A must do while in Paris, even if just to say "I went up the Eiffel Tower." Yes, you can take the stairs; my sister opted for this option and it is a good one if your legs will hold out, as it is less expensive. Or do like the rest of the lazy Americans and take the elevator! You will have to wait in line for tickets either way, and the shortest line of the four days we were there was Sunday morning.

The elevator will take you first to the middle landing where there is a place to eat as well as an observation area. You then hop on another elevator to take you to the uppermost level. This is where you can get the views of Paris! I had never realized how large a city Paris was until this. From up here you can pick out most of the major sights, and also see the transition from Old Paris to the newer business districts of Paris.

The Eiffel Tower is really much larger and taller in person than I would have imagined. The elevators are an experience themselves, as they travel at an angle, and you get a view of the inner workings of the construction, though I would guess that taking the stairs would provide a better view of this.

I was told the restaurant on the first landing is rather expensive, but there was such a crowd there that we never could find out. There is also a restaurant at the base of one of the pillars; I grabbed a peak at the menu and it was incredibly expensive (in the range of 30 euro per person and up). The price for the elevators was €12 per person, though we did not have to pay for our 1-year-old.

It is the most visited monument in the world. I’m sure you’ve seen many photos of the Eiffel Tower on the Internet and in different movies, but it is nothing like seeing it in person. I visited the Tower last summer, on a tour bus. On the way to the tower, we saw a movie where the Eiffel Tower was shown; but I was completely taken by surprise at the tower’s immense size when we arrived. The tower stands at 320 meters or 1,052 feet; it was the tallest structure in the world from 1889 to 1930, it lost its title when the Chrysler Building was built. To give you a better idea of how big it is; you could stack 6 Statue of Liberties on top of each other and it still wouldn’t be enough to match the size of the Eiffel Tower.

If you want to get there before big lines builds up, you better get there bright and early in the morning; you do not want to get there at 2 in the afternoon to find more than an hour’s wait to get in. Yes, there is an admission fee, but it’s totally worth it. There is a chart on their homepage, www.tour-eiffel.fr, that shows the different prices according to age, floors, etc. There are two ways to get up the Eiffel Tower; by elevator or by stairs. Most likely, you will like to take the elevator, but the line to get on an elevator will be much longer than the line to go up the stairs. If you want to skip the line, and take the stairs then you will have to climb 115 meters and then take the elevator anyways if you want to go to the top of the tower. If you are visiting the Eiffel Tower during the peak season, as I did, the wait will be long to go to the top. In my opinion, there’s no reason to go up higher when you already have a marvelous view of the city. If you want to see what I’m talking about, view the photos attached to this journal. After you finish taking all your pictures of the view, comes the most dangerous part of this experience (if you’re not visiting alone). You’re probably asking yourself how the Eiffel Tower can possibly be dangerous. When I visited the tower, my entire family went up the tower and got in line to go back down by elevator. The system of going back down by elevator is simply horrible! Everyone was smashed together into one big cluster of pushing and shoving. Somehow, one of the younger members of my family got pushed into the elevator and they wouldn’t let one of our family members go with him. So, when we got to the bottom we had to spend 15 minutes (scariest 15 minutes of my life) trying to find him. In conclusion, this is amazing place to visit if you are careful.

Paris is famed throughout the world for the beauty and variety of its monuments. Towers, churches, palaces, archways, bridges or fountains… an extraordinary collection of landmarks that transports us back in time. Of course, Paris wouldn’t be Paris without the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame or Sacré Coeur. And each evening a special magic takes over the city when all these splendid constructions are illuminated! Tour Eiffel, as it is known in Paris, is one of the most famous monuments in the world, built by Gustave Eiffel in 1889 for a World Fair. To access, take the Bir Hakeim Metro, or the RER Line Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel. Expect a bit of a wait, though with 6.5 million visitor to the Tower each year, it must be worth the wait. I would advise visiting in the late afternoon before sunset to see the beautiful lights glimmering on the outside of the Tower.

When arriving at the Eiffel Tower, our biggest decision was what floor to visit. Why not all of them? Each floor offers a unique view. The first floor is wonderful in giving the history of Paris. Historical panels are placed all over the circular gallery as well as panoramic indicators presenting the sites down below. For a romantic and memorable dinner experience visit "Le Jules Verne" on the second floor. Restaurant visitors enjoy the perks of private access through a south pillar elevator and food and wine not to be forgotten. Though be sure to reserve in advance, as any able, especially one with a view is well in demand. Following dinner, be sure to make a visit to the specialty food shop also located on the second floor. This shop offers sweets, chocolates, teas, terrines, mustard, and souvenirs from Paris and other regions of France. On the top floor, an 18-meter climb from the base of the tower, features the history and basis of the Eiffel Tower including a representation of Gustave Eiffel's office featuring wax characters of himself & his daughter as well as Thomas Edison! For more information, hours and cost, visit the official website at www.tour-eiffel.fr