Useful Tips For A Better Eiffel Tower Experience

The Eiffel Tower from the distance

Instead of rushing directly to the Eiffel Tower, a better option would be to have it “digested” slowly from the distance first, from where you’ll clearly perceive how its silhouette perfectly blends with the city’s diverse architecture.

The related photo is taken from the Parisian right bank, somewhere around the noon. Two pillars of the Alexandre III Bridge, Paris’s most beautiful one, make a perfect symbiosis with the Eiffel Tower from various angles. Add to it lush vegetation and blue waters of the Seine, and you’ll have exquisite photos matching any postcard.

Another option is to take a Seine river cruise. As you approach the Eiffel Tower, it slowly emerges to your left behind the riverside trees, gradually soaring toward the skies, infinitely as it seems. Prepare your camera to take a snapshot of the tower when it finds itself between the Alexandre III’s pillars.

You can have another exceptional view of the tower from the Trocadero square, directly across the Eiffel Tower on the right side of the Seine. From there, the jets of the Trocadero fountains seem to bath the tower’s four pillars, as they rise and make a single body above the tower’s second floor.

Other exceptional closer views can be enjoyed from the Passarelle and Bir-Hakiem bridges. To fully appreciate the Eiffel Tower’s dominating features over the Parisian skyline, head to the Montmartre hill and, if possible, climb to the Sacre Coeur Basilica’s tower.

Eiffel Tower close-up

The perfectionism of the tower is best perceived from the former military ground, Champs de Mars (Fields of Mars), and a flanking park. Being a field where the world’s prestigious fair was about to take place, the World Fair of 1889 required a striking showpiece that should be able to underline the progress of the French engineering at the centenary of the French Revolution (1789).

And what a showpiece that was. Its wondrous appearance and detailed features emerge as you approach the Eiffel Tower, leaving you in awe of such a demonstration of the human creativeness. One cannot help but to wonder what an impression it imposed on an observer at the time of its creation, in the 19th century.

By finding yourselves at its base, you can consider two options while queuing for the entrance ticket. The first is to take a series of stairs, which is more exhausting but definitely the better option for the overall experience, or an elevator, which takes you directly to the first and the second floors. The first option gives you infinite possibilities to explore the striking architecture up-close and is more cost effective, while the second saves your time and strength.

Once inside the Eiffel Tower

If you have opted for the stairs, 360 steps stand between the ground and the 57 meters high first floor. Aside from the striking panoramic views, you can gain a deeper knowledge about the tower itself by means of the interactive contents, such as touch screens, digital albums, and like. The engaging lessons get you into various interesting facts. The 58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant offers traditional French cuisine specialties. The best panoramic views encompass the Trocadero square, the Seine, and the Champs de Mars (in the photo), with the military school, at the far end of the park, and Montparnasse – the highest building in Paris – in the background. Note that a transparent glass floor makes you feel like hovering in the void.

The second floor is the best option for exploring Paris’s other famous landmarks. Cast your sight further for the Triumphal Arch, Notre Dame Cathedral, Les Invalides, etc. For more detailed observation, you can use telescopes at an extra charge. The commercial area of the second floor disposes of Jules Verne Restaurant, souvenir shops and a buffet area, selling coffee and fast food. The flight of 359 stairs connects the 115 meters high second floor with the first floor.

The third floor, 276 meters above the ground, can be reached only by an elevator. The tickets can be purchased on the second floor, but since the capacity of the third floor is limited, you might need to wait some time before being taken to the top. From there, you can see the famous Chartres Cathedral during a clear day. A champagne bar provides refreshment, while panoramic maps inform about distances between Paris and other places. At this height, you can feel occasional swings, inflicted by the strong gusts.

Eiffel Tower during the night

With the arrival of sunset and night, the Eiffel Tower becomes a magical structure of a fairy tale. Besides the regular illumination, the countless bulbs turn the tower into a sparkling sensation every full hour until 01:00. The light show lasts approximately 5 minutes. Truly a magnificent sight to be experienced from anywhere in Paris.