Eiffel Tower

If you're going to climb Mount Everest, do you just want to go to the base camp, or since you've spent all your time and money to get there, would you rather go all the way to the top? My preference, and it seems to work well for the slew of folks I've taken there, is to go at night. The smog has gone, the lines are shorter, and the view of the city lights at night is better than just looking around during the day. I also try to time it toward the end of a trip since people seem to enjoy spotting all the places they've seen previously from the ground. The drawback to buying tickets in advance is that the weather might be blotto at your appointed time and you've wasted your money. Either just show up late at night when there's not much of a line or find a computer and order them while you're there and can get a better guess of what the weather is going to do a couple of days down the road.

The top etage is very small and the lines for the elevator going up and down are long. I like the 2nd etage better, lots of room and great views. I usually go late in the day at dusk -- watch the sun set and lights come on and then see the first ET light show. I don't go in summer so lines have never been that bad for buying tickets or getting on the elevator.

Having just returned from Paris for the first time, I would say go all the way up to the top once, just to cross it off the list. Yeah, the second set of elevators takes awhile to do, but it's the Eiffel Tower after all! We booked our tickets online & had ok, not stellar weather. However, since we only had two days to pick from, it didn't really matter and we were on the Eiffel Tower! I would probably not go up there again (preferred the view from Notre Dame that includes Eiffel Tower) but I'm glad we went up it and all the way, at least once. Side note: hang on tight to your ticket if it is windy. You need to show it again to get up to the very top level and one gentleman in line in front of us dropped his ticket and didn't notice. Fortunately, I did and was able to catch it before it blew away.

We went to the Eiffel tower at night early November, and by the time we got to the front of the line, the tickets to the top had been sold out. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how "high' we were from the next level down. Would have been fabulous to see the top, but we weren't disappointed.

George, I'd suggest taking the trip right to the top. As you're there anyway, why not? As the others have mentioned, you'll have to stand in another queue for the Elevator to the top, and at times it can be long. You might want to time your visit for "less busy" times. I've found that first thing in the morning is usually a bit better, and also about supper time. That's not to say there won't be queues, but they should be "lighter". I never bother buying tickets online. I always prefer to buy once I arrive in Paris and have my sightseeing organized to some extent. Finally, be sure to wear a Money Belt as there are typically lots of "scammers" working the area under the Tower. Happy travels!

We didn't elect to visit the top on our first visit but now that our boys are getting older they are eager to on our next trip. Enjoy!

George: I was dragged there kicking and screaming at the crack of dawn, on a Friday morning in July. I was wrong, I was overawed, I enjoyed every moment. Do it, do it all. We were there early enough to buy our tickets just before we went up. The lines are part of the adventure, enjoy them. Just imagine , all those people from all over the world, standing together, in harmony, in a common cause.( wishing everyone would leave, so they can have the tower to themselves)
Peter

I cannot imagine anyone NOT wanting to go right to the top if they are already half-way there! Roger

Hehe - Roger, count my husband and I as two people who elected not to go to the top once on the second level. We went up in the evening after seeing the line at the bottom wasn't "all that bad" compared to what we'd seen over a few days. With tickets to the top purchased, we stood a short time in line and then were packed into the elevator to the second level. The doors opened... and there was a sea of people, complete with mobs of puffy-coat-adorned teenagers who all seemed to know each other. They chose to communicate in that way many groups of teenagers communicate - with lots of yelling and shrieking. We then picked our way through the crowd to try to find the elevator to the top. What we found was a line that seemed to snake around forever, and there was a lot of international confusion about the proper way to queue. After standing in line for several minutes, being jostled to and fro, I looked at my husband and said, "Had enough?" Neither one of us felt any remorse for going back down, especially as it wasn't exactly the "romantic atmosphere" we'd envisioned. :) Another poster on this site once wrote (and it still makes me giggle, no matter if it's true or not), "I don't think the view improves the higher you go, things just get smaller."

Thoroughly thrilled by going all the way to the top, although the viewing area was much smaller than I was expecting and not being a huge heights fan it was a bit unnerving at first. But it was well worth it. It was April when I went, and when I arrived at the base to buy my ticket the line was really short, to my surprise--only like 20 minutes.

Been to the top both times I visited the ET and I am deathly afraid of heights. Second time visit: we got to the front of the line to buy our tickets just as the ticket seller put a sign in the window saying that travel to the top was closed as it had reached its capacity. Upon inquiry, I found we could buy a ticket to the 2nd level and then when some folks came down from the top, we could purchase tickets to go to the top. I stood in line at the ticket window on the 2nd level while my wife ran around and took lots of pictures and eventually, maybe 20 minutes, that ticket window did open and I purchased tickets to the top. Glad we went up to the 2nd level and glad I wait for tickets. Next visit we will try to time our ride up to coincide with sunset. I understand the night time views are remarkable.

Another option that many folk don't consider is the view from the top of the Montparnasse tower, which INCLUDES (of course), the Tour Eiffel. However, don't make the same mistake as me on my first visit many years ago - after a VERY good meal with some VERY good wine in Montparnasse, we decided to go up the tower to see the view and were amazed that there was no line. We found out why at the top. Due to thick low cloud, the view was of ONLY the Tour Eiffel, poking up above the gloom! We laughed about it afterwards! Roger

One obvious consideration is the weather, as the top can easily get buried in cloud cover. Another good reason not to buy tickets in advanced. BTW, on my one trip up the tower, my wife and I went after dark. There was no line at all at the ticket booth. We waited longer to descend than we did to ascend.