Tag: Eiffel Tower

Exploring the Eiffel Tower-Girls Trip 2023

On By Travels with MelindaIn Eiffel Tower, France, Girls Trip, Paris, Travel, travel hacks, travel tips, travelling, Uncategorized1 Comment

No trip to Paris would be complete without checking out the Eiffel Tower. It is an icon and a masterpiece of engineering. Whether you just walk by or you go for the whole guided tour, skip the line ticket, dining at the restaurants on the first or second levels or the champagne at the top package, you MUST experience the Eiffel Tower in some shape or form.

The Eiffel Tower was created to be the centerpiece of the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. With 60+ million visitors a year, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris (about 81 stories high). For our 30th anniversary several years ago, Thom and I celebrated the milestone with a trip up to the top. With a combination of tickets to use the elevators and access the top floors, we enjoyed the view and took some amazing pictures to memorialize the moment. We ended up going the less travelled route as usual by walking down the steps all by ourselves for awhile. We wandered around the park underneath, enjoyed seeing the carousel and went back to the Trocadero at night to see the tower light up and twinkle, which it does every night for just for 5 minutes. Get there in advance so you don’t miss it! The night we were there, it was also a full moon which made for an amazing view.

This time on our Girls Trip 2023, we decided to skip the trip up the tower due to some issues with the ladies not liking heights. Instead, we jumped off the Batobus boat, got off at the Eiffel Tower pier and walked around the grounds admiring it from the bottom up. Well, at least as much as we could, given the “sprucing up” that Paris was doing to get ready for the 2024 Olympics coming up. There is a lot of construction going on all around town. Paris will shine in 2024. Enjoy the journey!

PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO THE EIFFEL TOWER TRAVEL TIPS:

  1. Go online to the official Eiffel Tower site and compare options to visit: The OFFICIAL Eiffel Tower website: tickets, news, info… (toureiffel.paris) Best times to visit are early mornings for a day visit and at night for the twinkling lights.
  2. Book tickets well in advance from official site (they go on sale two months in advance) for the experience you want. Once you’ve booked them, you cannot change or exchange your e-tickets. All purchases are final. So double check before hitting that “purchase” button to make sure you have right date/time. Prices/times may vary so I won’t quote any here. Just go to the site and check it out.
  3. You can print tickets or show on your phone just as long as barcode can be scanned. Bring ID for everyone as you may get asked to show it (even for children).
  4. You do have to go through security checks so don’t bring anything that will prevent you from going in like luggage-small bags okay but not big ones.
  5. There are free toilets on every floor (1st, 2nd and top). Use the facilities here because there are practically no toilets on the grounds around the Eiffel Tower. Believe me-I searched and found one defective pod toilet where the door wasn’t closing all the way so my sister stood in front of it so I could use it.
  6. Go during the day AND at night. These are very different experiences. Lights start twinkling after sundown (depends on time of year) on the hour for five minutes (so get there early) and until midnight.
  7. Walk up/down at least some stairs to get a feel for the structure. There are 1665 steps to the top so probably plan on a combo of getting elevator tickets and walking some sections for a well rounded experience. There are only 328 steps to the first floor-you can do it! Thom and I did this and loved it. Lots of good pictures taken too.

GETTING THERE:

ADDRESS:

Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France

On the day of your visit, allow A LOT of extra time to get there. Surface street traffic in Paris is always bad so if you are coming by taxi or Uber, you will get stuck in traffic. I’ve never before gotten a text from Uber that said “we see you haven’t moved in 20 minutes, are you alright?” until I recently went to Paris and then I got it several times. One trip that was predicted by the app to take 20 minutes took two hours. Not kidding! Poor driver did not make money on that trip but we did trip him 20 euros for not kicking us out.

I would recommend using the Metro (Lines 6, 8 or 9) to get close and then walking. Other options: Bus (line 42 or 82/closest bust stop is Bir-Hakeim), take a scenic boat ride (we took the BatoBus Seine River hop on, hop off and they have a stop at the Eiffel Tower), or RER train line 3 (get off at Champs de Mars station). Map below courtesy of official Eiffel Tower site.

A Perfect Day in Paris

On By Travels with MelindaIn France, Paris, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I’ve had the opportunity to visit Paris several times and it’s become one of our favorite places. Now, I want to share with you my idea of a perfect day in Paris.

Our love affair with Paris began with a wild and crazy nine-hour layover in between flights from the US to Lisbon. At CDG, we jumped on the RER train to the Eiffel Tower, walked beside the Seine River, and then hopped back on the train to the airport to continue our journey to Portugal. The sun was shining, we marveled at the beauty we had only dreamed about, and immediately began planning a return trip. Yes, Paris is magical. I hope that once you experience it, you will love it as much as I do. Enjoy the journey!

On subsequent trips for both business and pleasure, we stayed in various arrondissements and in Boulogne-Billancourt, which was close to the Microsoft office where I worked when I was here. I can’t say any areas disappointed, as each neighborhood had its own distinct personality. In Boulogne-Billancourt, it was like staying in a small French town close to the river and parks but accessible to Paris by a 15-minute Metro ride. Staying within Paris proper was convenient for seeing the top sites.

If I had to draw from all my experiences in Paris and put together what a perfect day looks like in Paris, here it is:

Morning

No matter where you stay in Paris, a café is not far away. They are all good. Take an outside seat, enjoy a coffee and a croissant, and people watch. Simple and perfect way to start the day.

