Buy skip-the-line time-slot reservations tickets for the Eiffel Tower online and in advance to avoid queuing at the elevator to go up this popular sight for the best views of Paris.
Annually around 7 million visitors go up the Tour Eiffel in Paris. This is around 20,000 visitors per day making it very sensible to buy tickets in advance to skip queues. Tickets are available online allowing visitors to reserve a specific date and time to go up the Eiffel Tower. Prices for online tickets are the same as when bought in person at the foot of the tower. A cheaper alternative is to take the stairs – tickets often not sold in advance. If no tickets are available, some guided tours of Paris also include a ride up the Eiffel Tower. Reservations at the expensive Le Jules Verne Restaurant include the elevator ride or book lunch or dinner at the less expensive Madame Brasserie.
Buying Tickets for the Eiffel Tower Elevators
Tickets for the elevators / lifts of the Eiffel Tower in Paris may be bought in advance and online. The prices are the same as buying the tickets at the tower itself but of course, ensure admission without long queues.
Two basic kinds of access tickets are available for the Eiffel Tower:
- Tickets to Level 2, which include access to level 1.
- Tickets to Level 3 (Top Floor), which is near the top (“sommet”) and requires an elevator change at level 2 and include access to level 1.
Most visitors find the views from level 2 (115 m) totally acceptable with level 3 (276 m) too high to really enjoy the Eiffel Tower views of Paris. Also, the elevator to level 3 is a bit cramped and further queuing is often required at the elevator change on the second level.
Luggage storage is not available at the Eiffel Tower but may often be booked online in advance nearby (although leaving bags closer to a departure station is often a better idea).
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Buying Eiffel Tower Elevator Advance Reservations Ticket Online
For the cheapest elevator tickets buy online from Eiffel Tower. The process is fairly simple and prices are the same as for tickets bought in Paris. Tickets may be printed at home, loaded onto smartphones, or mailed (for a charge). The ticket, and not only the reservation number, must be presented at the tower entrance within the stated time window.
Buying the ticket is straightforward enough and possible in several languages. When choosing a ticket, note that the default is for the more expensive ticket to the top, most visitors only go to the second level (“Lift entrance ticket”).
The system shows the next date that tickets are available – input the desired date here – in the second step, it is possible to scroll through the calendar a few months ahead to show on which dates tickets are available and then the times on the given day.
In 2022, the Eiffel Tower tickets prices for level 2 (level 3) are for adults €17.10 (€26.80), youths 12 to 24 years €8.60 (€13.40), and children 4 to 11 years €4.30 (€6.70). Children under 4 years are free but do include them when buying tickets. Handicapped persons including wheelchair users and one assistant each pay the child fares – access to levels 1 and 2 only. Stairs tickets are cheaper — see below — but not always sold online.
The main disadvantage of buying tickets online is that the purchase is final. If traveling plans change or the weather is bad, there will be no refunds or changes allowed. However, the advance purchase tickets remain the most sensible option to avoid wasting time queuing.
Security increased in recent years at the Eiffel Tower with security checks before being allowed into the Esplanada area underneath the tower. Luggage or big bags are not allowed – book a baggage storage service in advance as no left-luggage facilities are offered at the Eiffel Tower at all.
Alternatives to Online Tickets for the Eiffel Tower
During busy holiday periods and weekends, advance-purchased online tickets for the Eiffel Tower often sell out fast. However, there are several other options to go up the Eiffel Tower when online tickets are no longer available. In some instances where the first available date on the tower’s own website is weeks away, some other (more expensive) options may have tickets available within days.
Tickets are always sold at the tower itself – even on days and at times that show no availability online. Of course, the length of the queues varies, and being in the queue does not guarantee admission. Arriving early morning just before opening time is usually the best option.
Eiffel Tower stairs access tickets are not always sold online, except as part of a guided tour. Stairs tickets remain an option for visitors without advance reservations as the queues to start the 674 steps to level 2 are often short. It is the cheapest way to level 1 and 2. Stairs access (plus elevator to the top) is €10.70 (€20.40) for adults, €5.40 (€10.20) for youths, and €2.70 (€5.10) for children. Stairs usually close at around 6:00 pm (midnight during high summer). Any visitor is usually allowed to use the elevator down at any time.
Join a sightseeing bus tour of Paris or similar — see Get Your Guide or Tiqets for some options. Some of these day or half-day tours include group access to the Eiffel Tower as part of the package. The cheapest option, still at around double the normal price, is a simple guided tour with the guide accompanying the group simply to the second floor – tours adding a cruise, cruise and Louvre, or combination admission to the Arc de Triomph, or other sights may actually be better value. Similarly, lunch at Madame Brasserie (or dinner) on the first level is only marginally more expensive than just the Eiffel Tower tour.
Le Jules Verne Restaurant (Alain Ducasse / Michelin star restaurant) on level 1 of the Eiffel Tower has its own private access elevator for guests with reservations. This is of course not the budget option.
The Paris Museum Pass is a great savings deal when visiting Paris and Versailles but is NOT valid for Eiffel Tower access or discounts.