Eiffel Tower summit -- arriving ahead of your time.

Hi Nancy,
From my experience in October, you can certainly get in line for security and the general entrance early (and you should), but the line to actually board the elevator did not allow us to join until the time on our ticket.

From there it's a bit of a process to actually get to the summit. You board the first elevator and then there's a rather slow moving line for a second elevator to the top. It definitely took some time, but we felt it was worth it.

Enjoy your trip,

PQ

The last time we were there we were in line over 80 minutes WITH reservations and didn't reach the elevator till and hour and a half after our reserved time. We were in the line for those with tickets at X time. This was unusually bad I think, but the point is that you can start lining up well before your time slot and there is little change you would be too early. They won't let you board early unless it is rainy day with few visitors but if you show up at your reserved time, you will be at the back of a long line with your same time slot.

We had a bit of luck on the second elevator because they had closed the top due to weather issues (wind I think) and so we thought we were not going to be able to go all the way up. And then my grandchild noticed that there was a sign that the elevator was open and so we literally hopped right on before everyone else realized the top was re-opened. Usually there is a long line for the top and the elevators serving the top are small. Probably makes sense to get in that line the moment you get to the second level and then enjoy the second level including souvenir shops and restrooms and such on the way down.

Meh. One gets a better view from l'Arc de Triomphe or the roof of Galeries Lafayette. Waiting for an hour or so at the Eiffel Tower is pointless. If one thinks the Eiffel tower is beautiful, great! But you can't see it standing on the Eiffel tower. Parisians who hated, absolutely hated the Eiffel tower when it was built would have lunch at the tower because from there they couldn't see it. It wouldn't pollute their view of the city they loved.

If you want a view of Paris with the Eiffel tower in it, go to l'Arc de Triomphe or the roof of Galeries Lafayette. Or head over to le Trocadéro. Many of the photos of the Eiffel tower you've seen were taken from there.

But you can't see it standing on the Eiffel tower.

Au contraire! You most certainly see the Eiffel tower when in, on and under it. Seeing that beautiful wrought iron structure up close is incomparable and one of many reasons to visit the tower (another good vote for walking up as many stairs as possible). I also don't buy that old myth that people who hated it deliberately dined on it. That's just preposterous.

Thanks to all.

Another great view is from the Panorama of the Pantheon if you feel like climbing. (And the Pantheon itself is worthy of a visit.)

But, IMO, the best view OF the Eiffel Tower is from the Place du Trocadero. Go in the evening to see the Tower lit up in all its glory.

Nancy,
Even back in 1974, when the Eiffel Tower wasn't as mobbed as it is today, hubby and I had a VERY long wait at the elevator from the second level to the top. I can only imagine how bad the wait can be nowadays. I concur that the best experience of the ET is seeing it from the Trocadero, or from the Champs de Mars. Still, I can say that because I have been to the top, and I wouldn't tell anyone to not go up. Do what you want to do, just plan on things taking time.
And no, we didn't dine on it. That is, and was, out of our budget. To me, a drink or meal on top wouldn't add to the experience.

I love the inside view from the 2nd floor when the lights are twinkling!

The view is not the point. The point is being on top the Eiffel Tower -- sure not going to tell each grandkid I take to Paris -- 'oh this is a better view than the one thing you want to do.' I grew up in a household where I often got not what I wanted but a similar thing that was 'just as good'. yeah no.

Being on top of the Eiffel Tower is the point of going -- there are lots of viewpoints in Paris, many of them free -- view is not the point.