Paris Portfolio: 12 Things I Love About the Eiffel Tower

There’s so much to love about Gustave Eiffel’s magnificent tower! Here are a dozen of my favorite things… at least one of which is probably rarely noticed! (Do you know which?):

(1) Its sassy, in-your-face persona and ramrod-straight posture (like many Parisians, actually).

(2) The genius who designed it and the courage of the workers who built it (only one of whom died during construction).

(3) The mind-boggling view of the iconic landmark from the Trocadero (Palais de Chaillot).

(4) The breathtaking view from a Bateaux Mouche at night.

(5) The ability to reserve tickets on the Web and avoid long lines when you get there. We showed up 20 minutes before our reserved entrance time (which was an hour before sunset), were second in line, and went straight in on schedule.

(6) The views of Paris from inside the tower (especially at night).

(7) The conductor mannequin clinging to the exterior of one of the tower’s elevators as it whizzes by (it shows how the brave conductors used to ride outside the car).

(8) The interior staircase with Gustave Eiffel’s picture hidden in plain sight on its risers.

(9) The structure’s immense complexity, which cannot be appreciated from afar. You must use the stairs between the ground and second level to truly appreciate it… Riveting!

(10) The tower’s interior glow at night… like brilliant gold outlined in twinkling stars.

(11) The crowd’s gasp of delight swelling up around you from the ground when the lights on the tower start to twinkle.

(12) The sheer variety of replica souvenirs— from cheesy key chains, to figurines, to pencil sharpeners, to lamps, to (our personal favorite) cheese graters.

• Thoroughly read the tower’s official website (link below) before leaving on your trip. The “Visiting the Eiffel Tower” menu is particularly useful.
• The best way to experience the tower is to take the elevators all the way to the top, check out Paris to your heart’s content, take the elevator back down to the second level, and then walk down the stairs to the ground. You won’t regret it.
• I recommend starting your ascent one hour before sunset, so that you can reach the top, look around, and come back down in the dark. Breathtaking!
• If you’re afraid of heights, I wouldn’t worry. I am too… and there’s so much industrial-strength mesh all around the tower that I didn’t feel any wooziness or danger.
• Opening times vary… so check ahead. And access to the top may be temporarily interrupted at any time, due to weather or visitor congestion.

Eiffel Tower: Wikipedia page

Eiffel Tower Tickets: Official site

The Trocadero (Palais de Chaillot): Wikipedia page