Should we try to climb the Eiffel Tower?
 

We're 10, 13, 15, 46 and 47 years old. We just climbed St. Paul's in London with few ill effects. That Eiffel tower looks high, though. Should we give it a go? How many stories are we talking about here? How long does it take?

Cindy -- who has climbed many a building in Europe but isn't as young as she used to be

You're not allowed to. You can climb to what the Webn site calls the "second floor", but from there you have to take the elevators to the top.

I'd say you're talking about climbing about 35-40 floors to the second level. You can climb any higher. The tower itself can be considered to be something like 75 stories high.

You <b>can't</b> climb any higher is what I meant to type.

Is there something wrong with taking the elevator?

Even if you're in shape to take the stairs, make sure you're not afraid of heights. The stairways are right out among the open girders of the tower.

Just left the Eiffel Tower a few days ago...as mentioned you can only climb to the second floor. We took the lift, but it was a little bit crowded. Still it was better than climbing and then having to take the lift anyway. We walked down from the second floor...I was glad we did not walk up although we saw a few doing so.
Also...we went up just before dusk, so we were on the top for the sunset and watched the city light up...that added a very nice effect!

Wiki says there's a little less than 700 steps. Second floor is 115 meters up, or about the equivalent of a 24-story building.

If you want to do it, go for it. You have to take the elevators from the second level.

When I was last there, the leg of the tower that was open for walking had a shorter line and cost less. When I asked why, someone told me &quot;you have to use the stairs.&quot;

My response was &quot;Oh. You get to use the stairs!&quot;

Question for those of you who have done both: which is a more strenuous climb-- the Eiffel Tower or Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral?

Anyone know if there will be a wait to go up the Eiffel Tower at the end of Nov-beginning of Dec?

Given all the walking you need to do to enjoy Paris I wouldn;t waste energy climbing something that high that has a perfectly good elevator system.

(Also - if you do try - be very sure no one has any problems with heights, and open metal stairs protected by only a slim guardrail.

&lt;&lt; waste energy climbing something that high that has a perfectly good elevator system &gt;&gt;

I climb high buildings on vacation to make up for all the extra croissants, duck confit, crepes, tarts, gelato, ....

NOOOOOOOOO!! Climb the Notre Dame Cathedral at sunset and the Arc de Triumph on a clear day (about 300 steps each) and them nurse your sore legs by using the elevator on the Eiffel...trust me if it's July or August is too hot and any other time it's too cold and rainy and the stairs on ND and A de T are inside

My 10 yo son and I enjoyed climbing up Sacre Cour.

I've climbed both, and if you can do St. Paul's, you should be fine at the Eiffel Tower to Level 2. At St. Paul's, the stairs are more steep and you're in an enclosed space. At the Eiffel Tower, you can always stand around to rest if you want - it's only to the second floor, and there's stuff to see on Level 1 as well for a rest.

Are you planning to get up to the very top? I don't know what the lineup is like on Level 2 to buy tickets to the elevator to the top. There's always a long lineup of people who took the elevator to Level 2, who are waiting for that same elevator to go from Level 2 to the top.

Hi

My wife and I did this last year. The reason why we chose to go for the stairs is that the line to buy tickets for the stairs was much shorter than the other lines :d As mentioned already, you only get to take the stairs to level 2. From there you can buy a ticket to take the lift to the top. I have written more details about it in my trip report with pictures and links on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . Maybe you can find some useful info there.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

We climbed St. Vitus, and Eiffel is more challenging, but with greater ability to rest!

Yes, give it a go! Sounds like you're up for it. And it's not THAT bad.

My husband and I climbed the Eiffel tower to the second level and it wasn't that strenuous. There are lots of opportunites to rest. There were lots of other people climbing too. The line for the stairs was much shorter than for the elevators...

We are in late 40's and climbed the stairs then the lift the rest of the way. It was fine and lines are shorter. Other people we were travelling with took the lift all the way up and we got their quicker due to their long lines. We had more time at the top-views are wonderful.

Don't know about Nov/Dec but I was there the last week of Feb and waited about 45 minutes to the 2nd level and then there was another wait to get to the top, plus waiting to get back down. I was just there 2 weeks ago as well and waited about 1.5 hours to get to the 2nd floor and .5 hours to get back down. But they didn't have one of the lines/lifts open for some reason. It was about 10a.m.

I climbed to the second level at age 13 and was fine.
However, as i remember, it's not possible to climb the two levels and then get the lift to the top...
can somebody verify or correct this? we were slightly disappointed to find that we couldnt go all the way up (but have been up to the top in the lift since-brilliant).
You had to either get the lift up each level or climb up only to the second level, but not combine the two. maybe it's changed since then?

travel_buzzing - Once you climb to the second level you need to buy a ticket to the top.

cindysphinx - I was in Paris during the first week of November, and the lines for the elevators to the second level were LONG! So I opted to climb the stairs. I will say this, the climb was much easier than the climb of the Belltower of Il Doumo in Florence. So I say, if the lines are long for the elevator, just climb.

Here are two views, The first while climbing the stairs. The second is from the very top. Both are VERY worth it.

www.pbase.com/trsw/image/69560559
www.pbase.com/trsw/image/74323401


Whatever you decide, just enjoy the experience!!

Tom

Hi C,

I did when I was in my twenties.

My camera weighed about 200 lbs when I got to the top. :)

((I))

I had the same question as travel_buzzing too... I was hoping to save money by paying to walk up to Level 2 first and then buying the ticket to the top from Level 2, but I was afraid it would take even longer to join the line at Level 2 or that we won't be able to buy a ticket to the top.

The most recent time I went (July), I arrived at the Tower before it opened, and there was already quite a long line, so I decided not to risk a longer line by walking up to Level 2 first.

In reply to the question about St Vitus Cathedral in Prague, I climbed it a couple of years ago and was ready to throw up when I reached the top! It really was far more strenuous than I thought it would be. But Im not fit anyway

TRSW hope you don't mind I had a little look at your other Paris pics and LOVE the one with it lit in orange from just under the front aspect looking up! Brilliant pic

EnglishOne - Thank you for the compliment. I am glad you liked the photo. And feel free to take a look at all my other galleries.

Tom

Yikes! I was just figuring out what year it was when I climbed to the 2nd level of the ET. I was only 35; no wonder I was able to do it. It must have made an impression on me, because 22 years later, I remember it well. It was strenuous but not that big a deal for a 35 year old. I wouldn't dream of it now.

MY SIL(45-50) and I with four teenagers (ages 13-18) climbed to the first level at 11pm in a huge thunderstorm...and it wasn't that bad! the kids loved it, I was hoping not to get electrocuted... Go for it!

If it's open when we're there... Brad and me are going for it. Good for you and your family if you make it....

Do you want to climb like a Spider Man or just the stairs?

Hmmm, now I'm confused. One person said Eiffel was an easier climb than Florence's Duomo. Another said Eiffel was more challenging than Prague's St. Vitus. But from my experience, St Vitus was a far more strenuous climb than Duomo or anything else I've tried.

Maybe it all depends on whether you run into heat and crowds.