Eiffel Tower tickets

When are you trying to purchase tickets for? If you're trying too far in advance that could be why they are not available.

The first week in April of this year.

Ouch, buying tickets online in advance is crucial to your Eiffel Tower experience. Nothing beats the walk straight in only in line for less than 20 minutes on the second level to the top. I just checked and you are right, no tickets are available the first week of April. That being said, you can still grab tickets on-location but that line is ridiculous unless you show up early or late... then that other elevator line is even worse. You can always walk up the stairs if you are able. Good luck! Most people will say skip it, but I always say, you gotta do it at least once before you skip anything. Good luck!

I waited too long as well for our trip last March. We were going to do the Fat Tire Bicycle Tour, which meets there at the Eiffel Tower--so when the bike tour was complete (around 2:30 or 3), we just got in line to buy tickets. We were in line for about 20 minutes--not too bad. Then we walked up (didn't buy the elevator tix--which you can also do on the second level)the stairs.

I went up the tower last August w/o pre-purchased tickets. The wait in line was about 20 mins. I went up in the evening about 1/2 hour before sunset. I think it's probably more convenient to have pre-purchased tickets but it's by no means 'crucial'.

Well I am surprised that someone would say its "crucial" to your experience to have advance tickets, as this feature is new, a few years ago, everyone just waited and somehow most of us enjoyed our visits regardless. Laura, do not panic, you can still go up. You have a few choices for avoiding a long wait. First, try taking the stairs, no matter who busy ET is the line for the stairs is never more then 20 minutes,, and the stairs are doable by most healthy people. I did them an survived and I am no fitness buff and middleaged. Second idea, go early , about 1/2 hr to 45 minutes befor it opens, yes you are waiting a bit, but for goodness sake is every one so determined to never have to spend time in lines.. its your holiday, relax.. standing still for 45 minutes won't kill you. Ten year old children will wait an hour or more for some rides at Disneyland, so I suppose adults should be able to handle a bit of a wait to enjoy visitng a world class site..

Nancy, one of the elevators in the Eiffel Tower was broken for much of the spring and summer, and many people avoided the Tower altogether. I'm guessing when you went in August the lift had been recently repaired but the crowds had not fully returned. Pat, you are right that one can "wait" and enjoy one's trip. But a few years ago 100 percent of the tickets were available to walk-ups. Now it's half that or perhaps far less, as so many tickets are sold in advance. So if you walk up you will wait, and wait, and wait.

Frank, where did you get that information, I do not think half the tickets are sold online. I think it is a small percentage. Note how many posters have had 20 minute waits, thats hardly horrible, and yes its not high season, but I have given two good tactics that will work in busier months ( April-October).

Three of us were there the end of last June when the elevator was broke and bought tickets on site. The line waiting for the single working elevator was hours long, we heard 3 hours. It was about 3:00pm and we chose to take the stairs as we planned on only going to the second level. The wait was probably 20 minutes and well worth it. If you are capable of taking the stairs it will make the wait much less. We never would have done it if we needed to take the elevator. We stopped as often as needed without being in anyone's way

It is crucial because: 1. if you have advance tickets, you can walk up to the elevator at your time, get to the second level, walk up to the elevator line again wait about 20 minutes, get to the top floor, wait in line for 5-10 minutes to get back down to the second floor. spend more time on the second level. 2. if you skip the top floor it means you literally walk right into the elevator get to the second level spend as much time as you want wait in like for 15 minutes to get back down. Without tickets:
My friend waited in line for 30 minutes to buy the tickets. Waited in line for 40 minutes for the elevator to the second level. Waited inline for another 30 minutes for the elevator to go to the top, waited inline for 5-10 minutes to get back down, another 10 to get back to the ground. I have finished touring the Eiffel Tower and the Museum of Military and the Napoleon's Tomb and sitting at a cafe sipping coffee with my wife while waiting for my friend and his wife to get back to ground level. So YES it is "crucial." Unless you like to waste valuable time. If I had to wait in all those lines, my experience for the Eiffle Tower would not have been as efficient and romantic, along with many more sites and memories on the same day. There is a reason why the option is there, for those who believe pre-booked tickets for convenience and line skipping are crucial to travel experiences.

