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Eiffel Tower ticket questions-- any recent travelers??

I apologize in advance if this has been answered, but I have Rick Steves 2018 Paris and have been searching this forum and still haven't found the answers to a couple of questions.

  1. How do I know precisely when tickets will open up for July? (I will be in Paris July 13-17). I've seen people on here who seem to know exactly what day and time it will open up because they set their alarm to get up in the middle of the night! Rick just says something general like tickets are sold around three months in advance...

  2. Is is true that you can no longer buy a 2nd floor ticket and then upgrade to summit? Rick mentions doing that, but I thought I saw a recent post that you can't do that anymore? I'm hoping someone on here has been to the Eiffel Tower recently and might know. My plan had been to buy the second-floor ticket if the summit sells out and then upgrade...

Posted by
7010 posts

Tickets go on sale 90 days before your desired date at 12:01 am Paris time (6 hrs ahead of Eastern Time in US). Don't know about the 2nd floor upgrade to summit. I do think it has changed since I was there so hopefully you'll get an accurate answer from someone here.

Posted by
276 posts

I was there last September. You can buy your tickets 90 days before your assent. I bought the tickets to the summit but you could buy just to the second floor. There's only about a ten euro difference between the two tickets.

Posted by
15679 posts

Is is true that you can no longer buy a 2nd floor ticket and then
upgrade to summit?

Yes, that's true, Elizabeth. From the question section of the Eiffel's website:

https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/faq/my-ticket/i-bought-ticket-2nd-floor-and-now-i-want-go-top-possible

Q: I bought a ticket for the 2nd floor and now I want to go to the top, is this possible?
A: The choice of destination is made when purchasing the ticket. If you have opted to visit the 2nd floor you will not be given the possibility of buying an additional ticket for the top.

Posted by
1174 posts

I would advise you to get on the ET website now and practice purchasing tickets so you will know how when the time comes. The last step is payment so you can practice all you want using May or June dates and there's no need to pay. Tickets can go in a flash and you will need to arise before 0830 Paris time, I think, to be ready to submit your purchases. Paris also changes to a daylight savings time of sorts so find out when that is so you won't be an hour late when tickets go on sale. Not all time slots are open as they save many for walk-up ticket sales but those lines are hours long. There's lot of discussion on www.tripadvisor.com, Paris forum of the ET tickets and everything Paris has to offer. Good luck with the tickets. It's not that hard to buy them but be sure and let your credit card company know that you will be buying French tickets. You'd hate to get your purchase denied after all that worry and work.

Posted by
7981 posts

to complicate things, it is no longer true that the tickets come on line 90 days ahead -- no one knows when they are available. Recently they have been coming later than that in odd batches. So you basically need to try starting 92 days ahead or so and keep at it till they appear. And in summer they often sell out very quickly. Have a plan B -- if possible that should be walking up as it gives shortest line and option to the elevator to the top.

Posted by
414 posts

Hello,
I was there last May and just bought tickets when I got there. It really didnt take that long as there were ticket booths on both sides open. I think it was a difference of about $10 euros to go to the top, but you can always check the website.

Happy Travels 💫✨

Posted by
305 posts

I agree with Janettravels, the tickets are coming on-line in a very weird way. I was waiting for my May tickets and the 90 day mark passed and there were no tickets for any of May. One Friday night over a week later I noticed that some tickets had dropped so I kept refreshing the page. This started about from midnight Pacific time. Over the next few hours more days dropped. Finally by about 4 am the date I wanted came online so I snapped up my tickets. So keep checking as you never know when they are going to be available. Maybe they have fixed the system. Right now they only have tickets to the end of June.

Posted by
94 posts

to complicate things, it is no longer true that the tickets come on line 90 days ahead -- no one knows when they are available. Recently they have been coming later than that in odd batches. So you basically need to try starting 92 days ahead or so and keep at it till they appear.

Yes! I was wondering if I was crazy or something, but July still isn't online and should have been starting at the first of April if indeed tickets were going on sale at 90 days...

I've been trying to check every day, but as a busy mom of three school-age kids in a host of spring activities, I'm spread pretty thin this time of year. I need to have a Plan B if tickets sell out. While I see that Demi Hale says ticket lines weren't bad in May, we will be there at a peak time in July and I'd rather not potentially spend all that time in line...does anyone have any experience with a skip the line tour? I see that Fat Tire Tours offers a skip the line tour with summit access. Of course, we would be paying a premium for that...

