La Tour Eiffel. How to visit the Eiffel Tower.
It’s cheap (12€) to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower but the average wait to get to the elevator is 2 hours. To avoid waiting in line you can always opt for the stairs to reach the 1st and 2nd floor (the top floor is only accessible via the elevator). Each of the 1st and 2nd floors can be reached in about 10-15 minutes after a 20-minute wait at the staircase entrance. For those who aren’t into exercising and/or don’t want to wake up with sore calves for the next two days, here’s another option to get to the Eiffel Tower’s 2nd (and most interesting) floor while bypassing every line: Le Jules Verne restaurant.
My idea of a very special visit to the most visited monument in the world is to have lunch, or dinner, at the prestigious Jules Verne restaurant. Enjoy world-famous Chef Alain Ducasse’s gourmet contemporary French cuisine 377 feet above sea level with a breathtaking view of Paris. A private elevator (south pillar) takes you to the Jules Verne restaurant so you don’t have to worry about the lines. If you are coming to Paris on vacation and fancy having a meal on the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower, then you should definitely plan ahead. Sometimes it takes up to 3 months to book a table. Reservations can be made online or by phone: 33 (0)1.45.55.61.44. The online calender lets you know what the available dates are, with a little bit of luck you might find some opening during your visit.
To give you an idea of the prices: the lunch menu is 80€ (120€ with wine) and the dinner one is 200€. A la carte, appetizers are around 65€ and main dishes about 75€. The cheese plate or desserts are all 24€. Here are a few dishes on the menu:
-appetizers:
“Pressed chicken and foie gras layers with black truffle,
toasted country finger bread”
“Marinated gilt-head bream, domestic caviar, mimosa garnish, lemon condiment”
-main dishes:
“Roasted Imperial langoustines, green vegetables, infused bacon”
“Pan-seared beef tournedos & fresh duck foie gras,
souffléed potatoes, Perigueux sauce”
-desserts:
“Bitter chocolate soufflé, Bourbon vanilla ice cream”
“Light wild strawberry and coconut cake, lime-coconut sorbet”
For more information on the restaurant go to Le Jules Verne.
There are other restaurant options -minus the private elevator- on the Eiffel Tower, such as the more affordable Les Buffets de la Tour Eiffel (ground level, 1st floor and 2nd floor) and Altitude 95 (1st floor).
Some practical information about the Eiffel Tower:
-It is open year round 7 days a week from:
9.30am - 11pm / January 1 to June 12 and September 1 to December 31
Final lift up at 11pm (10.30pm for top floor)
Final staircase admittance at 6pm
9am - midnight / June 13 to August 31
Final lift up at midnight (11pm for top floor)
Final staircase admittance at midnight.
-Smoking isn’t allowed on the Eiffel Tower.
-NO pets allowed.
-Non-foldable strollers are not allowed.
-The top floor is not accessible to visitors in wheelchairs.
If you plan to visit the Eiffel Tower in a group, check out the online reservation to purchase your tickets in advance and choose a day and time for your visit.
Eiffel Tower
Champs de Mars
75007 Paris
tel: 01.44.11.23.23
Metro: Dupleix, Bir-Hakeim, Ecole Militaire, Trocadéro
RER: Champs de Mars - Tour Eiffel
7/7
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