I just tried to purchase 4 tickets to the top of the Eiffel tower (6:30 AM PST) via the "official website" only to find out they have been all snatched up (wanted for 7/27/15. What is my best alternative? Purchase a lift to 2nd floor (going fast) or go through other vendor? (Not advised by many references but it might be my only option?)
get to second floor and then get the ticket to the top if you still want to go when you are there at the booth on the second floor. there is a huge wait for elevators at that level whether you have tickets ahead or not.
Hi K, buy the tickets to the 2nd floor. There is a little booth on the 2nd floor where you can purchase a ticket to the 3rd. Wait time just depends. Last year I waited just a few minutes to get the ticket, then another 20 minutes to get to the summit (3rd floor).
An alternative would be to do a Behind the Scenes tour (try getyourguide.com). With that tour you can skip the lines to the 2nd floor but still need to buy a ticket to the top. I did the tour twice and thought it was worth the additional cost to get a history lesson and to see how the elevators work.
Enjoy your trip!
We were a part of the "blink and you'll miss it" ticket release! What I did was purchase the guided tour from the Eiffel Tower site. It worked out great and we will just buy tickets to the top when on the 2nd floor.
http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/preparing-your-visit/booking-a-guided-tour.html#visite-coulisses