Better view of Paris: Eiffel Tower or Montparnasse tower?

There's no real difference except that from Montparnasse you get to see the ET and a bit more of the south side of the Seine while looking more or less north.

Take a bus up to Montmartre (sp?) and go to the Sacre Cour church. Walk around Montmartre first, of course, and go to the Church to see Paris after sunset when the lights go on! Spectacular. Also, the Architectural Museum in Paris has a café. You don't even need to pay the admission to get to the cafe. The café has an outdoor seating area with the BEST VIEW of the Eiffel Tower in all of Paris. I got this info from our former French Exchange Student who is a native, and lives in the neighborhood. You can also sit in the Champ de Mars Park at night and watch the Eiffel Tower being lit at night for free. I did this every night when I took my granddaughter there last summer. It lights up at 10pm in July.

The Champs de Mars kind of runs into Trocadero Park. Just realized the bench we sat on was in Trocadero Park for watching the Eiffel tower light up at 10pm. Lucky you, going to Paris while you're young backpackers!

There is a great view from Montparnasse and aside from the fact that you can see the Eiffel Tower from it, there is usually no line for the elevator, plus you do not have to wade through street vendors and scam artists. For the view Montparnasse gets my vote, though I do like to get close enough to the Eiffel Tower to get a good look at it and a couple of pictures.

The view from Montparnasse tower is amazing, and you can even go up on the roof of the building (at least you could a few years ago), and there aren't humungous lines to deal with. But the building is not an architectural marvel, to say the least.

Not so with the Eiffel Tower - it's a hassle to get up there, but it's a unique, engineering marvel that is fun to be up on.

The view from the 2nd platform is great, don't really need to go all the way to the top for spectacular views. You should do it once for sure.

A lot of people seem to want to go to the top of the ET more than anything else they can do in Paris, I guess "because it's there." I did, and it was fun and a great view, but crowded, with long lines, and for me somewhat acrophobic because it's such an "open" place. I think the view from Montparnasse Tower is just as good, plus it includes the beautiful ET and excludes the unattractive MT. Also less crowded and easier to get up and down in a reasonable amount of time. If you can forego the iconic experience of going to the top of the ET, the MT is a good alternative. Of course if walking to the top is a goal, then go for the ET where you can enjoy the view and the amazing structure on the way up (I'm exhausted just thinking about it). Going up the MT stairs, if you can even get access, would surely be only for masochists.

The view from in front of the Sacre Coeur atop Montmartre is also wonderful, and very different. A good experience in itself, not so much an alternative to either tower. Another thought -- ET and Sacre Coeur are both notorious pickpocket centers, MT is not as far as I know.

gracemichael25,

been there done that.

i enjoyed the Eiffel Tower the most and i thought it had the best advantage point for most of the touristy areas. the only drawback was the screen/fencing to keep people from the other side. My camera has a panorama function and it interfered with the pictures.

Montparnasse was okay, but in my opinion the location wasnt the best. what was nice was the glass walls so other than some glare from the sun shinning that day, that was about it.

happy trails.

Agree Sacre Couer has a good view, not only of Paris but also of the street artists that perform there. Pompidou Museum also has a great view of Paris, especially the nearby rooftops . Another place for a good view is Galleries Lafayette. We recently checked out the view from the terrace and while it's not the greatest view, you get a beautiful view of Sacre Couer from the ladies restroom sink area.

I agree with Ray. the Montparnasse tower view of Paris is great, but the overall experience is not wonderful. the building is mind-boggingly ugly. Not true of the Eiffel Tower. From the tower at dusk you can see all the major monuments of the city light up amidst the other dark buildings, and then you can go down to the ground and view the light show when it gets dark. During the day I enjoy viewing the boats along the seine from high above in the Tower -- which you cannot really see from Montparnasse.

I also like the view from Printemps Department store rooftop cafe, where you can sit and relax, take photos and often enjoy DJ music. The view from Sacre Coeur is nice, an overall panorama, but during the day, it all blends in and you can't really pick out many monuments, other than the ET, as you are quite far away, and the visibility is often not crystal clear.

Rick's Paris book has a list of scenic viewing spots (some free, some not). My personal favorites are the Trocadero (free) and the Arc de Triomphe (included in the Museum Pass). The Trocadero is particularly nice at night when the hourly light show on the Eiffel Tower goes off.

I have been up the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, and the Pompidou. The views are all ok. I agree that most people go up the Eiffel Tower so that they can check it off their list of things to do. However, the wait is long. If you must go, take the stairs, since cheaper and the line is much shorter. I think that the best view is from the top of the Arc du Triomphe. You can see all the sites of the city and you can make out the way the avenues all merge into the Arc. The lines are generally short and there are not that many people up there.

You guys are great. You guys helped me even more than I expected. So many options to choose from. I need to talk to my friend and see what he likes best. I might have to do multiple views of Paris, because they all look great.

They are both nice views but the view from La Tour Eiffel literally brought tears to my eyes when I was there for the first time last year. Montparnasse did not. But I'm planning on doing both again next month. Enjoy!