Is it better to book with a tour group to visit the eiffel tower or to go alone? If going with a tour group do you avoid the queues? Also when is the best time to avoid the queues?
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Hi Clare, I%26#39;ve ust spent a year working in Paris and went up the tower a couple of times. I can%26#39;t answer the tour group question directly as I didn%26#39;t book with one, but on the timing I%26#39;d recommend either first thing in the morning... get there for 9am, it opens at 9:30 so you should be in the first group of people up. Another good time is around 7-9 in the evening when people are either heading back to the hotels or out to dinner, if you can time it within an hour of dusk then you get the best of both worlds, Paris in the light and Paris all lit up. Queues in the early evening are generally around 30 - 45 minutes, middle of the day may be longer. You don%26#39;t say when you are planning to visit, but be aware that if it is in the middle of the main tourist holiday season (July / August) then you will queue everywhere.
If you%26#39;re feeling particularly flush, then you could treat yourself to the Jules Verne restaurant. It is run by Alain Ducasse and has 1 michelin star (so is suitably pricey), but the best thing is that it is on the first level with fantastic views and if you have a reservation you get to go in the private elevator to the first floor for free with no queues.
One more recommendation, if you have time the Bateaux Mouches is worth the trip... it%26#39;s a boat that gives you a 1 hour trip along the Seine and gives you a fantastic view of the tower.
Have a great trip!
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LeicsUK-
Thank you for saying the bit about the Jules Verne and the elevator up. We are booked for lunch at the Jules Verne later in July, and I wondered if we could get to skip the queues to go up in the Eiffel.
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Hi guidebooktraveler,
You lucky people! Go straight to the South tower, which is the one furthest from the river on the right (if you have your back to the river), you%26#39;ll see the menu boards outside. There%26#39;s a private lift that will take you straight up.
And a mistake in my previous post is that the restaurant is on the 2nd and not 1st floor.
Enjoy!
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Thank you so much! We thought we%26#39;d celebrate our 25th anniversary there with our teenaged children! We%26#39;ll follow your direction. Is there a queue from there that goes up all the way in the Eiffel?
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The issue with tour groups is that you are still our part of a herd of people.
My advice is go alone, be there first thing in the morning and walk up to the first level. Once there (and if you plan on going further up) line up straight away for the lift to the very top. Once there you can work your way down the tower at your own pace.
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