Hi,
We are going to be in Paris in a few weeks, and it turns out we will be there during Bastille Day. I've heard the fireworks over the Eifel Tower are a sight to see. Since we will have our kids with us, can anyone recommend a place to watch the fireworks but without having to stay in one place all day (i.e. Champs de Mars) and without being squeezed in with the masses (mostly for safety and our fear of getting separated). Thanks so much.
All of the bridges offer good platforms for viewing, and you can basically walk up to one an hour or 30 minutes before the fireworks start and find a spot. There will be crowds (in the hundreds), but nothing like the Champ de Mars (tens of thousands). We watched from Pont Neuf last year, and had a great time. (edit: I prolly could have written that better. To be clear, the bridges themselves are the "platform for viewing"... didn't mean to imply that the city builds platforms on bridges just for fireworks viewing. Hope that makes sense... : )
Don't plan to take the metro 'home' afterwards so plan to hike back. The metros around the center get crazy crowded. Only time I was ever afraid in Paris was in the crush of a subway station after an event at the Eiffel tower. I had visions of soccer tramplings running through my mind and we got out as quickly as we could manage it. Maybe walk a half mile or so away and get a train if you need one to get back.
The year we did the bastille fireworks they didn't go off till nearly midnight; they were scheduled for about 10:30 when it isn't even very dark. I don't know why they were so delayed but that may factor in here.
The fireworks are scheduled for 23h00, if all goes well with the weather.
There will be a concert before that, usually about an hour or so.
Getting home should be your main priority - you should decide on a place where you will be able to walk home. Everyone else will be walking home, too, and if you avoid the Metro, you will have lots of company and will be safe - as long as you don't trip over any cobblestones.
The fireworks are designed to be appreciated from the side of the Eiffel Tower which faces Trocadero - so, either you'll get a partial side-view from most of the bridges, or go across the river from the Eiffel Tower - pretty much anywhere along the avenue de New York is a good place - but get there by the time the concert starts.
Maybe try to get a late dinner reservation for a restaurant that has a view of the Eiffel Tower (like Les Ombres) if they aren't already fully booked.
Agree with some of the bridges being a decent place to view the Tower. We just stopped on Pont de l'Alma the other night to watch the Tower light up at the top of the hour after sunset mostly because we didn't feel like going near Trocadero with all the vendors and crowds of people who had been drinking all day in the UEFA Fan Zone. Another restaurant with outdoor seating and a rooftop terrace is right outside of Alma-Marceau Metro stop (Chez Francis). No idea what their food is like, but we also stopped right in front of Chez Francis on our way back to the Metro just to get another look at the Tower lit up. You can probably get some reviews of the food at some of those restaurants from TripAdvisor or Yelp - but if you do some research and go with the understanding it might not be the cheapest meal or Michelin starred cuisine and you are really paying for the view, you probably won't be disappointed and you'll have given yourself and your family a comfy place to enjoy the fireworks.
If you don't really care about being down near the crowds or listening to a concert, then maybe see if Montparnasse Tower Observation Deck is open on Bastille Day and you can get tickets to go up before the fireworks begin. You're across town, but you've got a view of all of Paris from the 56th Floor. FYI...there is also a restaurant on another floor in the Montparnasse Tower that has a view and you pay extra if you want a guaranteed table by the window. I'd be very specific about making sure they understand you'd want to be on the side that faces the Eiffel if you do book there as it is pricey.
We watched the Bastille Day fireworks from a river boat a few years back and it was awesome! The boat captain just sat in one place during the entire show, which was pretty long by US standards. Highly recommended!
Does anyone know of an AirBnB or VRBO rental that has a nice terrace view of the Eiffel Tower?
Lance - please start a new post with your new question, since it's quite different from the original one, and people who know about accommodations might not know about Bastille Day fireworks and so will ignore this post.
Thank you all very much for the helpful answers.