Also, janettravels44, how does walking up work?

Posted by
2942 posts

I just booked a skip-the-line tour as it wasn't very expensive and simplified things for me. It's also combined with a Seine cruise.

When considering any tour I'd recommend checking out reviews from different sources.

Posted by
7981 posts

does your tour get you to the top of the Eiffel Tower or only the second floor? If the latter, that is no bargain.

Posted by
11507 posts

Ive walked up twice.. its not as bad as one might think.. in fact its really kind of cool looking through the legs as you walk up. The first time I climbed stairs it was at the urging of my then 13 yr old son.. the line for the stairs was shorter than the line for the elevators so of course he wanted to climb.

The only issue with the stairs is they only go to the second level so those who want to go to the top can not do so.. I personally find going to the top HIGHLY overrated.. but since I have been up top a few times thats easy for me to say ( and its never my idea to go to top.. I dislike it in fact.. crowded and view isnt more interesting than view from second level ) .

If you take stairs up you can take the elevator down.. and I recommend doing so as we found going down was much harder than going up .. you get dizzy looking down and its harder on knees

Posted by
5188 posts

Elizabeth,
I don’t know if you’ve already decided to book a tour of the ET.

If so, the following information does not pertain to you but may help someone else.

If you choose to take the stairs, you can buy a “Ticket to the Top” which includes taking the stairs to the second floor then taking the elevator to the summit.
You must buy this type of ticket at the tower only.

Enjoy PAris!

Posted by
408 posts

I know I seem like a voice in the wilderness, but why bother? The tower looks better from the ground, such as the Trocadero, and the view from the top is, at best, underwhelming given the (lack of) topography of the Paris basin. It's amazing to me that so many seem fixated "going to the top." There are many better ways to spend one's time in Paris.

Posted by
94 posts

Thanks for all the info, everyone! Very helpful to understand our options so we can make the best choice.

And, yes, Bob, totally get what you are saying about the Eiffel Tower... While it will be our first visit to Paris, I have researched and read about the Eiffel Tower and realize views aren't terribly exciting from the tower, are better from the second floor, etc. etc.

However, I have a husband who is taking me to Paris for our 20th anniversary and he has to walk up everything..... Tower Bridge in London, St. Paul's Cathedral's 528 steps to the top of the dome -- and certainly any fire tower or lighthouse we come across in the US.... I'm sure he will feel his Paris experience is not complete without this :)

Posted by
5188 posts

I agree 100% with Janet:

I think everyone should go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at least once. It isn't the view -- it is being on the Tower; it is wonderful. And I disagree with the second floor being enough.

Do make sure you go to the Trocadéro at night to see the tower twinkle on the hour.

Posted by
414 posts

I agree as well- go to the top- its a once in a lifetime great experience! I loved it!

Happy Travels✨💫

Posted by
4 posts

Ooops..I was too slow....no Eiffel Tower advance tickets available for our entire Paris stay in late May.
Any advice about best chances of getting same-day tickets? Second-floor would suffice.

Posted by
58 posts

Just another thought - I have been advised by someone who has been that the view from Montparnasse Tower is amazing - and you get a great view of the Eiffel tower from it (kinda like going up the Top of the Rock in NYC so you can SEE the Empire State Building).
We will still be going up the Eiffel Tower when we visit Paris this summer (i've booked lunch there and the information says we can purchase tickets to go up further at the restaurant) for the experience but for the views and photography of the Mighty Eiffel it sounds like Montparnasse is a good idea.

Posted by
72 posts

@craigrhome - best advice is to get their early. Around 8 o'clock to 8.30 will mean you get in without too much waiting.

One alternative to the Tower to get an aerial view of the city is the world's largest air balloon, in a park that was the site of the largest car factory in the world in its time, and all for 12 Euros.

https://en.parisinfo.com/guided-tours/74324/Ballon-Generali

Posted by
301 posts

If you want to go at a specific time - at night, for example - troll the ET site. We missed our opportunity for the time we wanted... We're still going, but not when we wanted. I was amazed at how fast tickets go.