Skip the line tickets | Guided Tour in Paris
The Eiffel Tower is a symbol of Paris and one of its top attractions (almost 6 million visitors a year), a visit to which must be planned very much in advance: even an online purchase may not take place if you remember it too late. Therefore, in this article we will understand how to plan your visit and what to consider before your trip to Paris.
The Eiffel Tower was built by Gustave Eiffel for the World Exhibition in Paris in 1889. It ends the Promenade along the Champs de Mars, and on the other side overlooks the Quai Branly (which is why it is so convenient to combine a visit to the tower with a cruise on the Seine). The original height of the tower was 312 meters, and for forty years it was the tallest in the world. Due to the antennas, its height was increased to 337 meters.
In fact, the tower has become a tourist Mecca since the 60s of the XX century, when international tourism began to develop. Until that time, its popularity was questioned, even jokes were written about it. In particular, this happened with the famous French writer Guy de Maupassant, who did not accept the appearance of the tower so much that he was forced to dine at its restaurant every day in order to see Paris without this monster. There is a grain of truth in every anecdote, and in the travel sketches of Maupassant you can find a passage that he left to travel because he was too tired of the Eiffel Tower. The writer considered the main drawback that it can be seen from everywhere.
The Eiffel Tower. Orienting in space
Ticket offices are easy to recognize by the long queue that goes to them. They are located at the north and west pillars of the tower.
There are two ways to climb the Eiffel Tower:
- On the stairs,
- on the elevator.
You can climb the stairs to the second floor, for this you have to overcome 1665 steps. The staircase entrance is at the eastern pillar of the tower.
Lifts to the observation decks are located at the western and eastern piers. And here at the southern pillar is an elevator for the customers of the Jules Verne restaurant (so that starving visitors do not have to suffer and wait for their turn).
Ascending and descending (it does not matter if it is a staircase or an elevator) is also an interesting attraction: the views that open up together with the structures of the tower are very interesting.
View from the elevator:
1st floor
The first floor is surrounded by a gallery from which you can admire Paris. The names of French scientists of the 18th-19th centuries are written on the outside of the tower.
There is also the restaurant “58 Tour Eiffel” and the preserved part of the spiral staircase, which was dismantled during the reconstruction (the staircase, cut into pieces, was sold to collectors).
2nd floor
The second floor is an observation deck at a height of 115 meters. It is considered the best option if you want to see Paris from a height (the observation deck on the third floor is too high and all the sights look very small).
The Jules Verne restaurant is located on this floor.
Bird’s eye view of the Palais de Chaillot and La Défense:
We were at the tower in February, in a pouring rain (no major luck), the photos turned out to be bleak, and the visibility was not ice. Therefore, I will not spread much. Is that your favorite Parisian roofs)))
Enjoy panoramic views of iconic landmarks including Notre Dame and the Golden Domed Invalides. You will get a bird’s eye view of the Egyptian obelisk in the Place de la Concorde and the majestic roof of the Grand Palace. You will also see the Louvre Museum and the Sacre-Coeur Basilica from a new perspective and admire other sights, including the Pompidou Center and Pont Alexandre III, Notre Dame, Swan Island,
Montmartre, Louvre, Montparnasse tower – these and many other sights can be seen from the tower.
3rd floor
On the third floor there is the highest observation deck of the European Union (and the second highest in Europe, higher – only on the Ostankino tower). After taking the elevator to the third floor, you still need to go up a small staircase – and then you find yourself on a small observation deck (“only” for four hundred people, while on the second floor there can be 1600 people), the height of which is 279 meters.
There is also a “museum of wax figures” where you can see the meeting of Gustave Eiffel with Thomas Edison.
You can come to the Eiffel Tower several times: at least in the morning and in the evening: to look at the beauty in daylight and with evening illumination.
Where is the best place to shoot the Eiffel Tower
The first and most obvious option is from the Champ de Mars.
The coolest option is from the Trocadero square, or rather, from the Palais de Chaillot, which offers the coolest view of the tower. This is no coincidence, since the Chaillot Palace, like the Eiffel Tower, was built for the World Exhibition, however, later – in 1937, and the design, of course, took into account the view of the symbol of Paris.
In general, it is very interesting to find all the new angles from which you can shoot the tower, as you get to know the city.
From military school:
From the Seine and Swan Island:
How to buy a ticket to the Eiffel Tower and skip the lines
You should not go to the tower “at random”, hoping that you will be personally prepared a ticket without a queue. There are no miracles. Therefore, we are preparing to visit the symbol of Paris in advance: we plan to visit at least on the third day of our stay and buy tickets. By the way, tickets are also quickly sold out on booking services, so hurry up, at the last moment you may not be in time, and then you will have to stand in a live queue. Why would you waste hours in the most beautiful city in the world, stand in line?
Get priority access to the first and second floors of Paris’s most iconic landmark.
Enjoy superb views from the second floor of The Iron Lady.
Visit the museum on the first floor of the tower.
Using this link you can buy a ticket for the 1st and 2nd floor of the tower:
- 1st floor – museum, transparent floor at a height of 57 meters, skating rink (in winter).
- 2nd floor – observation deck.
By purchasing a ticket on the website, you get the opportunity to skip the line to the Eiffel Tower with an accompanying person.
A friendly escort will take you to scan your tickets at the entrance and leave you at the elevator to the second floor at your booked time.
The main mistake of novice travelers: the first thing, having arrived in Paris, go to the Eiffel Tower. Even leaving the famous queues outside the brackets, I assure you, the wow effect of the fact that you can “spit from the Eiffel Tower” will be minimal. Because the outlines of the city will tell your eyes absolutely nothing. To enjoy the views offered, you need to know perfectly well what the Les Invalides and Notre Dame look like (and so on on the list), otherwise it will be just the outlines of a completely unfamiliar city. If you are in Paris for 1 day, and the tower is an absolute must, then kill two birds with one stone: order a tour from a Russian guide. So you will learn all the most important about the city and the sights that you will look at from the main Parisian beauty. The bonus is that the guide will take care of the tickets (with whom you can discuss all the details: how high you want to climb, etc.). Read more about the excursion here.
What else to see
It is good to combine a visit to the Eiffel Tower with a cruise on the Seine, only in reverse order: first on a cruise, and then on to the tower. Why? Because after the cruise, you will have a tasting of French crepes right at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. And only then – upstairs, to admire Paris. View cruise details
Skip the line tickets | Guided Tour in Paris
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