Good thing that they never got around to it, because these days everyone wants a piece of the Dame de Fer (Iron Lady).

Planning your visit to Paris’ most famous attraction? Here are a few tips to make your visit as enjoyable as possible:

Ticket prices

Elevator to the 1st and 2nd Level: €17.10
Elevator to the top: €26.80
Stairs to the 1st and 2nd Level: €10.70
Stairs to the 1st and 2nd Level, then Elevator to the top: €20.40

Should you buy tickets in advance?

You can save time by buying your tickets online, in advance, and avoiding the ticket line when you get there. During peak travel times, though, online tickets (especially to the top) may be sold out. However, they would still be available at the tower for immediate use. You’ll just have to wait in that ticket line…

So really, the short answer is: Yes, buy tickets in advance through the official Eiffel Tower website and book your slot. But don’t be discouraged if you don’t see anything available for your time and date — you can still just show up and wait in the ticket line.

Discounts on Eiffel Tower tickets

Ages 12 to 24 enjoy a discounted price of €8.60 on elevator admissions to the second floor, €13.40 to the top, and €5.40 on a stairs ticket. Ages 4 to 11 receive a discounted rate of €4.30 on elevator admissions to the second floor, €6.70 to the top, and €2.70 on a stairs ticket.

Hours

The Eiffel Tower is open every day of the year, including many major holidays. Hours are as follows:

May 7 – June 17: Open from 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
From June 18 – May 6: Open from 9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Closed July 14 for Bastille Day.

Time of day to go

Everyone has a favorite time to head up the tower, but the evening time, right around sunset, is one of the most stunning. If you time it right, you’ll be watching the sun set over Paris while the twinkling lights below start to pop alive. By the time you reach the summit, you’ll have the best possible view of the city at its finest.

Climbing it

As long as you’re not wearing heels, you may opt to climb the stairs to the tower’s second level to catch the elevator to the very top. This ticket saves you €6.40, or put that money toward a well-deserved glass of wine (or two!) at a café afterward.

What to wear

It gets windy at the top of the tower, so it’s a good idea to dress accordingly, especially during the cooler months. You’ll be much more comfortable at the top if you have a little something extra to wrap around yourself.

Alternative towers

In the end, there are no real tricks to visiting the tower. If there’s a huge line, there’s a huge line. But no one is forcing you to wait.

If simply seeing the tower is enough, consider going up the Tour Montparnasse, that big ugly skyscraper in the south of the city. From the top of this building you get a bird’s eye view of everything with less fuss. There’s also a bar up top — win-win situation?

Related:
• 50 Ways to save time and money on your trip to Paris
• When is the best time to visit Paris?
• A Guide to beating the crowds at Paris’ top attractions

Transportation to the Eiffel Tower

The Metro line 6 will drop you off at Bir Hakeim, the closest station. For better views while arriving at the tower, lines 6 and 9 at the station Trocadéro is a stunning way to introduce yourself to Eiffel’s masterpiece with just a short walk across the river afterward. Line 8 at Ecole Militaire is also a short walk through the Champs de Mars, offering great views of the tower as well.

Cheap hotels near the Eiffel Tower

If you’re looking for budget hotels nearby, be sure to read our hotel recommendations near the Eiffel Tower. Our editors have visited and reviewed these properties and will help you find the best deal.

The post Eiffel Tower: How to get tickets, find discounts and save time appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

But first, don’t leave Paris without checking out the Tour Eiffel’s special 120th birthday exposition, “L’Épopée Tour Eiffel” (“Epic of the Eiffel Tower”).  The exhibit features pictures and a history of the famous structure, along with a gallery of 300 reproductions of the Tower and a collection of artwork inspired by the “Lady of Iron.”

The festivities will run through December 31, 2009. Elevator access to the tower is open from 9:30 AM to 11:45 PM.

Photos by Theadora Brack.

Some riveting facts

The Eiffel Tower is made with 2.5 million rivets holding together 20,000 square meters of intricate iron latticework projecting 1,046 feet high. She was the tallest structure on earth from 1889 until 1930. Wind, the dominant natural force affecting her, is strongest at the top, but most of it blows through her and not against her because of her airy wrought iron. (Well, almost. She has been known to jiggle on a gusty day–but only a few inches.)

The Tower’s beauty regimen involves 60 tons of paint, which must be applied at least every seven years to protect her from rust. Each paint job takes 15 to 18 months. Thinking ahead, Gustave Eiffel nailed it when he said, “The more meticulous the paint job, the longer the Tower shall endure.” The most recent paint job started in March 2009, just in time for her 120th birthday celebration.

Down through the years the colors have varied from dark red to a rather bright yellow, and from dark chocolate brown to her current “Brun Tour Eiffel”—a special grayish-brown hue. To emphasize her fabulous silhouette as seen from the ground, there are actually three different shades of the hue that change from dark to light, the higher up you go.

Beauté tips from the Eiffel Tower employees

Like the great iron spire jutting directly above them, the employees who run the Tour Eiffel’s lifts have to protect themselves against the elements. “It’s windy up there!” one lift-operator told me. Daily she makes some fifty round trips to the first and second levels, and at least twenty more to the third level. “So moisturizing is key. Neutrogena is the most famous around here. We also wear hooded parkas!”

