Eiffel Tower Skip the Line/Summit Tix?

Have you tried the official Eiffel site? I got mine through that site. They sell out fast so take a look. If sold out, you may luck out with a tour operator. I can't give any advise on tour operators though. Good luck.

Here's the official website for buying Eiffel Tower tickets. Unfortunately, it looks like there are no longer tickets available for mid June. Ticket can be booked up to 92 days in advance and they do sell out rather fast.

You may find helpful information on this blog: secretsofparis.com

Hope this helps!

If I could make a suggestion, don't bother with going up in the Eiffel Tower. The view, in my opinion, is not that interesting. The view from the top of l'arc de triomphe, Trocadero, and even the terrace at Galeries Lafayette is better.

Hi VSR, if you are unable to purchase tickets from the official website, try Get Your Guide tours. I've used them twice. There are several options for Eiffel Tower tours - I did the 1 hour tour that included a ticket to the second floor. We skipped the lines and got right on the elevator, no problems. Once on the second floor, there is a short line to buy a ticket to the third (Summit) level. I think the Eiffel Tower is amazing and I wouldn't miss it.

"If I could make a suggestion, don't bother with going up in the Eiffel Tower. The view, in my opinion, is not that interesting. The view from the top of l'arc de triomphe, Trocadero, and even the terrace at Galeries Lafayette is better. "

I know it's hard for first time visitors to believe, but K is right. Well, I haven't seen the view from Galleries Lafayette, so I don't have first-hand knowledge of that one. But the other two are so great, I went to the Trocadero on two separate nights, and went up the Arc de Triomphe twice, once by day and once by night. I had a Paris Museum Pass, so the Arc de Triomphe was included.

If you really do want to go up the Eiffel Tower and are not able to get advance tickets, you can line up really early for the elevators, or use the stairs to the first and second levels (much shorter line for the stairs compared to the elevator). Once on the second level, you can buy tickets for the separate elevator to the summit.

There was no line up for security, stairs, or elevators at 6:30 pm on Monday night as we cut through underneath. I would pick an early evening while everyone is either heading to dinner or tired out and chance it. Never seen a line for the stairs.

Now that you need to go through security to access the area beneath the tower, the busiest times for ascending will be busy at security. I'd pick times others are not going: dinner time, evening, after sunset. Early is usually busy as everyone thinks by going early, they'll miss the lines. : )

Better views elsewhere but it's nice to do at least once. We've been to Paris 4 times in 5 years. Have done Eiffel Tower 5 times in that time. Daughter wants to go again this trip.

David writes:

It is not how great the view is or isnt, it is ABOUT standing atop the Eiffel Tower an experience many wish to have.

If that's the objective, then by all means go and stand on it. Enjoy the view of this part of the Paris basin. Flat, isn't it? And the particulate smog from all those furiously churning little diesels kind of obscures things a bit, doesn't it?

My response was written in case the original poster, or others reading this, had been confused or misled to believe that the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower is impressive.

It's not.

If you want better views, better photographic memories, and more free time to enjoy more of Paris, then seek some of the alternatives I've suggested previously.