Wander the Marais neighborhood and stop in any shop that catches your eye. I’ve found so many treasures doing this-jewelry handmade by the artist that I got to meet, vinyl for Thom, an oversized knitted sweater that now has a few holes but that I refuse to part with and the list goes on.

After the Marais, walk by Notre Dame (to reopen in 2024) along the Seine River perusing the stalls where they sell books and magazines. Cross the river on the Pont des Arts bridge where the locks are hung by lovers. Take pictures of everything.

Afternoon

Grab some wine, cheese, fruit (figs if they are in season and, on my perfect day, they are!), sandwiches and a baguette-all at different small stores specializing in their product. Take your goodies to Luxembourg Gardens for a picnic and more people watching. Find the Medici Fountain after you watch kids sail model boats on the central pond that served as an inspiration for a similar one in Central Park in NYC-another favorite place of mine.

On the walk back to the ARBNB to rest up after many miles of walking Paris, I would plan a route from Luxembourg Garden to Shakespeare & Co., THE bookstore to visit when in Paris. After grabbing a travel book and getting it officially stamped with their logo inside, it’s time for a nap and hydration before the evening activities.

Evening

Climb the stairs or take the funicular up to Sacre Coeur to catch the sunset over Paris. Wander around Montmartre and get an original painting by one of the many artists in the main square. (Get a cardboard tube to transport home your unique souvenir.) Grab an apertif at a café.

For dinner, I prefer a café that is unique or local. We’ve had some special moments at places that are off the beaten track. One of my favorites is Refuge Des Fondues in Montmartre where the wine is served in a baby bottle. Wear pants as you might be asked to climb over the table to get a seat on the bench against the wall. Patrons are packed in tight so don’t go here if you want a quiet experience. Enjoy a reasonably priced fondue prix-fixe menu with plentiful food and booze. I turned down a digestive shot offered by the waiter at the end of my meal and, as to not waste good liquor, he just downed it for me. Cheers!

Starting at sundown and until 1 am, the Eiffel Tower sparkles every hour on the hour for five minutes. It’s a party atmosphere around the Tower as everyone waits for the light show to begin. Once we were there and there was a full moon shining on us, making it all the more magical. Even after a long day, it’s worth it to go and experience it up close and personal.

Wander home afterward and get some well-deserved rest before another excellent day in Paris. Then, start planning your next trip to Paris to experience even more of what this great city has to offer!

Walking Paris

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, France, Paris, Travel, Uncategorized, VancouverLeave a comment

 I’ve always dreamed of seeing the Eiffel Tower in person.  Something about those big city landmarks speak to me and I’ve been lucky enough to live by three of the best-NYC’s Flatiron Building, Seattle’s Space Needle and Shanghai’s Pearl Tower.  On the way to Lisbon today, we got to live my dream and turned a long layover into an adventure in Paris.

Finally here in Paris!

“Think Amazing Race!” I told Thom as we raced through Charles De Gaulle airport.  We had limited hours to navigate through CDG airport in Paris, go through customs, find the RER train and make it to the city with enough time to explore.  Customs was a breeze as the French don’t chit chat like the engaging Brits who want to know every last detail of your trip.  Our security guy didn’t even say hello, which I was perfectly fine with as the line moved quickly indeed with no pleasantries unlike at Heathrow where chattiness caused 90 minute delays in processing.

Following the signs through the huge airport, we made one wrong turn that required retracing of steps (good for the Fitbit!) and sorting out which platform to aim for after a serious wait in line at the ticket machine.  Not cheap-20 euros each for a round trip to/from city, but riding the train allows for a glimpse into Paris not found gazing from a bus or taxi.  Behaving more like a locale got us into the city (with only one transfer required) in about an hour.  Not bad!

As we got off at the Eiffel stop, we ran up the stairs and looked around the leafy streets but no Tower in sight.  Where in the world is the Eiffel Tower???  Crossing the street to the River Sienne, we looked  up and to our right and THERE IT WAS looming over us and only a block away.  The Eiffel Tower in all its glory was just gorgeous.  Did I mention there wasn’t a cloud in the bright blue sky?  With no time to go up or even walk all the way around it, we walked into a park next to the Tower where school groups played next to heavily armed guards patrolling to keep us safe.    

After taking many photos, we found the nearest facilities (pay to pee here too just like London so have .50 euros handy) and then we took off walking by the river.  What a glorious day!  The wide paths easily accommodate both bikers, joggers and strollers.  The plentiful bridges and boats on the river add ambience galore.  While there were many cafes along the path, they had just opened for the day and weren’t busy yet.  I can only imagine how beautiful it is at night to walk along the river and see the historic buildings lit up.  Another time perhaps.

WP_20170509_10_59_00_Rich

Paris, like Seattle and London, has a huge ferris wheel by the river to entice tourists.  Like no other city I’ve been to before, though, stalls line the river path, selling vintage books, newspapers and magazines.  Oh how I wish we had time to sit in a café, sip espresso, eat pastries and read a good book.  Heaven.

WP_20170509_11_29_01_Rich.jpg

But time was wasting and Portugal was waiting.  So, 5 miles and 2 hours later, we had walked along the river from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame Cathedral and, as luck would have it, caught the express train to the airport so we made our flight with a little time to spare.  We promised each other that we would come back to Paris and explore the narrow alleys filled with quaint cafes.  Soon.