The Tour Eiffel uniform, strikingly stylish in olive green with bright orange piping, was created by couturier Jean Charles de Castelbajac. The coordinated ensemble includes a tight-fitted pantsuit, scarf, and a matching purse on a string.

The lift operator grinned. “I especially like the sacs. We all carry our beauty products in them and talk about them often. We also share.” she said. “The favorite lip-moisturizer here is LaBello, strawberry flavored. All my colleagues use it. I suppose that’s because of the color and shape.” She winked. “We all wish to look pretty, but not too sexy. After all, la Tour is a family place.”

Her co-workers also pack Nivéa Crème. (Tip: Cheapos, all products mentioned can be purchased for just a few euros at grocery stores or pharmacies in Paris.)

The post Paris: The Eiffel Tower turns 120 (and shares some beauty tips) appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

So start lacing up Cheapos. Among the city’s runners, you’ll feel like a fiery insider while gaining a sense of participation in a real aspect of French life (and maybe even bring home a medal to prove it!).

Here are four of my favorite Paris races to get you on your mark, set, and ready to go!

1. La Parisienne

La Parisienne racers make their way through town.

Sister! Hold on to those compression short-shorts because the start of this all-female race is a crazy mêlée of 15,000 gazelles vying for a spot out in front while charging through the narrow streets surrounding la Tour Eiffel. Go solo or race as an ensemble for fun. Wearing gold lamé, my équipe, Les Furies du Monde, recently snagged the costume award, presented by the Mairie de Paris.

Date: September 13, 2009
Distance: 6.5 km
Starts: In front of the Trocadéro
Finishes: In front of the École Militaire
Booty: Roses, medals (1.6 oz.), and black fitted-racing shirts
Terrain: Gentle hills (See map)
Sights: La Tour Eiffel, the “Princess Di tunnel” at Pont de l’Alma, and Champ de Mars
Post-race: Get your Zen on at the Guimet Musée National des Arts Asiatiques.

2. Paris – Versailles: La Grande Classique

The French Revolution really got going when the Paris market women marched off to Versailles to raise hell with the royals. It took them over six hours to get there, but it shouldn’t take you so long—not with shoe innovations and fit pompiers (firemen) on your side, encouraging you with words of charm. Take heed, though. Halfway there, you’ll meet with a mile-long hill with a hefty incline. But what goes up must come down, so prepare for a fast descent!

Date: September 27, 2009
Distance: 16 km
Starts: At la Tour Eiffel
Finishes: At the Sun King’s palace (Versailles)
Bling: Medals (2.1 oz.) worthy of an aristocrat
Terrain: Think Supreme(s). As in,’ ain’t no mountain high enough!’  (See map)
Tip: The pompiers usually run at the back of the pack
Post-race: Go Baroque; cool off at the palace fountain shows to the sounds of Lully and Handel.

The line-up at the 20 Kilometres

3. 20 Kilomètres de Paris

Attention to detail is this race organization’s forte. Though 20,000 runners may be chomping at the bit on the Pont d’Iéna, it’s not an issue since the race start is staggered, easing up on the stampede mentality. Line-up is first-come, first-served. A confession: I weep every time the Armée de l’Air fighter jets buzz the crowd trailing tri-colored smoke in their pre-race fly-by salute.

Date: October 11, 2009
Distance: 20 km
Starts and finishes: At la Tour Eiffel
Awards: Striking medals (2.2 oz.), shirts, and souvenir chips with the race logo
Terrain: At times bumpy (cobblestones) and woodsy (Bois de Boulogne). See map.
Perks: Every 5 km you’ll find nuts, figs, sugar cubes, dark chocolate and live music
Post-race: Swing by the Tarzan exposition at the Musée du quai Branly.

4. La Corrida de Noël d’Issy-Les-Moulineaux

Imagine running, not with the bulls, but with thousands of Santa Clauses! This could very well be your worst nightmare or a dream come true, but I wouldn’t miss it. It’s a frenetic case of “Christmas Meets Mardi Gras”—so come in costume. The ride out to Issy via metro or bus will give you a chance to scope out your fellow competitors, and touch up your pointy elf ears!

Date: December 13, 2009
Distance: 10 km
Starts and Finishes: Palais des Sports Robert Charpentier, in Issy-les-Moulineaux
Gifts: Shirts, medals (1.5 oz.), and mulled wine
Terrain: Lively (See map.)
Sights: Look for elves, angels, ornaments, Elvis’s, and at least one running Christmas tree, complete with tinsel garlands and presents
Post-race: Stay for the cool-down disco session. Yule love it!

If you want to run en masse…

Before your trip, be sure to get a note from your doctor. A handwritten sentence on letterhead, saying there are “no contraindications for [your name] participating in running competitions” will do. This rule can’t be bent. No medical certificate means no dossard (that fun little bib with a racer’s number on it). Deadlines are approaching so first pre-register on-line, and then see your doctor.

The post Paris Tip: Off to the races! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.