Staring up at the Eiffel Tower as dawn breaks over Paris – even from ground level, it’s a breathtaking sight. Arriving in Paris with a shoestring budget, I immediately felt the city’s reputation for high prices.
As Nomadic Matt notes, “Paris is expensive to visit,” and you do need creative strategies to save money . But here’s the good news: you don’t have to pay a fortune to experience the Eiffel Tower. In fact, countless travelers (including me) have discovered that some of the most memorable Eiffel moments are free.
One seasoned visitor even advises that “the best view of the tower requires… taking a few steps back,” reminding us that simply admiring the Iron Lady from a distance is already a win .
In the following, I’ll share my personal stories, insider tips, and little tricks for enjoying the Eiffel Tower without draining your wallet – from free viewpoints and picnic spots to smart ticket hacks and cheap eats.
Free Eiffel Tower Views
On my first evening, I learned that the Eiffel Tower commands Paris’s skyline in every direction. You don’t have to buy a ticket to feel its magic.
In fact, wandering the city’s quiet alleys and bridges revealed countless free Eiffel Tower views that took my breath away. One hidden gem was Avenue de Camoëns, a peaceful side street in the 16th arrondissement. From here, the tower peaks elegantly above classic Haussmann rooftops .
As I snapped photos and captured this moment with my phone, I realized: sometimes the simple view is the best. Later, I climbed the steps of the Trocadéro Palace (Place du Trocadéro), the classic Eiffel vantage with marble floors and souvenir stands.
It’s busy, but if you step back a little on the upper plaza, you get a more dramatic perspective .
- Av. de Camoëns (16th arr.) – A quiet residential street where the Eiffel Tower gracefully rises behind Parisian buildings (see photo above). It’s usually uncrowded and feels like a secret local spot.
- Place du Trocadéro – The classic panorama: stand on the steps of the Palais de Chaillot facing the Seine for the full frontal Eiffel shot. (Pro tip: walk a bit farther back on the plaza for a wider, cinematic frame .)
- Champ de Mars & River Seine – The sprawling park at the tower’s base offers green lawns perfect for lounging. I discovered that Parisian grocery staples (baguette, cheese, fruit) from nearby shops make an ideal picnic here – the Eiffel as your dining companion. Boats on the Seine glide by, and every hour on the hour you can watch the tower sparkle from the grass.
- Bir-Hakeim Bridge (Metro Line 6) – This elegant metal bridge over the Seine provides an angular view of the Eiffel. You can actually stand on the pedestrian level for a great shot, or ride Metro Line 6 on the top level and look out the window. (Rick Steves tips to “stay photo-ready” on the right side of the train between Bir-Hakeim and Passy for a fleeting Eiffel glimpse .)
- Galeries Lafayette Rooftop (9th arr.) – Head to the free rooftop terrace of this historic department store. There’s no admission fee, and it offers a sweeping city view with the Eiffel in the distance . After admiring the tower, you can even sip a coffee on the terrace or peek into Parisian fashion.
- Rue Saint-Dominique & Rue Surcouf – A little off the beaten path, at this 7th-arrondissement intersection there’s a bench (outside Café Le Dôme) where the Eiffel neatly frames between Haussmann buildings. A perfect “locals’ photo spot” .
- Montparnasse Tower – For a bird’s-eye bargain, consider taking the elevator up Tour Montparnasse instead. It’s cheaper and much less crowded than the Eiffel Tower. From its observation deck you get a panoramic Paris view with the Eiffel Tower in the scene – in fact, many Parisians claim Montparnasse has the best view of Paris, precisely because it includes the Eiffel across the cityscape . (Admission is around €20 vs €36 for Eiffel’s top; no advanced reservation is needed.)
You can create your own Eiffel experience for free by simply choosing the right spot and time. On weekdays or early mornings, even busy spots like Trocadéro feel more relaxed.
I spent an entire golden afternoon lounging on the grass at Champ de Mars, munching on $5 croissants from a boulangerie, and watching the Iron Lady grow pink in the sunset. Even watching the hourly light show from across the river is a thrill on its own.
These moments cost me nothing more than a short walk and some imagination.
One late afternoon I stumbled upon this vantage on Av. de Camoëns (photo above). A friendly tourist was leaning on the railing, capturing the Eiffel on her phone. It struck me how ordinary it felt – just people soaking in the view – yet how extraordinary the tower looked, framed by streetside trees and sky.
This reinforced the Eiffel hack I had learned: you really can enjoy the landmark for free.
Cheap Tickets & Alternative Tours
Of course, at some point many visitors do crave that ascent. For the budget-conscious, the biggest decision is how high to go and how to get there.
