Eiffel Tower

What it is

A 330-metre iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars, built for the 1889 World's Fair and kept afterwards because taking it down proved less useful than leaving it up. There are three visitor levels: first floor, second floor and the summit.

Why travelers go

Because it is the fixed point of the city, and because the second-floor view is the clearest reading of how Paris is actually laid out. From up there the Haussmann boulevards stop being a history-book phrase and become a visible pattern.

What is genuinely good

The engineering is legible from underneath in a way photographs never convey, and standing under the base costs nothing. The ticket tiers are published plainly, the youth band is wide, and the stair option is a real saving rather than a token one.

Downsides and tourist traps

Timed slots sell out, and the summit closes in high wind with no warning. The base is a working ground for bracelet scammers, fake petitioners and unlicensed sellers. Reseller sites dominate search results and charge above the official rate for the same ticket.

Best for

First-time visitors to Paris, families with children under 12 given the low child rates, and anyone who wants one high view and is happy for it to be this one.

Consider skipping if

You mainly want a skyline photograph with the tower in it, in which case Montparnasse does the job better. Skip the summit specifically if you are watching money: the second floor is the better view and 13,20 euros cheaper.

Practical advice

Book an exact time slot on the official site, not a reseller. If the lift queue is long and you are able-bodied, buy the stair ticket: 14,80 euros, a shorter queue, and a climb most people manage comfortably. Ignore anyone approaching you with a clipboard or a loop of string.

Tickets and reservations

Adult rates are 23,50 euros for the second floor by lift and 36,70 euros for the summit by lift. Ages 12 to 24 pay 11,80 and 18,40; ages 4 to 11 and disabled visitors pay 6,00 and 9,20; under 4s are free. The second floor by stairs is 14,80 euros for an adult.

Getting there

Bir-Hakeim on Metro line 6 and Trocadero on lines 6 and 9 are closest, with RER C at Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel. Trocadero is the approach worth taking on foot because it delivers the tower head-on across the river.

Where it sits

The 7th arrondissement, on the Left Bank at the end of the Champ de Mars, with the Trocadero gardens across the Seine. It is a formal, expensive, largely residential quarter, and the restaurants nearest the base are priced for people who are not coming back.

How long to allow

Two to three hours including security and queueing for a second-floor visit, nearer four for the summit. Seeing it from underneath and from Trocadero takes about an hour and costs nothing.

Accessibility

Lifts serve the first and second floors, and disabled visitors pay the child rate of 6,00 euros to the second floor and 9,20 to the summit. Summit access is more limited because the upper lift is smaller.

The RuinMyTrip verdict

Go, take the second floor, and skip the summit unless the extra height genuinely matters to you. Everything people hate about this visit is a queueing and pricing problem rather than a problem with the tower, and both are solved by booking the right ticket direct.

Sources

Every figure above was checked against these before publication. If one has since changed, tell us and we will correct it.

• Adult second floor by lift is 23,50 euros. Ages 12-24 pay 11,80; ages 4-11 and disabled visitors 6,00; under 4s free. source
• Adult summit by lift is 36,70 euros. source
• Adult second floor by stairs is 14,80 euros. source

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