Eiffel Tower is a real time commitment — fit it in only if it's a priority.
Allow 2–3 hrs.
From the Trocadéro it's a genuine gasp; up top, the city unrolls in every direction. But the taste call locals make is contrarian: the second floor — not the summit — is the sweet spot. You get the close-up, legible city detail, a café terrace, and you skip the second lift queue, while the summit is a windier, often-hazy scrum you've waited twice to reach. Book a timed second-floor ticket and you've beaten the single biggest time-sink in Paris.
Price
€29.40 lift to summit / €11.80 stairs to 2nd floor