Eiffel Tower elevators--any hope of Covid social distancing?

It’s a sardine can every time I’ve been there.

Roll the dice, take precautions, and enjoy. That's why you are coming here. Went to the top a few days ago while on our Best of Paris tour. My advice is to enjoy your time here, accept the fact that you may have to to deal with Covid issues. When we started our trip two weeks ago we worried about everything. After being in Europe for two weeks we have relaxed some. We take precautions, but worrying about "what if?" is not on the front of our minds.

Yes, they jam you in like sardines.

When I first went to Paris, going up in the Eiffel Tower seemed like such a "must do." I went, I enjoyed it, but I realized it was never the "must do" that I had thought it was. The elevators will be full and the stairs hard on anything but the youngest knees. The crowding here is why there are so many signs to beware of pickpockets posted. Only you can determine if it remains a "must do" in light of your concerns.

The view from the Trocadero of the Eiffel Tower is great and it is outdoors. If you are unsure, perhaps substitute this for you trip up the tower?

It's been years since I climbed the tower, but I believe there used to be an option to walk up the stairs. Yeah, that's a LOT of stairs so not to be taken lightly...but as I recall they are (mostly?) outside, well ventilated, and not packed face-to-face with strangers. If that's still an option, I'd consider that rather than the sardine-evator, which seems like a perfect super-spreader option.

I agree that when traveling, you have to accept some risk, and sometimes you have no choice but to roll the dice. If I had the option to roll the dice one less time (and that elevator gets really crowded), I'd be very tempted to "get in my steps" for the day out on the stairs rather than ride the oh-so-intimate elevator. I could use the exercise.

Or maybe I'd start training myself to be able to hold my breath for more than 2 minutes (just how long does that elevator take?).

I think it is overrated, but it is on everyone's bucket list, so there you go.

Do you have kids in tow? Probably a bigger deal to them than to adults.

I would punt for the overcrowding alone.

For the brief time that you’ll be in the elevator you should be fine. I would wear a quality protective mask in such a close quarter. If health is a critical concern I found that going to the top (2006) was an experience (check) but the view was a bit underwhelming. The view of the tower from the ground was awesome. Notwithstanding, Paris and beyond is majestic!

Did it in late April. To answer your question --> No, there is no hope of social distancing. If you are super lucky, you will have a lady hacking up a lung before, during, and after the elevator ride, like we did. I wore my KN-95 mask. I tested negative at the end of the trip, so it worked out okay.

maybe we should skip it, so we don't risk derailing our tour?

Nah. Going to the summit is great. I would do it again, even if I had to scrape the piece of that lady's lung off my face again. So... my vote is do it... definitely. (okay, okay, so I didn't have to scrape lung from my face... but... really... go to the summit).

Second Carol's suggestion of seeing the Eiffel Tower from Trocadero. The view is incredible. If you can see it at sunrise, it's even more so.

I’ve gone up the ET probably 20 times and i think it’s well worth it. It’s a very fun experience, and a thrill to be on the ET, a world icon (i like the 2nd floor best, more room). It’s like walking across the Golden Gate Bridge… sure the view of the bridge is better at a distance but walking on it, and across it, is fun.

If you are this nervous about COVID then don't do international travel -- you will be in a tin can with people without masks and will be eating in places where you cannot protect yourself as well. I wear a mask in places like the elevator but how would you imagine 'social distancing' would be possible in an elevator that has to haul thousands up the tower a day? Social distancing is also of very little value -- the virus is airborne and the idea that 6 feet was magic was based on research that has been debunked.

We wore masks on the plane except for eating and in crowded places like the Tower elevator and in museums. Most people will not be wearing masks in any of those places. We managed 7 weeks in Paris in the fall and another 7 weeks this spring without getting sick with only those masking precautions BUT that was obviously luck.

There is no social distancing anywhere.

True, you are squished in the elevator like sardines (or herring), which I did once ages ago, one of the things one naturally does in Paris. This was in the summer of 1999. The Mrs. and I decided to show up one afternoon, saw a very long line, she then bought the tickets at the ticket booth, (I thought this line is going to take forever).

As it only turned out, only ca. 30 minutes or so (people watching while in line) before we got into the elevator,... packed in, jammed in as one experiences on the Metro.

Good memories, well worth the wait and experience.

D'accord...comparable on a clear day to walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, preferably without the blasting wind.

