Eiffel Tower - stairs and elevator to top

Eliza, no , you cannot get tickets for the stairs online.. there is no need to anyways as lines for the stairs are never going to be much longer then 15-25 minutes in height of summer..
Tickets are available on the second level for the elevators to the top.. No you cannot buy those tickets online in advance either.. but once again, since most people arrive on second level via elevator they have already purchased to the top tickets so lines there would max out at about 20-25 minutes.. but you can luck out and they can be shorter. There is no reason to stress about getting to the top,, the views from the second level really are more then enough, the top level to me is very unpleasant anyways, super crowded,, I dislike it myself. The tickets that you can get online and in advance are sold on the Eiffel Towers official website, if looking a few months out you may snag some, if looking for next 2 months , forget it, they are long gone, they sell out almost as soon as released for sale.

I just returned from Paris and the lines for tickets at the Eiffel Tower were long all day every day. There was not a short line for stairs to the 2nd level and elevator to the top. I tried a month before my trip to get tickets at the official site online and they were sold out. Then I tried a week before and there were some available. So, keep checking the online site and don't be picky about when you go - take whatever is available. I just checked the site and there are times available on Aug. 5 and 8. The only other way to get tickets without standing in line is by booking a pricey tour - that is what some friends of mine ended up doing because it was her first trip to Paris and she HAD to go up the tower. There are several other places in Paris to get a great view. Check the RS guidebook. Good luck!

We went to the Eiffel tower a couple weeks ago at 7:00PM on a perfect Saturday night the day before Bastille Day, probably worst case scenario. We waited 45 minutes to get tickets to take the stairs to the 2nd level. We took our time on the 1st and 2nd level taking picutes and getting drinks. We then waited 45 minutes in line to get tickets to the summit and then into the line for the elevator. If you've been to the summit then you can decide whether it is worth the wait. If you never have been up there then get in line. I'm not the most patient person but as a veteran of many Spring break trips to Disneyworld I've learned that talking to others in line about their trips makes the wait much more enjoyable and you might get some valuable travel advice. So we spent a little over 3 hours at the tower, half that time waiting in line, and had a wonderful time watching the sun set from the summit and seeing the views during the day and at night.

If you do choose to stand in line at ground level for tickets, be sure to look around at all of the lines at whatever ticket windows are open. The last time I bought a ticket to go up, I looked around and found one line that was half as long as the others. I went and go in that line and when I worked my way towards the front, I asked one of the "line monitors" while that line was so short compared to the others and he told me: "Typical behavior of tourists, they tend to follow whomever is in front of them without looking around for the shortest line." I have been to the top twice but both times it was worth a wait that was not so long that I would have skipped it altogether. What a view. I have also been told that if you can afford it, to make reservations at a restraunt on top (if it is still open) in which case you do not have to wait in line. (That restraunt comment is not substantiated by my first hand knowledge but only by others comments)

Thanks to all for your replies!

Just wanted to say again - I was just there and staying nearby so I passed several times - the line for tickets was one really long line.

The website for the tower shows it is booked months in advance. It appears that the tour companies take all the spots. Should we take a chance and wait until we get there? (My husband hates waiting in any line), or should we book one of the pricey tours? I don't know if I'll ever be back for this experience. Thank you!

Until a few weeks ago, I would have told you that you would have no problems showing up, walking to the 2nd level and then getting the elevator to the top.
(8:30ish) intending to do the stairs and found the line to be 45 min - 1 hour long. Lines for the elevators were longer than I had ever seen them before. They were no longer selling tickets to the top because it - and the 2nd level - were full. Next day we showed up 45 minutes before it opened and were first in line at one of the pillars. The other already had over 100 people in line. Even the line for the stairs started forming over 1/2 hour before opening. An hour and a half later when we were finished, the lines were huge and growing. At that point, we estimate there was still at least a 20-30 minute wait for the stairs. If you really want to go to the top during high season, and can't get tickets in advance, I highly recommend showing up before opening. The way the crowds have been this summer, you may find yourself in an extremely long line (in the heat) and/or shut out of the summit due to crowds.

Sad to say I do not have tickets and we are going in a few days. I am going to have to stand in line and hope for the best. I would like to go on the 9th but would be happy to go on the 7th or 8th but wish I had tickets