Pin for aboriginal connected Pinterest.

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