We're going to be in Paris and we're going to cruise to the very top of the tower.

Was wondering if it is worth it to purchase tickets in advance? How long are the lines (next weekend...end of June)?

My main concern is we have to choose a specific time / date. What if it rains?

Also is the Eiffel Tower included in any other passes - we intend to check out the Musee d'Orsay, the Rodin museum and possibly the Louvre. Just wondering if there is a better way to do it, given our intended itinerary.

The big concern is waiting in line. Price is less of an issue here. Thanks!

ABC, I know a family that left a few days ago for Paris and from what I was told they were not able to obtain the tickets for the Eiffel Tower as they were all sold out. I believe they were wanting the tickets for next weekend also. They are very computer savy so I would think that wasn't the problem. Hopefully someone here can better advise you as I am only posting to alert you to the problem my friends encountered. Best wishes and enjoy your time in Paris!

okay, how long are the lines are in a peak tourist month at one of the main tourist attractions in the city? They are long. They are always long, but there are definitely going to be very long at the end of June. I don't think the Eiffel Tower is in any pass, it's a private enterprise. It doesn't have anything to do with the museums.

I would absolutely buy the tickets in advance. On prior trips, the lines we have seen were very long. We lucked out once with a short line, but we arrived early and it was winter. Otherwise we have had dinner there, so bypassed the lines. There is no way I would have stood in the lines we have seen in June.

We are going again next month and I already have our tickets purchased. As for rain, it doesn't bother us at all and we figure we aren't going to melt

You need to weigh your preference for standing in line vs the weather, which is more important to you.

I got tickets for Saturday at 9am, pefect.

Be aware [and be prepared] that those timed tickets only get you to the first level ahead of those who are just standing in line without advance tickets. After that, everyone gets on the same lines to go all the way up to the top. Be prepared to spend at least 90 minutes or more going all the way up and down. Yes, there is a wait to get down too.

We visited the Eiffel Tower in 2008. We arrived around 9am. There was a reasonable queue for the lifts but no queue to walk up. If prepared to walk, is it necessary to pre-purchase, do you think?

Re-opening this thread to ask if it's thought necessary to purchase tickets in advance for a mid-November visit. If it's rainy, we might not want to go up.

I'm also thinking about going up to the Montparnasse Tower instead. (I prefer the Manhattan view from the Top of the Rock to the view from the Empire State Building, because the TOTR view has the ESB in it!)

A word of caution: my sister and I purchased our tickets online prior to our visit last May and printed them out at home. So far, so good. We scheduled our time for an hour after an exhibit at the Branley. We spent the hour shopping in the 7th, where my sister bought a rather expensive bottle of wine and some snacks to take back to our apartment later.

Well, when we got in the line for those with pre-purchased tickets (MUCH shorter than the line for those buying on-site) our bags were inspected. The wine bottle got us kicked out of line, barred from ascending the Tower. Apparently, nothing goes up that might get thrown down.

My sister saw no point in expecting a complete stranger on the ground to hang around holding a good bottle of wine until we descended. The security guard certainly wanted no part of that idea. We considered concealing the bottle in the bushes somewhere, but there were so many cameras and police (with automatic weapons) we decided not to try anything shifty.

So, I walked over to the end of the long purchasing line and picked out a couple of young American girls, probably college age, who were chattering away excitedly as they waited, and gave them our tickets. Two free tickets all the way to the top! They couldn't believe their luck!

I figured it would give them a great memory of a little Paris magic.

http://fattirebiketours.com/paris/to...s-eiffel-tower

that sure seems expensive. Is it worth it, for those short on time? Has anyone done this?

I'm like Azzure. I much prefer the view from Le Arc because you can see the tower! But if you just want to say you've been to the top then I'd buy in advance.

CaliNurse, you're buying from a tour operator. Of course it isn't worth it. Tickets are about 12E
http://ticket.toureiffel.fr/

Thanks, Gretchen!

We were at the Eiffel Tower just a couple of days ago. Our experience was that we arrived at 9:20 for the 9:30 open, intending to walk up to the second level. I reckon the best views are from the second level. There was a long queue for the lifts (about 200 metres or so at that hour) but no queue to walk up (we were third and fourth in a line of four!).

We did the same thing three years ago and purchased tickets for the third level on the second level. I didn't check whether it is still possible to do this.

Walking up is easy for most people and more interesting than going up in the lift.