Stupid of me: we'll be in Paris in a little over three weeks and I didn't think to look into booking tickets for the Eiffel Tower for our family of 7 until today, and there aren't enough available online to book in advance for any of the days we'll be there (Sat, June 4 & Mon-Thurs, June 6-9). Any tips for getting walk-up tickets? Will the lines be so long that it won't even be worth it? Is there a best time to go for success? Thanks for any advice!
Posted by
Ohio
2128 posts
Hi mcanary, yikes, sorry about that! Just wanted to offer another alternative. We booked a tour (twice) with Get Your Guide (I’m sure there are other companies that do this too). A guide spent about an hour on the history of the ET then took us below to see the machinery that operates the elevators. Included is a ticket to the second level or summit. You skip the lines which saves some time. I thought the tour was informative. Might work for your family. I’d hate to miss the ET.
Posted by
Los Angeles
4392 posts
you can also pop into a FNAC upon arrival and see what tix are available
Posted by
Grand Rapids, MI
768 posts
If you don't mind walking up the stairs of the Eiffel Tower, you'll have a much greater chance of getting in.
Here's the Eiffel site on this: https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/faq/spot/how-can-you-climb-eiffel-tower-foot
When we were there pre-covid, the elevator line was about 100 people, but the line to walk up the stairs was about 6 people. I was in my 60's and my daughter was 30 and we had fun climbing up and down (though I was breathing heavier than she was!).
Posted by
California
1625 posts
Donna- we took the same tour! It was interesting but I think we did it due to sold out tickets also. It was just a few Euros more.
Posted by
Panguitch, Utah
2544 posts
Easy to walk up and purchase tickets, the real price is the time you spend in line. I believe that in June, the ET is open at 09h00. I would arrive at 08h30.
Posted by
Chicago
8049 posts
On April 9 (and I realize experiences will be different as tourist season ramps up) we had reserved tickets to the top and waited in line for 70 minutes to get on the elevator -- those buying on site were being fed into the same line at the head and it looked like they actually had a shorter wait. It is not entirely predictable. On that day anyway, those buying walk up tickets had no issues getting them.
FWIW. 'walk up tickets' suggest you want to walk up to the second floor -- THOSE have a very short line to buy and if you want to do that you can buy tickets from the second level to the top when you get the walk up tickets.
I think you mean walk up and buy elevator tickets and the rest of the advice works for that.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thanks, Everyone, for the helpful replies! It helps me know what to expect. Sounds like our best bet might be to take the stairs to the second level.
Posted by
Chicago
8049 posts
Just be sure you buy your elevator ride to the top WHEN you buy your ticket to walk to level 2. There are none available on the Tower itself (used to be -- no more)
Posted by
San Francisco, CA, USA
271 posts
You might want to try around dinner time. Several years ago in June, my daughter and I got to the Eiffel Tower in the morning and were surprised at how long the lines were. An attendant overheard us and advised us to come back at dinner time and sure enough, she was right. At 7pm there were no lines to speak of and we just walked right up to the ticket booth then straight to the line to the elevator that goes to the top.
Posted by
140 posts
We visited (prepurchased tickets) in late April (28th I believe) and there were signs posted in several places that no same day tickets were available. So you can’t depend on being able to get them same day. If it is important to your group, and you can get them via a tour at a price that works for you, I would consider doing it. Also, no one seemed to pay the slightest attention to what time our tickets were for