Is there a good spot to see the Eiffle Tower 10 minute light show & not have to go to the tower site or even the embankment. I was thinking perhaps of one of the bridges or quays.
OR: do you think we'd be missing something by not going to the area to see it lit up? We don't want to 'go up' etc. as we've done that & just want a good vantage point.

Palais de Chaillot terrace opposite Tower - lots of chairs and seem to be optimal view.

not sure whether up close is all that better either if that is your question.

From the top of the Arc de Triomphe

I think we sat near the trocadero to watch; also if you get really lucky and are on the ferris wheel when the light show begins, the wheel will stop so you can watch from there.

I agree with Sandi. The view from the top of the Arc d'Triomphe is superb! Another great viewing spot is from the Trocadero (you can buy crepes there or bring your own wine).

We enjoyed seeing it from Montmartre, on one of the steep stairways leading to Sacre Coeur (on what I think of as the left side of Sacre Coeur as you look at it from the Eiffel tower). Also, at the base of Sacre Coeur past the Funicular there are areas where you can see it well (and tidy little holes in the fence where people can look through with their cameras!).

Top of Tour Montparnasse...

Hi T,

It's almost impossible not to see the d**n thing from anywhere in Paris.

Trocadero is probably the best spot.

If you take one of the boat tours, such as Vedettes de Pont Neuf that leaves Pont Neuf on the half-hour, you should arrive at the Tower on the hour, just as the light show begins, and the boat will stay there for a few minutes.

anywhere near or in the surroundings is a good spot...and yes, I think you would miss something by not seeing it. It's silly, it's just lights that twinkle, but it is something that made me smile!

So i'm confused now - is it preferrable to be up close to the show - say the Trocadero perch or from Montmartre is it just as good or better?

All a matter of taste, I suppose. Here's what it looks like from the Trocadero:

http://tinyurl.com/2lw3ow

From the other end of the Champs de Mars you'd be seeing the Tower against any remaining twilight.