5 Tips for Visiting the Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower

On your first time to Paris, you are going to want to see the Eiffel Tower. Sure, it might be one of the more obvious attractions in the City of Light, but it is a true world icon and one that few tourists can resist the chance to see.

How and where you visit the Eiffel Tower depends largely on you. For some, it is enough to merely get a view of the tower or maybe a few photos from a nearby vantage. Others will settle for no less than a ride all the way to the very top (and maybe a romantic kiss while you’re there!).

Here are a few tips to make your visit to the Eiffel Tower the best possible experience.

1. Choose the right time to go.

For obvious reasons, the Eiffel Tower is busiest on weekends and in the afternoons, when lazy tourists manage to get going. If you plan to go up to the top, queues for the lifts and entrances can become almost unbearably long and sometimes you never see the end. If you want to avoid the long wait, aim to get there early in the morning or during the dinner hour, on a weekday if possible. The tower opens at 9a.m. in the summer and 9:30a.m. the rest of the year, and closes at midnight and 11p.m. respectively.

2. Check the weather.

Being a tower, the Tour Eiffel sometimes suffers from weather conditions. Wind and rain storms are especially prohibitive and, oftentimes if the weather gets bad or the wind picks up, the tower will close to visitors. Make sure to check the weather a day or two before you plan to go.

3. Buy your tickets in advance, online.

The longest lines at the Eiffel Tower are for tickets, but fewer people realise that you can actually purchase your tickets online in advance and skip the ticket queues when you get there! In fact, your online ticket automatically issues you a specific time of entry, which means you can simply show up at the designated time and go straight in without queuing at all!

4. Save money, take the stairs!

In addition to its comfy lifts, the Eiffel Tower is also equipped with several staircases that are open to visitors. If you are looking to save a little money, are travelling on a budget or just want to get some exercise after all that lovely French cheese and wine you’ll no doubt be indulging in, you can buy a ticket to climb the stairs at a discount. Be aware that the stairs ticket only offers entrance to the 2^nd level and not the very top of the Eiffel Tower, but it is half the price of the same ticket for the lifts.

Stunning View from Eiffel Tower's First Floor

5. Skip the top level.

The Eiffel Tower has three floors, and the real gems are the first and second floors, which are wide, open-air platforms that offer amazing views over Paris and the Seine with the bright wind whipping through your hair. The top floor, which albeit is higher up, is enclosed and, thanks to the tower’s unique design, is also the smallest and most crowded platform, offering only a few small windows for views out of what is otherwise a round metal box. Since tickets for the 2^nd floor are half the price of tickets to the top, your best bet is to skip the queue and the rather unfortunate experience at the top, and spend your time on the 2^nd floor enjoying the space, air and amazing views.