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Eiffel Tower Visitors Guide

Getting There

The metro station that is closest to the Eiffel Tower is the Champ de Mars/Tour Eiffel station located on the RER C metro line.

If you're coming straight from CDG airport, take the RER B line into the city and transfer at the St-Michel Notre Dame station onto the RER C line for 3 stops.

Other stations close to the Eiffel Tower are the Bir-Hakeim station on Metro line 6 and the Ecole Militaire station on Metro line 8.

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Hours of Operation

1) Summer Peak Season

From mid June to early September, the Eiffel Tower is open from 9am til 12:45am with the last elevator going to the top at 11pm.

2) Off Peak Season

During the rest of the year the Eiffel Tower is open from 9:30am until 11:45am with the last elevator going to the top at 10:30pm.  As well, access to the stairs is only available until 6pm so you will only have the option of taking the elevator after that time.
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Admission Prices

There are two different tickets you can purchase.  You can either go to the second level or go all the way to the top.  Students pay half price while children aged 4-11 pay quarter price.

1) To the Second Floor

There are two ways to get to the second floor - by foot or by elevator.  Taking the stairs will cost you €10 while using the elevator is €16.

2) To the Top

You can only access the top via elevator from the second floor.  The admission price to get to the top is either €25 if you take the elevator all the way up or €19 if you take the stairs to the second floor and then the elevator from there.

Travel Tip
You can prepay for your ticket ahead of time online and skip the line.
Of course if you choose to prepay you'll have to commit to both a date and time to visit which means you'll have to hope it's not foggy or raining at the time you choose.
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Best Time to Visit

The summer tourist season is the busiest time of the year so ideally the best time to visit is during the shoulder season.  Also, try to avoid visiting on the weekends and opt for a weekday visit instead.

The best time of day to visit is either in the early morning or after the sun goes down as many tour groups and tourists visit midday.

During peak times you can expect to wait up to two hours in line while in the off season the lines are much shorter usually with only a 30 minute wait.

Travel Tip
Why not take the stairs up?  While there is always a long wait to take the elevators up, there is always a much shorter line for the stairs.
Not only will you beat the crowd but you'll also get a unique perspective and experience of the Eiffel Tower.
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Highlights

1) Restaurant 58

Located 58 meters above ground on the first level, Restaurant 58 is open for both lunch and dinner.  Three course meals start at €39 for lunch and €86 for dinner.

2) Le Jules Verne Restaurant

For something even more upscale, try Le Jules Verne.  This five star restaurant located on the second level of the Eiffel Tower offers fixed priced 5 course meals for €190 and 6 course meals for €230.

3) Light Show

After the sun goes down, look for the hourly light show that happens at the top of the hour.  The 5 minute show of 20,000 light bulbs can be seen far off into the horizon.

Stay up for the last show at 1am as the tower's regular lights are turned off making for an even more dramatic show!

4) Champagne and a View

Located at the very top of the Eiffel Tower is a little champagne bar open from noon to 5.15pm and from 6.15pm to 10.45pm.  Celebrate your Eiffel Tower experience with a glass for just €13.
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