Eiffel Tower: The Best View is the One You Don’t Pay For

Ah, the Eiffel Tower. The big ol’ iron beauty that screams “Welcome to Paris!” (and also “You’re about to get overcharged for everything within a 500-meter radius”). Every year, millions of tourists fork out €29.40 (ouch) to take the cramped, sweaty elevator ride to the top. And for what? A view that doesn’t even have the Eiffel Tower in it.

Nah, friend, we’re doing this the smart way. The budget way. The lie-on-the-grass-with-a-baguette-like-a-Parisian-god way.

Palais de Chaillot: The Secret to the Best Eiffel Tower View

Instead of dropping your hard-earned euros on a sky-high ticket, grab your snacks, your camera, and your best I’m-too-cool-for-tourist-traps attitude, and head to the lawn of the Palais de Chaillot.

Why? Because this is where you get the best view of the Eiffel Tower. Full-frontal, perfectly framed, and—most importantly—free.

Located just across the Seine from the tower, this spot is prime real estate for lazy afternoon picnics, dramatic photoshoots, and pretending you live in Paris (manifest it, baby).

Nightfall: When the Eiffel Tower Puts on a Show

Now, here’s where the magic happens. Every night, on the hour, the Eiffel Tower does its little twinkle dance—flashing like a giant disco ball for five whole minutes. It’s mesmerizing, it’s romantic, it’s literally the only free entertainment in Paris that doesn’t involve a street mime.

And guess what? While all the suckers are crammed onto the tower itself, you’re sitting back, champagne in hand, watching the show the way it was meant to be seen.

Bonus Round: The Nighttime Vendors

If you hang around after dark, you’ll meet the real VIPs of Paris: the street vendors. These legends wander around selling everything from €1 Eiffel Tower keychains and magnets (aka the perfect souvenir for your keys and fridge) to bottles of wine and beer (genius). You don’t even have to move—just wave some cash, and boom, instant picnic upgrade.

Final Verdict: Worth It?

Do you want to:
a) Spend €29.40 to stand in a crowded elevator for a view that doesn’t include the Eiffel Tower?
OR
b) Spend €5 on a bottle of wine, sit on a lawn, and watch the tower twinkle like a giant, fabulous Christmas tree?

Yeah. Thought so. Palais de Chaillot wins.

So tell me, are you team Eiffel Tower elevator sufferer or team lawn picnic champion? Drop a comment below, you savvy Parisian-in-the-making. ✨