DS1 has just announced that for his birthday treat this year he would like to go to Paris on Eurostar and climb the Eiffel Tower

[whatdayisit]

He'll be 8 and his birthday's not for a while yet, but I'm thinking (provided I can pay for part of it on AirMiles) that might not be a bad idea, especially as it will avoid me doing another kids party.

There would be 4 of us including DS2 (5). I haven't been to Paris since I was a child and the rest of us have never been. Main concern would be if there's lots of queuing, as DS2 is not good at that. What does climbing the Eiffel Tower involve?

There is a queue though if you go first thing there probably won't be. There are a lot of steps - or a lift!

We went a few years ago in the April and didnt queue for long. There were four queues on the go. one at each leg!! My mum went last year and she did experience a long queue so i guess i depends on when you go (high tourist season etc)

Thank you both. Do you know when the best/worst times might be in terms of time of day/day of week/ time of year etc?

Any idea of the cost?

What is the actual climb like? Will I be scared?

If DS2 is slow, will we be holding everyone up?

My sister went at night and it looked lovely. But I'm pretty sure the Eiffel Topwer recently won top place as the most disappointing/dull tourist attraction!

Go early and you'll be fine, we went last summer and DS was fine in the queues (he has AS and doesn't like queueing).
Quite agree about climbing to 2nd stage and then a lift to the very top.
Have fun!

NDTH - we were there then
It opens @ 9.30amn the summer - if you get there early queues okay, We took the lift up, but no queues at all for the stairs. DC were bored because they don't 'get' paris. I was all nostalgic as spent a year in paris when young and had first love affair there, and once went up in a thunderstorm when the lighntning lit up paris in an eery blue glow...
Anmyway, DS1 (10) decide he had vertigo @ the top (did not believe it for one second!) and that to 'conquer his fear' he would descend by the stairs . When he had gone I realised that I would never be able to find him the bottom in the crowds, so DS2 and I also went down the stairs.
Down to level 1 was okay, but level 1 down was HORRIBLE.
At the bottom we found DS1 grinning, who said he HAD conquered his fear
I was shaking for two days - not from shock - ice cream lady explained that if u are not used to climbing down so many stairs (who is???) many people are wobbly afterwards.