Half of my kids want to go to the top. The other half just want to go to the middle. Do you think it is fine to send my 13 and 10 year old up alone or leave my 17 year old and 11 year old alone on the 2nd floor. Torn on what tickets to purchase. Thanks!

Yes it is perfectly safe Tracy I sent my 13 yr old son up to top alone from second level.There is only one elevator up and down, it does not go to the ground but only from second level to top. Top is fully enclosed and very small .

Frank I have been up the ET many times,, and no it is not crucial, and your one example is just that, one experience. I had prepurchased tickets for last summer for first time. We did not just walk right up to elevator, we waited about 15 minutes for it, and then on second level we waited another 20 for top, top is such a waste of time in my opinion, only went up there to please friend, I think 2nd level is more then enough, and last time before I went to top was 20 years ago, its still not that much to me. I agree waiting 2 hours for elevator would suck, but there are many many people who some how have enjoyed their visits immensely without having to wait that long. They can choose to line up 45 minutes before it opens during busy season, and in quieter seasons many people find they can just walk up and wait 5-10 minutes. There is also the stairs, which I have also done. Line was very long one summer, I took stairs, waited 20 minutes and climbed up. i was in my mid forties at that time and survived it just fine. The fact is pre purchased time slot tickets is a fairly new thing, only last few years, and yet millions of tourists have enjoyed the ET anyways . What IS crucial to enjoying Paris is not getting uptight about waiting in lines, crowds or not having everything on a tight schedule, and freaking out if something doesn't go to plan.
Yes we would all like to avoid lines, but since sometimes we can't , then telling yourself or anyone that enjoying any site it is CRUCIAL to avoid lines is not very helpful.

Can anyone please tell me what would happen if I show up late for my time slot? There is exactly one time available for the one day I'm going to be in Paris, and it's only 45 min after my train arrives. I have to have time to "leave" my luggage somewhere (preferably at the departing train station, which is a different station). Since there is still a queue for pre-purchased tickets do you think I can arrive 10, 15 minutes late without being turned away?

What website can you by the tickets to Eiffel direct

Krista, I think they will and do turn people away, I was told the cut off time was 10 minutes, but it may be closer to 15. Its a gamble isn't it . First off what station are you arriving at and which one are you departing from. No one can advise what is possible without all the information.

Anita on the official Eiffel Tower website. But warning, tickets sell out fast as they only sell 25 or so per time slot.
www.tour-eiffel.en/ I suck at links so you may just have to google for site.

It looks likes tickets for the Eiffel Tower is a popular topic. I am traveling to Paris in August with my kids and the highlight will the Eiffel tower. However, the official website does not allow me to book any tickets for the week I am going to there. I do see tickets available in September which means they are available be at 11.00 p.m. only. My question is can I still turn up on and line-up and hope to get a ticket or should I expect that no tickets on-lines means no tickets at all? Any feedback would be great.... just do not want to disappoint my children! Thanks

Kirit - Yes, you can show up and get in line, but depending on time of day, you could have a 3 hour wait. My advice: Show up about 1/2 hour before official opening time and head to the EAST pillar. For whatever reason, most people start lining up at the North pillar. You should have minimal, if any, wait once it opens. Head up to the top if you are going and then work your way down. We showed up about 40 minutes before opening last week and were first in line for that tower, and there were already maybe 100 people in line for the North one. By the time we got done with our visit, lines were well over 1.5 hours long.

You can always just show up and get in line for tickets, only a very small amount of timed-entry tickets are sold in advance online. Read the other threads on this and you'll see the best times to go and approx how long the waits in line will be.