The Eiffel Tower Review

Coming out of the Metro stop nearest our hotel in Paris I looked to the left and saw the ultimate icon of this beautiful city: The Eiffel Tower. It seemed that we could see the Eiffel Tower from wherever we were, as long as we were out of the Metro and above ground! On our four day trip to Paris, I made sure to take the time to gaze upon the Eiffel Tower whenever I could.

About the Eiffel Tower
The story is pretty well-known: Built for the Paris Exhibition in 1889, and named for french engineer Alexander Gustave Eiffel, the tower was originally considered an eyesore. There was even talk of tearing it down for many years. After it became a centerpiece of the International Time Service in the early 1900's, talk of tearing it down ceased. The tower stands just over 1,052 feet tall. It's made of iron and is repainted every several years, with a darker shade of "Eiffel Tower Brown" on the bottom and lighter shades on up to the top.

Enjoying the Eiffel Tower
Today visitors can enjoy the Eiffel Tower in a number of ways. Primarily, it serves as a landmark throughout Paris, and visitors flock to it to swarm below its glowing latticework. While we were in Paris, we visited the tower several times. We always found people hugging and cuddling beneath the tower, and one night we even found a group of about twenty visitors all huddled around in the cold singing their hearts out just underneath the tower! Something about the tower seems to turn everyone (except the hawkers, selling tower souvenirs) into romantics.

Visitors can also choose to ride up to the first, second or third levels of the tower. Prices get successively steeper the farther up you ride:

1st floor: 4.50 €
2nd floor: 7.80 €
3rd floor: 11.50 €

Entrance to the Eiffel Tower is not covered by the Paris Museum Pass, which covers most of the sites in Paris. I wouldn't recommend riding far beyond the first level. The views are great, but similar views can be had of the city from Mont Martre for free, or from the top of Arc De Triomphe, which is covered by the Paris Museum Pass. And here's something else most people don't think about: When you're up in the Eiffel Tower, you really don't get a very good view of Paris' most famous landmark: The Eiffel Tower itself! I've done it, and if you're on a budget, I wouldn't recommend spending your money on an elevator ride here.

If you aren't on a budget, you may be interested in doing more than just riding up the elevator. You can actually dine at the Eiffel Tower in one of two restaurants: Altitude 95 is located on the first level of the tower, and is the lower-end of the two restaurants (but you're still paying out the nose for the view) and the Jules Verne Restaurant is located on the second floor of the tower. Here you'll pay even more for the privilege of dining in this beautiful landmark. My parents dined at Altitude 95 as a part of a Paris tour package, and said that the views were spetacular, although the food was only average. I have no experience (first or secondhand) to relay about the Jules Verne restaurant.

Hours of Operation
The tower is open year-round from 9 or 9:30AM until 11:00PM or midnight, depending on the season.

Added Viewing Bonuses
Be sure to catch the Eiffel Tower after dark, on the hour, at least once during your visit. The tower sparkles brightly for ten minutes beginning at the start of each hour at night. It was one of the highlights of the trip for me and I made my husband dash with me out of the Metro station on our last night so we could catch one last round of "sparklies" before heading home at the end of our trip!

Also consider a walk up to the Trocadero area of Paris, where you can view the Eiffel Tower from the opposite site of the Champs du Mars. From this angle you can look down on the tower and the fountains and get a really spectacular view.

Cat's Bottom Line
Paris is one of our favorite cities, in no small part because of the Eiffel Tower. More than just a monument or a site, the Eiffel Tower is a spectacular beauty to behold and it really does seem to embody the spirit of the city. Be sure to devote some time to catching the Eiffel Tower if you visit Paris, and make time to step back and really enjoy the view. It's captivating.

Web site: http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/