Visiting the Eiffel Tower -- going early to avoid queue
My girlfriend and I will be in Paris for a weekend in late June. We have been unable to buy an online ticket for the Eiffel Tower, so we would like to go there early in the morning to avoid having to wait in line too long. Since it's a Saturday in summer, we think it will probably be quite busy that day.
Considering the fact that it opens at 9:30AM, we think it'll be good to arrive there before 9AM, and be among the first to enter.
Has anybody done this before? Did this trick work, or are there usually long lines already in the morning? In case this won't work, is there anything else that will?
Best Answer
You can queue for the lifts, however this is not your best bet (unless you have difficulty with stairs.) There are two better options...What I would suggest (and what I do whenever I take people there) is:
- Queue at the Pillar Sud from 8:40 or 8:45 for it to open at 9:00
- Pay under €5.00 for a ticket to walk up to level 2 - this is quite exciting in itself
- On level 2 pay about €5.00 for a ticket to the top. The queue here will be only a couple of minutes so you'll be at the top before 10. Folks queueing from 9 on the ground will still be on the ground!
Then check out level 1 and 2 on your descent - much more relaxed.
Update as per your comment If you really don't wan't to queue, the only option is to buy lift tickets online. This then means you don't need to queue at the kiosk, but there is still a small queue at the lift. You miss out on the climb, but to be fair, you can still walk down if you want - so you can still enjoy the view out through the girders.
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How do I stop the Eiffel Tower queue?
There is no such thing as a \u201cskip the line\u201d ticket for the Eiffel Tower. The only way to avoid queuing at the ticket office is to get an Eiffel Tower e-ticket from our online box office.Do you have to queue for the Eiffel Tower?
If you decide to go and purchase tickets to the tower, you will have to wait in a long queue, and that can take up over an hour. By booking in advance, after getting through security, you can skip the line to buy tickets, saving you a lot of time.How early should you get to the Eiffel Tower?
So that you're here on time, we recommend arriving 15 minutes in advance so that you have time to make it through the security checks at the entrance. For example, if your ticket is for 10am, plan to arrive at the Eiffel Tower entrance at 9.45am.How long does it take to wait in line for the Eiffel Tower?
Since entry lines to visit the Eiffel Tower are notoriously long \u2014 with normal wait times of one to two hours \u2014 we strongly recommend getting an advance ticket as soon as your Paris dates are set.How to skip the queue for the The Eiffel Tower | Getaway 2018
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Answer 2
I went after dark. The line was short, the tower wasn't crowded, and the city looked amazing. I only went to the second level; I'm not sure if the top level was open or not.
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