We are heading to France in mid-September and while in Paris plan to visit the Eiffel Tower. While we have visted the Tower a couple times in the past, our friends haven't so are looking to make it memorable. We are looking to be there around sunset which appears to occur around 8 pm in mid September. Wondering about the various "Behind the Scenes" tours that are being offered. I see three: 1.) Behind the Scenes tour offered by Cultival 2.) Skip the Line tour offered by Viator
3.) Skip the Line tour offered by Fat Tire Bikes The offerings are somewhat different content (e.g. some include your ticket to the third level) and pricewise. We have had prior experience with the Fat Tire Bikes company so are leaning that way. Just wondering if anyone has taken any of these tours? P.S. I know Rick has a eiffel Tower tour in his Paris book. We are doing 5 or 6 of his self-guided tours during our time in Paris so looking to take the tour guide hat off for a couple hours while at the Eiffel Tower :-)
Posted by
OP
Canada
83 posts
So it looks like no one has taken any of these "Behind the Scenes" tours. Maybe I should just buy our tickets in advance and put my tour guide hat back on :-) Mike R
Posted by
2081 posts
hi, you may want to give the regulars time to respond. some or most i would guess work for a living and cant be on here 24/7/365. i read about the Fat Tire tour in RS book, but choose to pass on it. I did do the "meet the french" tour tho but it was based on my background in Architecture/Art. so im sure it would boooor your friends. the way i see and do it, if no one chimes in about any of them, is to "just do it". find out for yourself and post your impressions here so the next person(s) will have an idea just like you want. happy trails.
Posted by
Marengo, Illinois, USA
16 posts
Buy the ticket to go to the top. We decided to save money and walk part way up. We did that and when we got to the ticket booth to buy the ticket to go on up to the top...they told us they were not selling any more tickets for that day! So we have been to the Eiffel Tower..but NOT to the top!
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Carol, having been to ET many times in my lifetime, the top is a let down, its a small, crowded area, enclosed,and your view can be obstructed by haze/smog,, its really much ado about nothing and I never bother to take my travelling companions up there unless they insist. You didn't miss much as far as I would think .. Mike seriously I would choose which ever one was cheapest, ,they all are going to show you the basic behind the scenes ... And Viatour is NOT a tour company, they simply sell other company tours, so you may end up choosing them because they are cheapest and then find out they are actually either FT or Culitval,, wouldn't that be funny... So basically choose cheapest ( sometimes Viatour offers good rates as they buy blocks of tickets so get a discount, but often they are more expensive, compare compare !)