Skip The Lines At The Eiffel Tower

Yosemite1,

Thanks for sharing this helpful article!

I must mention that this fact given on the article is incorrect:

Now anyone can buy tickets on their official website up to two months in advance for a specific time (up until 9:30pm) to access the summit (as well as the 1st and 2nd floors) via elevator.

One can actually buy tickets on the official website up to 92 days in advance.
Presently one can buy tickets up to March 20th.

Keep this in mind if visiting Paris in January... According to the Eiffel Tower's official website:

Please note that the top floor will be completely closed from 9 to 27 January inclusive due to building work.

If our experience in late June is representative, a timed ticket is the difference between 90 minutes in the ticketed line versus 120 minutes in the no advance ticket line. Seriously we stepped on the first elevator 90 minutes after our reserved time, and we were there 30 minutes before our reserved time. There was yet another line to get to the top.

If there is a 90 minute wait for the reserved elevator then they are mismanaging ticket sales; we got right on at our designated time but it was a rainy uncrowded day. There is always a line to get to the top on the second floor. everyone, pre-booked or not, has to crowd into this tiny elevator and it is always a wait for this last leg.

Re late June: The delays were related to security.

This year the tower was at the edge of the official fan zone for the European Cup. Security was turned up to 11. We were there—and stayed away from the Tower though it had been on our list. Transit was disrupted too.

So not a typical experience.

I'd like to give them a security out, but while there was plenty of security to get on the grounds around the tower, there didn't appear to be any more at the tower and all the elevators were packed. They couldn't have sent any more people up with or without security. They overbooked.

Hi Yosemite, thanks for the article.

I think the Eiffel Tower's official website is the best place to purchase tickets and to keep up-to-date on unexpected closings, etc. You can purchase tickets at this site 90 days in advance at 8:30 a.m. Paris time. That's 2:30 a.m. Eastern time. Tickets go quickly, often selling out in 15-20 minutes. At least that's been my experience (5 times).

http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/preparing-your-visit/buying-your-tickets.html

Our last visit was on Sep 26, 2016. We arrived about 20 minutes early with tickets for 8 p.m. The guards let us pass through 5 minutes early. We were at the summit 5 minutes later. No problems. This was the first time we were on the Tower when it lit up and started twinkling, very cool!