Eiffel Tower

How important is it to YOU? We recently returned from a week in Paris. It was our first trip and we were not interested in standing in line with a bunch of people to go up the Tower. But maybe it's something you think is important enough to invest the time into doing.

I've been to Paris many times and never been to the top of the ET. I finally went to the middle level on one trip and that was enough for me. I prefer seeing the Tower itself from various vantage points in Paris. There's a nice view at night from the Trocadero steps. It's really your call and you don't have to go to the top just because others recommend it.

On the day I went, I had hoped to get all the way to the top but those tickets were sold out by the time I got up to the ticket window. The view from the middle level is very nice. In the end, I didn't feel like I missed anything major by not going all the way to the top. If you have an elevator phobia, you can always just buy a ticket to take the stairs and walk up (provided you don't have any mobility or health issues).

I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower with some trepidation got very uncomfortable taking elevators farther and farther up that narrower and narrower spire with the open girders and all. But once on top I got absorbed in the view and the acrophobia was no worse than usual. (These phobias, after all, are ultimately based on rational responses to potentially dangerous situations. Our non-phobic ancestors probably fell off high places, got crushed in small spaces, drowned, got bitten by spiders, etc. But I digress!) That said, it was also very crowded and expensive to get all the way up there. I like to get a scenic "overview" of any city when possible, but I think I'd have done just as well with a lower level of the ET, or the alternative of the Tour Montparnasse not far away (which I did on a later trip). The TM is much less crowded, and you get to see the beautiful ET from there, whereas from the ET you have to look at the not-beautiful TM. The TM isn't as high or as close to the river, but you can still see a whole lot of this magnificent city. There is an elevator, of course, but it's no worse than going up any high-rise office building which of course the TM is.

I like the 2nd level better than the top. I think the view is actually better, because I can see more detail. I think going up is a worthwhile experience, whichever level you choose. The top level is always very crowded because it's a much smaller space than the 1st or 2nd level. You can always walk up, rather than take the elevator... it's less expensive and no lines.

I enjoyed all levels and would do it again. My boyfriend has a height phobia and he did fine with the top level.

No one has mentioned how beautiful the tower is when you are near and below it. It's massive and light and airy all at the same time. So if you are ambivalent about going up, just go to the base and decide then.

The Eiffel Tower is touristy, but in my opinion, a must see. The view is amazing. We went all the way to the top, but i am sure midway is fine also. Our kids loved the Eiffel Tower! Good luck!

We enjoyed going to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Views (and resulting photos) are nice. It was crowded, but just listening to all the different languages people were speaking was an experience in and of itself. My spouse is the kind of person that if one can go to the top of something, it's got to be done. The Eiffel, St. Peter's Dome, the St. Louis Arch, Statue of Liberty, (with great respect, the memory of) the World Trade Center........and the list goes on. But, if that's not "your thing," the Eiffel can be enjoyed and photographed from many angles. The top is not a "must do," just a "if you want to do." Agree with the poster who suggested to wait and determine when you get there. We purchased tickets on the spot.

I've been in Paris zillions (okay, not ACTUALLY zillions) of times over the past 30 years and have never gone up. Can't say I feel like I have missed anything. The Tower is amazing from the ground - all of the various view of it peeking out behind blocks of flats, or rising over the horizon unexpectedly, as you explore Paris on foot, are superb. Just hanging out at the base of the Tower is a great experience - it is a magnificent edifice! For a nice view over the city, go up to the Sacre Coeur and check out the panorama. No elevators required, no tickets to buy!

The one thing I didn't do in Europe was stand in long lines. I didn't go up in the tower and spent my time at a cafe instead.

If you have a problem with elevators, then maybe going up in the ET isn't for you. My kids still like to poke fun of me about our one trip to the top. Apparently, I got really pale and had a look of sheer terror on my face. (I don't dispute that, but I think I've repressed the memory, so I can't be sure...) I do recommend going to the 2nd floor. That I had no problem with. It's more spacious, you don't have to stand with your nose pressed against the fencing and getting a constant reminder that you're so far up and in danger of falling (I think I fell to my death in a past life) That said, I absolutely loved the view from Notre Dame and would recommend it in a heartbeat. You can see so much more, it's not that high up, and getting face-to-face with the gargoyles is pretty neat.

Thanks for all your help!

We were there in 2009. In the evening we crossed the river to watch the tower change as the sun set and it got dark. We left before 9:00. The next morning someone in our group remarked about the tower twinkling. Do they still twinkle the lights on the hour after dark? It was worth going back the second night.

We went last October and walked right up to buy tickets. The line was about 20 minutes long. We went to the second level which was fine for us. The elevators are big, mostly glass and quick. You can walk up if you have a strong heart. I walked down from the second level which I think is 43 stories up. Nice walk plus I checked out the first level too. Piece of cake. Go and enjoy it!