On my wife%26#39;s must-do list is go up the Eiffel Tower. We are traveling by car from Germany to Normandy, but I must entertain the wife%26#39;s demands. What is the easiest way to drive to the Eiffel Tower, where to park, etc. I%26#39;ve read that Paris is no place for autos. Perhaps a park-n-ride close by? Any advice? Only looking to get to the Eiffel, visit, and then get back on the road again. Thanks.
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If you%26#39;re visiting Paris for no other reason than to visit the tower, don%26#39;t bother.
There isn%26#39;t parking all that close -- your best best would be to park in the suburbs and ride the train in -- only because the time and expense of tickets will quickly make up for the time and expense of parking (plus the arguments of where to turn).
Indulge her a little -- spend a night in Paris- then the rest is easy.
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Agree this is not easy to do. Can only think that if you parked at a major railway station, you could come in to the city by train, and metro to the Eiffel Tower.
You would have to do this in the very early hours to avoid long queue at ET. You need to get there at about 8am, as by 9.30 the queue will probably be over an hour.
Also there are 3 levels, and even if you walk up the first, you have to wait for the lifts to 2nd and 3rd, then wait for lifts back down again.
By the time you have got back to your car, it would take up most of the day I think.
You cannot pre-purchase tickets for ET at present, but you can avoid the queue by pre- booking lunch at the expensive restaurant there, as there is a separate lift for this.
You can read about this on the Eiffel Tower website.You can also pre-book a behind the scenes tour(about 1 1/2 hours)but they only do that on certain days.Info on the website about this also.
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It is very easy to park the car in the Champ de Mars area, particularly at the Ecole Militaire end.
Coming from Germany, just come in on the autoroute de l%26#39;Est direction %26#39;Paris Centre%26#39;. When you see the direction %26#39;Austerlitz%26#39;, go that way just to cross over the Seine and then turn right to continue following the Seine. The river will take you straight to the Eiffel Tower (the Champ de Mars is the park behind the Eiffel Tower away from the river -- you should see a lot of parking spaces on the surrounding streets).
To continue to Normandy, you just keep going along the Seine the same way you had started, and it will take you to the périphérique ring road expressway. There should even be a sign showing the direction of the autoroute to Rouen right when you get on.
No problem at all. I don%26#39;t get these other people!
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If its that easy to park in Paris, its a shame that other cities are not the same!
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It%26#39;s easy to park near the Eiffel Tower. It%26#39;s absolute hell to park anywhere else in Paris.
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the %26quot;getting it%26quot;, Kerouac -- is that it%26#39;s not all that easy to do -- the Eiffel Tower isn%26#39;t a drive-through attraction. The logistics aren%26#39;t difficult, but it%26#39;s also not like whipping through the drivethrough at Quick!
It was more a suggestion that it%26#39;s a pity to do a drive-through visit of the Eiffel Tower, when staying overnight would allow his wife to see a bit of Paris at a much more relaxed pace, and without much of the shouting that will result from trying to make a visit to the tower as a short detour.
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I think you are very thoughtful to try and arrange this for your wife.
If I can fly from the UK to Egypt, see the pyramids, sphinx and Cairo museum, then fly home again in one day, I%26#39;m sure you can manage to see the Eiffel Tower!
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Thanks kerouac2 for the info. I got this recommendation from a French Canadian. Can you verify if this is good info since you live in Paris? %26quot;Park at La Defense. Take Metro Line 1 to the Charles de Gaulle Etoile stop, and change to Line 6 to Champs de Mars/Tour Eiffel.%26quot; And Sunshine, if the Eiffel tower piques our interest, we%26#39;ll perhaps give your city the time it deserves. But for now, we find Normandy a higher priority.
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I am not a expert,, but I do use the metro easily in Paris,, and I think the route your friend describes sounds fine,, it is the route I would use anyways. I have no idea how easy it is to find parking at La Defence as I personally have never driven in France, but, I am fairly sure there are lots all over the place as many people who live in suburbs may drive in and then take metro into city.
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