Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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It's crowded, expensive, and there are probably better views in Paris, but visiting this
1,000-foot-tallornamentisworththetrouble.VisitorstoParismayfind
MonaLisa
tobeless
than expected, but the Eiffel Tower rarely disappoints, even in an era of skyscrapers.
Cost:
€14 for an elevator ride all the way to the top, €8.50 if you're only going up to the
twolowerlevels,notcoveredbyMuseumPass;savesometimeinlinebyclimbingthestairs
to the first and second levels for €5 (€3.50 if you're under 25); once inside the tower, you
can buy your way to the top with no penalty—ticket booths and machines on the first and
second levels sell supplements for €5.50.
Hours:
Daily mid-June-Aug 9:00-24:00, last ascent to top at 23:00 and to lower levels
at 23:30; Sept-mid-June 9:30-23:00, last ascent to top at 22:00 and to lower levels at 22:30,
stairs close at 18:00 in off-season.
Reservations:
Frankly, you'd be crazy to show up without a reservation. At
www.tour-
eiffel.fr
, you can book an entry time and skip the initial line (the longest)—at no extra cost.
Book well in advance, as soon as you know when you'll be in Paris. Just pay online with a
creditcardandprintyourownticket.Whenbuyingticketsonline,makesureyouselect“Lift
entrance ticket with access to the summit” in order to go all the way to the top. For “Type of
ticket,” it doesn't really matter whether you pick “Group” or “Individual”; a “Group” ticket
just gives you one piece of paper covering everyone in your party. You must enter a mobile
phone number for identification purposes, so if you don't have one, make one up—and jot it
downsoyouwon'tforgetit(Frenchmobile phonenumbersbeginwith06or07andhave10
digits). Arrive at the tower 10 minutes before your entry time and look for either of the two
entrances marked
Visiteurs avec Reservation (Visitors with Reservation),
where attendants
scan your ticket and put you on the first available elevator. Alternatively, Classic Walks may
When to Go:
For the best of all worlds, arrive with enough light to see the views, then
stay as it gets dark to see the lights. The views are grand whether you ascend or not. At the
top of the hour, a five-minute display features thousands of sparkling lights (best viewed
from Place du Trocadéro or the grassy park below).
Avoiding Lines:
Crowds overwhelm this place much of the year, with one- to two-hour
waitstogetin(unlessit'srainy,whenlinescanevaporate).Weekendsandholidaysareworst,
but prepare for ridiculous crowds almost any time. The best solution is to make an online
reservation (see above) and to take the stairs down (from first or second levels). If you don't
have areservation, goearly; get inline 30minutes before the tower opens.Goinglater isthe
next-best bet (after 19:00 May-Aug, after 17:00 off-season, a bit earlier in winter as it gets
dark by 17:00). When you buy tickets, all members of your party must be with you. You can
bypasssome(butnotall)linesifyouhaveareservationateitherofthetower'sviewrestaur-
ants or hike the stairs.