The Eiffel Tower’s official site shows that tickets to the second floor are much cheaper if you climb than if you ride: about €14.50 by stairs (adult) versus €23.10 by lift .
Personally, I opted to climb the 347 steps to the second floor – a steep workout, but at €14.50 it saved me nearly €9 on the ticket . (Tip: taking the stairs means you also skip the ticket line to the elevators!)
By contrast, if you simply want the fun of climbing, you can pay 7.30€ (youth) or 3.70€ (child) for a second-floor stair ticket .
Once on the first floor, I wandered over the glass floor panel and literally “walked on air” over Paris . It was free (since my ticket included it) and gave a little thrill. From the first floor, I debated whether to continue up. Summit tickets start at €27.50 (via stairs+lift) instead of €36.10 by elevator . In my case, I skipped the top – it would have been an extra €13–18 – and instead enjoyed the view and the light breeze at the second level.
The unofficial rule I learned: second floor is already spectacular, and you can always decide later if you want to shell out for the top.
In fact, Rick Steves suggests buying a second-floor ticket in advance (if summit slots sell out), then purchasing summit access on-site if it becomes available .
For many travelers, simply booking any Eiffel ticket online in advance is the key money-saver. Admission lines on peak days can stretch one to two hours, especially in summer . But bookings on the official site cost no extra fee – it’s free to reserve your spot .
I booked my time slot ahead of time (the €3 phone or printing convenience is minimal), which meant after a quick security check I could walk right up to the tower.
If you end up wanting a “last-minute” solution, Rick Steves notes that sometimes second-floor tickets still pop up even if the summit is sold out . In a pinch, some travelers even pay for a skip-the-line tour or a meal reservation in the tower’s restaurant to breeze in (though those are not exactly budget options).
Bottom line: Take the stairs if you can! It’s cheaper and (in my opinion) more fun . My calves certainly protested, but I’d do it again. There’s something satisfying about reaching the top of a flight of stairs and realizing you’ve earned that view.
If you’re unfit or with kids, it’s okay to take the elevator – just know you’ll pay a premium.
Beating the Crowds & Finding the Best Times
Even on a budget, timing can save you money. I aimed to visit the Eiffel Tower during off-peak hours whenever possible. Arriving early (around the tower’s opening time) or late at night helps avoid crowds, and sometimes elevators run for a bit longer into the evening.
Rick Steves explicitly advises booking two months in advance (when slots open at 8:30 AM exactly 60 days ahead) because “waits of one to two hours [in summer] are the norm” without a reservation .
If I couldn’t get a good time slot, I simply hit a viewpoint and came back later or on another day. (Parisians often go up Montparnasse Tower for sunset instead of the Eiffel – cheaper, no waits.)
If you’re an early bird, take advantage of the quiet morning. If you’re a night owl, visit after 10 PM when lines are virtually nonexistent. Since I was on a tight schedule, booking ahead online worked best for me.
But a friend who visited on a rainy weekday got lucky by showing up without a ticket and paying full price with almost zero wait. In general, some crowds are unavoidable, so having flexibility was my secret weapon.
Metro & Walking Tours
One of the simplest ways to save in Paris is public transport. I bought a carnet of 10 Métro tickets (about €17.35) to cover me for multiple trips, as advised by Nomadic Matt .
This is far cheaper than buying single tickets (€2.15 each) every time. With my Métro pass, I hopped on Line 6 (Bir-Hakeim stop) or RER C (Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel stop) to get close to the tower .
The Eiffel Tower is amazingly well-served: Lines 6, 8, 9 and RER C all stop within a few blocks . I even tried Bus 69 once (it loops around the Seine) just for fun, but the Métro was so convenient that I mostly walked from my stop.
Remember: the Métro itself can be part of the Eiffel experience. I once sat facing right on the elevated portion of Line 6. As we rounded a bend near Bir-Hakeim, the tower suddenly appeared in my window – a spontaneous “Eiffel peek” that cost me only a single subway ride . And it beats a taxi fare any day!
Walking tours are another budget-friendly way to soak in the area. I joined a free (tip-based) walking tour around the Left Bank and learned little anecdotes about the tower’s history (like how Gustave Eiffel made sure it had a “use” after the Expo, fending off critics).
These tours often end with a viewpoint of the tower, giving you both context and a photo op, all without spending much.
Picnics & Cheap Eats near the Eiffel Tower
Parisian cuisine can be wallet-sapping, but it doesn’t have to be. Instead of eating inside tourist traps, my friends and I embraced picnicking like locals.
We learned that the key was simple: find a bakery or market, grab fresh bread and cheese, and head to a park. The Rue Cler market street (a few blocks south of the Eiffel) became our go-to. It has quaint fromageries, bakeries, and even a little traiteur (gourmet deli) .
