Eiffel Tower Tips For Your First Time Visit to Paris, France

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I realize there’s SO much to do in Paris, but I don’t associate it without the Eiffel Tower. On a quick trip to Paris, my main concern was to see it in person. I realized there were many other people who felt the same way. Here are my Eiffel Tower tips to make this a great experience.

• Go on a weekday. There will STILL be lines, but not as many.
• Go early or late in the day to avoid crowds.
• Book tickets early. There WILL be crowds. Certain times do sell out. We went in late February and there were tons of people there. You don’t necessarily have to book a tour like we did, but get tickets before you arrive so you can skip some of the line. I suggest purchasing tickets through Get Your Guide online before you go due to their great prices and cancellation policy. Here is a link to their Eiffel Tower skip the line tickets with summit access that I did.
• Having a tour guide is good to find your way around the place without missing anything. I liked hearing the details and history of the tower while waiting in the lines.
• Arrive earlier than what is noted on your ticket since the lines are long.
• Plan enough time for your visit. We were there 3 hours. Even if you have tickets, there will be a long line due to there being TWO security lines everyone has to go through (to get in the gate and before going up the elevator).

• REMEMBER: You cannot bring locks. I had a small lock that I use for my anti-theft bag that thankfully they let me keep as it is very small. The first security line didn’t care, but the second made a big deal about it. Which I understand, but had forgotten it was even in there!
• Watch for pickpockets. We watched as a man tried asking for directions to get an opportunity to steal something. He did this to several people before heading to another location.
• Don’t forget to look for the smaller version of the Statue of Liberty on an island in the middle of the Seine River.

• Stop at the first floor. Most people skip this one, but this is where you will find the glass floor, restaurant, and gift shop.
• If you plan on going to the summit, buy tickets for that before getting to the second floor to avoid having to wait in another line. There is another line on the second floor for the elevators to get to the summit. (Then, you have to wait in line again to get back down!)
• There is more than one line to go up and down. Just find the shortest one! We found that some lines on the side with the wind were much shorter.
• Don’t forget to check out Gustave Eiffel’s office on the top floor. You can see wax figures of him chatting with Thomas Edison.

• If the weather is nice (it was cold when we visited), enjoy some bubbly at the champagne bar at the summit.
• Don’t miss the 5 minute light show at the top of the hour from sunset to 1 AM. I think it was my favorite part of my Eiffel Tower experience! My favorite place is joining the crowd at the Trocadero for an unobstructed view.