# The Arc de Triomphe roundabout takes some getting used to

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com) · 2023-08-28

arc-de-triomphe, downtown-toronto, etretat, mobility, normandy, paris, rental-car, right-of-way, rouen, roundabout, toronto, traffic-circle, travel, urbanism

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In case I haven't been clear enough: I love cities. I vividly remember being a kid and being excited to come downtown. My mom has told me that my eyes used to light up -- every, single, time. Even today, when I'm away from Toronto and I return home, I'm excited to see the skyline. I miss it.

This afternoon I got that same feeling on our return to Paris, even though it is not home. We spent the last two days in Normandy, specifically [Étretat](https://brandondonnelly.com/2023/08/27/etretat-🇫🇷/) and Rouen, and as beautiful and as wonderful as these places are, I was genuinely excited to come back to the capital.

My other revelation is that driving in Paris sucks.

I would much rather walk, cycle, or take the metro. That is what this city is designed for. Still, I'm happy that we rented a car for Normandy and that I learned -- after being honked at -- how to appropriately conduct myself in the infamous Arc de Triomphe roundabout.

https://videopress.com/v/6OapMom0?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Unlike every other roundabout in the world, you do not yield to cars already _in_ the circle; you yield to cars _entering_ the circle. Once you understand that, it's significantly easier. Though, supposedly, car accidents that happen within the circle are automatically every driver's fault and every insurer pays.

I guess that says something about its orderliness.

Aren't cities wonderful?

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*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com/the-arc-de-triomphe-roundabout-takes-some-getting-used-to)*