Eiffel Tower
The sommet of Paris panoramas is of course the sommet (top) of the Tour Eiffel. Depending on what day you visit, you may have to wait for hours to reach the top, and on some days you may not be able to reach it at all.

What to do? Well, the tower's first and second levels offer splendid views not much different from the top, for less money and less waiting time.

Not only that, more than a dozen other buildings in Paris offer spectacular views at less cost with shorter (or no) waits. Here they are:

Arc de Triomphe
Great views—including of the Eiffel Tower—from the top of a monument you'll have to see in any case. More...

Basilique du Sacré-Coeur
Everybody goes to Montmartre to see the church, and stays to see the views: panoramic, fantastic, all of Paris. More...

Tour Montparnasse
Everybody hated it when it was built—as with the Eiffel Tower—but if you're on top of it, you don't see it, you see all of Paris—including the Eiffel Tower! More...

Musée d'Orsay
Believe it or not, there are great views from the rooftop of this superb museum, and they're included in the regular admission fee. More...

Grande Arche de la Défense
Modern expression of the triumphal arch, there's never a long line to get to the top of this huge monument and enjoy the view. More...

Don't forget that some of these vantage points, such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Tour Montparnasse, are open at night when Paris truly becomes the City of Light.