For those of you who have been to the top of the Eiffel Tower, you will know that there are two facts:
- There are a lot of people trying to get up there too. You could be in the queue anywhere from an hour to four.
- Once you get up there, it is incredibly crowded, so much so that they often display "top floor full" to the queues at the bottom.
Guide to beating the queue:
Start early. I can't emphasise this enough. Do the Eiffel Tower before anything else that day. The Eiffel Tower opens at 9 am during summer and 9:30 am the rest of the year. Get there about half an hour before opening time. You can take the métro to Bir-Hakeim, or the train to Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel.
Join the queue for the stairs. Buy your ticket, and start walking up! Here are the prices.
Don't get tempted to take a break at the 1st floor! Push on until you get to the 2nd floor.
Once you get to the 2nd floor, you'll be amazed by the lack of people. You'll be a little puffed but feeling very much alive (hopefully). Join the queue for the top straight away and catch your breath there.
Awesome! You're now in the elevator on your way to the top.
You've made it! It's about 10 am at the latest and it's a little breezy, not many people around though. You take a couple of photos, read a bit of history on the placards at the top. Paris looks sensational and you can feel the day heating up.
It's now 10:10 am and you wonder where all these people come from. All of a sudden you can't even get a photo of Paris unless you have a 6ft 5 friend.
You can now head down and take your time on the 2nd floor, enjoying the amenities. You can't help but notice that the souvenirs for sale in the shop are ten times dearer than what they offer on the street.
It's 11 am, you're back at ground level, the queue is insane but you're done! Have a giggle. Time to hit up the Arc de Triomphe or the Louvre! Or, if you're queue averse, take the train to Versailles, skip the palace and just enjoy the gardens.