Why we didn’t pay to go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic tourist sites in the world and topping most lists of things to do in Paris, France is heading to the top to take in the views. Though that’s true, my family and I made the conscious decision not to go to the top.

Going for a more budget-friendly weekend in Paris, we decided the iconic site was a must-see but from the parks, benches, and riverside instead. Was it the best choice? It was for us and here’s why it might be a good choice to avoid the Eiffel Tower views for views of the Eiffel Tower instead.

spring in Paris, Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

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Basic Info

Address: Av. Gustave Eiffel, Paris, France
Hours: 9:30am ~ 10:45pm
Website: www.toureiffel.paris/

To View or Not To View

The idea of climbing the Eiffel Tower is alluring. The panoramic views from the top are often touted as the best in the city. Yet, approaching it, you’ll likely see a deep crowd and long lines, neither of which is all that magical to my husband, daughter, or myself.

Actually, we weren’t there to see the views from the Eiffel Tower. We were there to see the Eiffel Tower and that can be done completely for free from numerous angles. We wanted our trip to be memorable, but also relaxed and filled with genuine moments of discovery. Walking down the boulevards and starting to spot the Eiffel Tower down streets as we got nearer and nearer was very fun and made it more like the excitement of a scavenger hunt as we worked our way towards it.

Our Budget Bottom Line

On top of wanting to steer clear of crowds angling for the best photos at the top, saving a buck in Paris, France was high on our list. In fact, we had given ourselves the mission of finding free things to do in Paris and seeing how far we could really get.

The entrance tickets to the top of the Eiffel Tower aren’t extremely unreasonable compared to other hugely popular mainstream sites around the world, but still, we could use the ticket money on food instead.

How much does it cost to go up in the Eiffel Tower?

There are various ticket options with some heading to the second floor only while others go all the way up to the top and you can get there via elevator or via stairs.

	Adult	Youth (12-14)	Children (4-11)
Second floor via elevator	18,80€	9,40€	4,70€
Top floor via elevator	29,40€	14,70€	7,40€
Second floor via stairs	11,80€	5,90€	3,00€
Top floor via stairs	22,40€	11,20€	5,70€

The Paris Parks Are Peaceful

We started traversing around the Eiffel Tower with a view from the Palais de Chaillot. You’ll find this is where a lot of people take in the Eiffel Tower, but we quickly noted that you can go left or right down into the park and find empty benches all over with great views too. Why was everyone standing in the same place?

We went right down some steps and sat on a bench eating a snack with an iconic Paris highlight view and then when we were finished, walked down to the Jardin d’enfants, a playground in the park. Since we were there in early spring, we were also right on time for pink cherry blossoms in bloom.

We highly recommend sitting back and just enjoying the view from a park. Take a seat in the grass or on a bench and enjoy the tower framed by trees and gardens. It’s both cozy and romantic and allowed our daughter to run and enjoy herself as well.

This was a stark contrast to the hurried experience we might have had climbing the tower, constantly managing the logistics of keeping a young child entertained in a crowded space.

A Riverside Perspective

We crossed the Voie Georges Pompidou and hopped up onto the wall to take a picture with the Eiffel Tower behind us. Most people were headed across Pont d’lena to get closer to the Eiffel Tower, but my daughter looked over the wall and asked if we could get closer to the water. Why not?

Down on the riverside, there were even less people making it feel like it was just us beneath the ironworks in front of us. Rather than taking in the Eiffel Tower as a tourist attraction, taking it in from different angles and different roads and different benches made it a landmark that centered our exploration.

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