After a couple of visits to Paris, when I felt it wasn't worth the time to go up in the Eiffel Tower, we took our children there this summer and considered this a "must-do" for them.

I booked a tour, called a backstage tour. You meet at the Eiffel Tower at an appointed time. The guide takes you down into the mechanical room where you see the giant piston and pulley system that powers the elevators. After a short time in the mechanical room (maybe 20-30 minutes??), the guide takes you to the elevator and up to the first level. At that point, you can follow the guide around for a tour of the first floor. Or, as we did, you can ditch the tour and continue on your own.

(We did have one hitch. When we arrived, the guide informed us that this was the tour in French. We elected to take the tour, since we didn't want to wait in the huge line. We couldn't understand much in the mechanical room, but there were sketches there and it was fairly clear what was going on. When we came home, I emailed the company that we made the arrangements through. They apologized for the inconvenience and gave us a full refund for 4 people. I wasn't expecting that, so I was pleasantly surprised.)

One note about the Arc de Triomphe - I think it is spectacular at night. The view of the twinkling Eiffel Tower in the distance is quite beautiful.

How about a visit to Sacre Coeur for the view.

Hi HL,

I wouldn't do a round trip to Paris just to go to the top of the Arc or the ET.

I would like to comment that you don't need to take a cab from AdT to ET. The green 6 Metro line will take you from the CDG Etoile station to the Bir-Haiken station (4 stations in between).

The Metro has a nice interactive site that you can plot out your route (www.ratp.info/orienter/cv/carteparis.php).

I read a similar discussion before I went a few years ago and some people didn't see the value of going up the Eiffel Tower at all. How can you not go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at least once? It's just one of those touristy things you need to do. And the view is amazing. I also thought the view from Tour Montparnasse was amazing and there was no line. The view of the Eiffel Tower from Montparnasse is post card worthy.

I'm not going to weigh in on whether it's worth doing a day trip from London versus some other destination in Britain -- or London itself -- but respond to the relative merits of the two alternatives.

The thing about the view from the Arc de Triomph is that it is an intimate one. You're up a bit, but not so high that you're detached. It's wonderful, assuming the weather is decent, to see all the roads leading into the etoile and take in the different vistas offered in different directions, and imagine the vision it took to lay out the city is such dramatic fashion. For that reason, I prefer the Arc. I've been to Paris literally dozens of times, but usually for very short stays en route to other destinations in France, but I must admit that I remember my visits (yes, two) to the top of the Arc with great affection.

A couple of years ago I visited the newish Musee du Quai Branly located right next door to the Eiffel Tower and while I didn't extend my visit to go up the tower, I did wander around . . . and it just goes to show ya that people are different. I'll take the Arc.

ps-One can also get a pretty good view from the cafe atop Pompidou Centre!

One more thing to keep in mind is that it will be FREEZING at the top of the Eiffel tower that time of year.

<i>The view of the Eiffel Tower from Montparnasse is post card worthy.</i>

In fact, that post card is right here: http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/fr...rte.html?id=18

Oh my, so much to consider. I just may have to do all 3 in one day(am I crazy or what - I know probably impossible?!) the Arc, the Eiffel Tower as well as Montparnasse - plus having to fit in time to eat a few crepes!

I see NO REASON to do all 3. Just pick one and be done with it. Use the rest of your time strolling the streets of Paris and have coffee.

At risk of sounding like the tourists that we are, we've been to Paris three times and visited both sights every time. The views are different and while they can't be compared with other higher points throughout the world (or Paris), there's just something about looking down and seeing those cars going every which way and watching the Seine roll through the City of Lights. If you are wondering whether you should go, then you should go. If you don't get back to Paris, you'll have no regrets later.

--Annie