Each morning I’d pick up baguettes, camembert, pâté, and some fresh fruit. By lunchtime, we’d lay out a blanket on the Champ de Mars.
Eiffel Tower views + a homemade picnic = priceless memories (and it only cost a few euros total) .
On this particular afternoon (photo above), I was savoring a salami baguette and watching tour groups line up – while we lounged for free on the grass. Another time, a sudden rain shower drove us to Cafe Carette at Place du Trocadéro for shelter and mille-feuilles.
Carette’s desserts are a splurge, but watching the tower shimmer through the glass was worth it for a quick (affordable) treat .
If cooking is out, there are still wallet-friendly spots nearby. We stumbled on Le Fils du Boulanger (34 Avenue de Suffren), a bakery-café that serves sandwiches and salads at reasonable prices . It even has indoor seating – a rarity for boulangeries – so you can eat without having to find a bench.
For something heartier, the American-style Birdy on Avenue Bosquet has burgers and fries for about €10 , which felt like a hometown comfort after days of French food. (In a pinch, every arrondissment also has at least one crêpe stand – but even those charge around €8–10 per crêpe. I’d rather save my euros for good cheese.)
Another money-saver: lunch deals. Many Parisian bistros offer a prix-fixe lunch menu that’s far cheaper than the dinner a la carte. As Nomadic Matt points out, you can often eat a three-course French meal for €12–20 if you go at midday .
On my last day I splurged on one prix-fixe meal at a local brasserie (steak frites plus a tartare for €15) – I told myself it was the perfect ending to my adventure.
But aside from that one treat, most meals were DIY: picnic, bakery grab-and-go, or the odd budget chain (I won’t lie, I ate from a Carrefour Express supermarket once).
The upshot: eat like a local. The cheapest lunch in Paris can be a picnic by the Seine or a plate of cheese in the park, and it’s unforgettable. Even Emily Monaco, a Paris foodie, agrees that markets are the best way to keep your belly happy on a budget .
For me, that baguette-cheese picnic with Eiffel as a backdrop became one of my favorite cheap thrills.
Eiffel History
No travel tale is complete without a bit of context. The Eiffel Tower we admire today was a bold experiment of the 19th century. It was erected for the 1889 Exposition Universelle – commemorating 100 years since the Revolution – and it was finished in a record 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days .
Gustave Eiffel’s iron design was chosen from 107 proposals and at 300 meters it was the tallest man-made structure in the world. The original plan was even to dismantle the tower after 20 years, but Eiffel famously outfitted it with radio antennas and telegraph equipment, proving its usefulness .
Had that not happened, today’s skyline would look very different.
As we basked in the August sun, I shared these tidbits with my travel mates: that we were standing on a tower that was once viewed as a temporary eyesore, and that Parisians now call “la dame de fer” (the Iron Lady) their beloved icon.
Understanding this made our free viewing even richer. In the soft evening light, I remembered how Eiffel was meant as a showpiece of engineering (built out of over 2.5 million rivets ), and I felt proud to be experiencing a bit of history on a dime.
Rich Memories, Not Expenses
Travel blogging often emphasizes luxury experiences, but for me the best moments weren’t the priciest. They were lean-earning moments – climbing the stairs exhausted and exhilarated, picnicking with cheesy smiles under the tower, and sneaking kisses with the Eiffel sparkling in the background at midnight.
As one friend joked, “We got the Eiffel Tower on sale!” In Paris, you can feel rich without spending much.
Paris on a budget is absolutely doable: with local transport cards, self-guided walks, picnics in parks, and creative sightseeing, the city’s magic is as accessible as it gets.
So if you’re planning your own Eiffel adventure, take heart. The iron lady welcomes everyone. You might not get to dine at the pricey Jules Verne Restaurant or pop champagne on the summit – and that’s fine.
You’ll still go home with a head full of memories and an album of photos that look like they cost much more.
Trust me, I’ve been there: I’m no millionaire tourist, just a regular traveler who learned that budget tricks and a good attitude go a long way.
In Paris, even when your wallet is empty, you can feel very full – of wonder, of joy, and yes, of Eiffel Tower sparkle.
The city taught me that one of the richest things is seeing an iconic landmark with fresh eyes and an empty belly (so you can dream of that next baguette).
Sources: For the practical tips and facts above, I leaned on up-to-date travel guides and official info. (E.g., Nomadic Matt on Paris costs , Rick Steves on Eiffel ticket tricks , official Eiffel site for ticket prices , and savvy travel blogs on free views .)
In the end, personal experience combined with these sources made me confident that the Eiffel Tower can indeed be enjoyed on a budget.