A FREE Stroll on the Champs-Élysées

There is no way that shopping on the Champs-Élysées can be considered a budget conscious activity, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid one of the prime people-watching spots in all of the city.

Yes, here you’ll find beautiful bags, decadent shoes, and bespoke suits, and while those may be my definition of heaven, it’s not my definition of what my budget can afford.  But, a stroll down one of the most recognized streets in the world, looking at the luxury and specialty shops is still a Paris experience not to be missed.

Avenue des Champs-Élysées (map) is just over a mile and a quarter long, stretching from the Place de la Concorde (map) to the Arc de Triomphe (map) in the 9th arrondissement.  While luxury shopping, specialty shops, cafes and restaurants occupy this spot today, it was also the location of the famous marches that celebrated the 1944 liberation of France.  It is also the home to the annual Bastille Day parade and the end of the Tour de France.

Day or night, the street is full of people, so just talking a stroll can give you a feel for the vibrancy of the area.  Take a look at the window displays and observe what people are wearing – it will give you a free fashion lesson.  Pop into a shop and take a closer look, and you’ll see styles that will show up in the US in a couple of years.  Look for a cheap variation of the same, and you’ll be a fashion plate ahead of your time.

Interspersed between all the luxury stores, are a few basic chains.  So if saying “I got this on the Champs-Élysées” is important to you, you should be able to find something reasonably prices at the Virgin Megastore, Adidas (its largest store in the world), Nike Paris, or Sephora (map).

Photo credit: ©Mary Jo Manzanares