Things to do at the Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro

The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World's Fair and stands about 330 metres with its antennas, still the symbol most visitors picture before they picture anything else in Paris. A reserved time slot is strongly recommended: without one, queueing can eat an entire morning.

Lifts run to the second floor, where stairs are also an option, then a separate lift is the only way up to the summit. Two viewpoints answer two different questions. The Champ de Mars puts you directly underneath, tower filling the frame, no city visible behind it.

The Trocadéro, across the Seine, gives the postcard view of the whole structure without joining the base queue at all. Crowds here also mean pickpockets are active, so keep bags closed.