Thank you very much for the replies and suggestions! We'll take our tickets with us to Paris, and see how we feel that day. The options of viewing from Trocadero, or from the ground, sound like good alternatives. We are prepared if we get Covid, and we know the risks--but for me, I just don't want to miss the rest of the wonderful tour--Bourges, Loire Valley, Mont St. Michel, Normandy, etc! That would be such a bummer--just want to minimize catching Covid before we even start. I am a teacher, and I taught all face-to-face/in person classes for a year before I was vaccinated, and for the past year as well. No comparison to Paris crowds, though. :-)

If the elevator makes you nervous, then walk up, as David suggested earlier. (It's the shortest line at another leg of the tower.)
I've done it twice. We all think we need more exercise, and it's actually sort of exhilarating. Just pace yourself.

My view (at age 74) is that I want to travel and enjoy my life. COVID19 was not fun, I just got over a mild case, but as 99% of people that get it, they live.

Better to get out and continue to see the world that be stuck at home afraid.

I'll just add a vote to wear an N-95 or KN95. You'll be squished in on the Metro as well so it's best to be prepared. I wound up wearing a mask all the time I was in Paris in April except for the times I was eating/drinking. I put it on in the AM, took it off when I got back to my hotel room. I was not on a Rick tour but I still did not want to test positive to return home.

Since you've got tickets I'd do the ET. Everyone has different travel styles and you'll decide if this was worth it for you! TBH, I've got a fear of heights so I don't go up but my go-to walk on my arrival day is to walk over to the Tower and walk down the Champ de Mars to it. It tells me I'm in Paris, lol!!

Also, as mentioned this is a hot zone for pickpockets. Just have your valuables secure in your money belt (or leave in your room) and ignore anyone with a clipboard who asks you if you speak English. This last time I saw more 3-card monte games set up around the base of the Tower than ever before. You're too smart to be taken in by those scammers!

Fred, you are right, walking across the Golden Gate Bridge without a blasting wind is preferable!

We were there in May and rode the elevators to the top. The elevator to the 2nd floor was quick and wasn't crowded. We stood in line on the upper platform of the 2nd floor for probably 30 minutes for the ride to the top, but it is outdoors. The elevator to the top was full, but it's not that long of a ride, and we had our masks. When we went down, we got off at the 2nd floor and looked around and then got back on the elevator and rode down to the 1st floor. We had a drink at the bar while watching the lights twinkle at 10 PM. We walked down the 347 steps from the 1st floor to the ground.

The stairs are closed from the 2nd floor to the top. Eiffel Tower stairs

Ditto on the mask. Having that N-95 or KN-95 mask on is a matter of course while standing in line or in that packed in ET elevator and the Metro, a given. If you're the only one, oh well....tant pis.

No hope of social distancing. Every place is jammed packed with people. Wear a mask and wash your hands! We observed absolutely no mask wearing in Paris. We don’t wear masks at home but did on the plane and in Paris in order to hopefully test negative to reenter the US. We did test negative and are home now. Do your best.

I wear a mask at home about 90% a time. There are occasions I run into someplace without it but for the most part I try to make sure I have a good one on and I never wear a surgical mask. Surgical masks are only good for protecting others - you need at least a KN 95 to help protect you.

That said, there is absolutely no social distancing at the tower I was there March before the giant tourism boom took off and it was still incredibly crowded - it and Shakespeare and Co were one the only places in Paris I saw this massive crowd. (Note. I skipped the Louvre on this visit)

For me a combination of a fear of heights and disliking the entire Cattlecall atmosphere of the tower has turned me off going up up. Several years ago the last time I went up it was like a mob scene people shoving and pushing to get on and off those elevators - no I don’t have to deal with that. So I don’t even try. If you do want something that has a great view and is a little less likely to be you with what feels like 1,000,000 friends I suggest the Montparnasse tower. It also has a distinct advantage of being able to see the Eiffel Tower from your viewpoint

When I was in Paris a few years ago, the Eiffel Tower closed on the day I was planning to go up it (due to demonstrations). So I went to the Montparnasse Tower and was happy with my experience. It was not very crowded and had a terrific view of the Eiffel Tower and all of Paris. Plus the Montparnasse Tower is ugly, so I didn’t have to include it in the views!

Thank you, everyone! Every response helped in some way. Grateful to you all.

You will find yourself packed like a sardine more than just an elevator. Get on any metro or RER or bus. You will want those masks.