Eiffel Tower, Paris

Effel tower is the biggest thing one can see away from Paris it is tower of iron ,metel but yet it becomes the semple of Paris lots of people are trying to sell you souveners but they less expensive than the realy shops.
Abbey

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I must admit that after more than a dozen trips to Paris, we have never gone to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I have a nasty fear of heights and a major dislike of standing in long lines. To stand in line to go someplace that terrifies me is low on my list of things to do.

However, I love looking at the beautiful tower from any possible vantage point. We always go over and walk underneath it, visit the lovely gardens on either side, stroll the Champs de Mars and cross over to the Trocadero for photos of the tower.

The little gardens with ponds on either side of the tower are nearly hidden and are true treasures of Paris. You can sit up there watching the ducks on the pond, eating a baguette sandwich and being so thankful you aren't one of the hundreds of people standing in line to go up the elevators.

Long, long, long, very long queues!! That what made us use the stairs in our way down from the tour Eiffel and it was funny and beautiful… So if you are in a good shape, use the stairs to go down, you will enjoy it.

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When I visited the Eiffel Tower I visited the 2nd floor for the Parisian views which were great as it was a sunny day! The views from the Eiffel Tower were great especially of the southern Banlieues and seeing the Place du Trocadero, the River Seine and in the distance, La Defense, Paris's Business District. You can also visit the 3rd floor for further viewing and usually there is an exhibition held on the 1st floor.

I must admit that I preferred the views from Notre Dame Cathedral because of the historic connection even if the Eiffel Tower is unique in its own right. I was very glad to go up and glad that the long queues and the claustophobia didn't deter me.

It's best visiting the Eiffel Tower first or last thing on the day as the queues are generally shorter or even quicker if you take the stairs! It can also get claustophobic because of the high volume of people that go up at the same time!

8,10 Euros for Adult Entry (Elevator to the 2nd Floor) (October 2010)

We could not avoid the Eiffel Tower. I felt I couldn't possible ignore it's existence so I went for a quick crawl through the girders. I say through because, in all honesty,although I could happily manage 'under' there was no way I was going 'up'. It was on a scale I hadn't quite imagined which frankly put an end to my dreams of climbing it.

Of course my less lily-livered excuse is that on that balmy evening in May, the queues to get in and up were still madly busy. I paused to consider whether I wanted to stand in line for an hour to experience the thrills of acrophobia and nausea. As I'd only recently mastered small ladders I calculated that I should be ready for this in about 20 years time. I sighed and walked on...

The Eiffel Tower is open every day from 9.30am to 11pm. (From mid June to the end of August, 9am to Midnight) The display of sparkly lights that adorn it can be viewed on the hour for 5 minutes. Definitely worth watching. Just don't trip over the photography buffs and their tripods!

The structure was built in 1889 by Gustav Eiffel, as the entrance arch for the World Fair. It is now one of the most recognizable structures in the world, and the single most visited paid monument, attracting millions of visitors every year. A visit to Paris would not be complete without seeing Eiffel or going up onto one of the three levels!

We could see the tower as we approached from Champ du Mars. The green grass field, people having picnics and walking their dogs etc, plus the tower in the background, all make for an interesting picture.

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I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people list the Eiffel Tower under the tourist trap section, but I enjoyed it. Certainly, walking up to the tower for a good view is a must; actually going up it is more debatable.

From afar, the Eiffel Tower is a gorgeous site, particularly at night when it is lit up. At night, for five minutes on the hour, lights flash all over the tower, making it even more impressive.

Up close, the tower is a huge steel structure--still impressive, but maybe not quite as pretty. To go up the tower, wait in one of three very long lines to buy your ticket (ticket booths are located near three of the tower's "feet"). Lines move slowly--be prepared to wait an hour to get your ticket. The price of your ticket will depend on which level you choose to visit. The tower has three viewing levels; each level up is more expensive. We chose to stop at level 2, not so much because of the price, but because our guidebook suggested that the sights of Paris look very tiny from the top level. If you choose to go to the top level, be prepared to wait in line for the first elevator with everyone else, then in line for a second elevator that goes all the way up.

The views from the Eiffel Tower are very good, particularly on the east side, where you can see Sacre-Coure, Notre Dame and the Louvre. Once you're up, you can stay there as long as you like, and the second level even has dining options. When you're ready to descend, be ready to stand in yet another line.

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If you are going to Paris for the first time, of course you will visit the Eiffel Tower!

If you can resist just heading there from street level or the Champs Elysees etc - the following tip is WELL WORTH the planning (not much!) and the experience will live with you forever......

Take the metro to Iena or Trocdero and wak through the entrance to the Trocadero and across the terrace.
The impact of that first view is stunning - especially at night!
Do it day and night - you get a brilliant photo-opportunity also!

You can then walk-down past the fountains and cross the road to the tower.