The Eiffel Tower during day and night – my incredible experience and travel tips
If you are in Paris, then you must NOT miss this. An iconic structure, which, funny thing, was intended to last only for 20 years, the Eiffel Tower offers a great view during the day, but also during the night.
Yes, the tower is open until late in the night – according to the official website, the Eiffel Tower is open every single day of the year, as follows:
- from 9 a.m. to midnight from 15 June to the 1st of September,
- from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the rest of the year,
- At Easter weekend and during the Spring holidays : extended opening hours to midnight.
My first time in Paris: late March 2013. you might laugh, but I had 5 days in this city, and I chose to visit the Eiffel tower in my third one, coming back from the Versailles Palace (I’ll present it next week 🙂 ).
So, after a visit to a “chateau” a really wanted to see, we decided to go to the Eiffel Tower. We wanted to catch the sunset from the top, but as it turned out we were in line to get to the top, so we saw the sunset like that. But the tower has its magic at any given moment, as you’ll see below. Click on the photos for a larger view!
We got out from the metro, and started walking toward the tower. You might laugh, but as I was walking in the Eiffel Tower’s direction, I didn’t see it from the first moment, but rather it took me by surprise as I turned a corner and looked in front of me and a little to the right.
And there it was. An impressive metal structure, brown, in the same colour as the trees who didn’t had any leaves yet.
And as the same trees, you cannot but realise that it is that same “basic” part that makes it all go further. Trees blossom, have leaves, which turn yellow and red in autumn, and then they lose their leaves until the next spring. The Eiffel Tower remains the same, a steel structure, not impressive and stunning by any art detail, but by what it symbolizes.
We went to the first elevator, but a security guard asked us to take the next one – I wasn’t very happy, because of my knee problem and difficulties in walking, especially since we have already went somewhere else. But we didn’t argue, and left it like that.
There was a line, not extremely huge, but important (sufficient enough so that we weren’t able to see the sunset from the top, as we had planned, as I already mentioned).
We took tickets for the whole ride with elevators – again due to my knee problem. We payed €14,50 for each ticket. The tower has a ground floor, a first floor, a second one, and the top. From the second one to the top you can only take the elevators. Until there you can also take the stairs – my husband did that in a previous visit here (you’ll see some photos below).
Yes, waiting in line isn’t really fun. But… you’ll have to do that in order to get to the top.
The ride with the elevator is nice, not to fast, but not to slow either. And in just a few moments there you are: on top of the Eiffel Tower, admiring the city.
France’s capital has an interesting design, as you’ll notice. At night, Paris is indeed “The City of Lights” – everything turns yellow: the streets, the important monuments (from the Arc de Triomphe to various iconic churches).
If you are not familiar with Paris, you have several points where, with some coins, you can find out exactly what you can see from the Eiffel Tower. The panorama is indeed lovely.
You’ll see the two lasers in the sky – maybe even capture them in photos 😉
Here, at the top of the Eiffel Tower, you can enjoy a glass of champagne – really, there is a small place serving it 😉 You can choose either rosé or white champagne, served as chilled as you like. I admit, we didn’t taste it. Oh, beware that this bar is open daily from midday to 10 at night. In what the prices are concerned, they vary between €12 and €21, depending on what you’ll choose.
You’ll also find here an office of Gustave Eiffel. It is a place well arranged, taking you back to time. You can admire it only from outside, but it is nice.
Tip/Advice: if you visit the Eiffel Tower during spring or autumn make sure you take some warm clothes and maybe even something to cover your ears. We went at the end of March, when it wasn’t all that hot outside, and at night it was really chilly in some parts of the top of the tower!
Tip/Advice: take time to enjoy the view. Yes, everyone wants to take photos, everyone seems to be in a hurry. But try to take a minute or two and just breathe, admire the view, slow down. It is worth it!
Stop to the second floor on your way down. You have here a buffet and a restaurant (yes, you have a view, but it is not the only place in Paris with a view and the prices aren’t the smallest ones). Of course you can eat here though!
You can also take another tour and enjoy the view of the city from this height. It is lovely too!
Also, you can stop at the souvenir boutique. Yes, I admit I did some shopping here, for me and some friends ;). Also yes, you will find souvenir shops in many other parts of the city, so you can choose to postpone shopping from here.
Tip: try to be at the second floor 2-3 minutes before every hour on the hour – 10:00P.M., 11:00 P.M. etc. to see the wonderful light show;) Yes, there are many lights flashing for like a minute or two to mark a new hour. The view is spectacular, but you can only see it from the second floor, not from the top. We witnessed such a show at 7:00 P.M. – keep in mind it was late March, so it was already night and dark by that hour 🙂
Of course you can see it from the bottom of the tower, or from other places in the city from where the tower is visible. We wanted to see it the next day while walking on Champs Elysees, but I admit we manages to enter a Disney store to buy something for our son, and missed the sparkling lights show from here. But maybe next time. 😉
As I already mentioned, Andrei visited the tower during day time. He told me that the view has its charm, as Paris is lovely during the day too. And here are some photos to prove it 🙂
Andrei came toward the tower from the Tuilleries gardens.
He took the stairs – as he decided not to wait in line and do some exercise 😉
And this is the Paris’ panorama during the day:
Paris Eiffel Tower has about 7 million visitors a year (with approximately 75% of them foreigners). That’s impress! The tower was built “by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, which was to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the French Revolution. Its construction in 2 years, 2 months and 5 days was a veritable technical and architectural achievement. Only intended to last 20 years, it was saved by the scientific experiments that Eiffel encouraged, and in particular by the first radio transmissions, followed by telecommunications. For example, the radio signals from the Pantheon Tower in 1898; it served as a military radio post in 1903; it transmitted the first public radio programme in 1925, and then broadcast television up to TNT more recently.
Since the 1980s, the monument has regularly been renovated, restored and adapted for an ever-growing public.” (source: the official website).
It is definitely a monument to see when in Paris. Yes, it is only steel, it is not “fluffy”. A metal cold structure, but a remarkable one, that managed to survive time and, in fact, became one of the major tourist attractions of Paris.
I admit I liked it, and, when I’ll visit Paris again, I think I will choose to take another ride to the top maybe I’ll do it during the day and maybe stay longer, watch the sunset from here, who knows?
Have you been to the Eiffel Tower? How did you find it?
