Bonjour! If you are planning to visit Paris, France for the first time, you must visit the Eiffel Tower! Being one of the top tourist attractions, be prepared to expect some very long lines. But here are seven tips for getting the most out of your Eiffel Tower visit.

1. Reserve and prepay your ticket ahead of time.

This allows you to skip the ticket line. There's a down side, though: You have to commit to a date and time. What if you get there at the designated hour and it turns out to be raining, or the Tower is surrounded by fog? My friends chose this method. But because I snoozed, no tickets were available. So, I had to wait in line, but I cut my time in half... continue reading to find out how!

2. If you're taking the Métro, get out at the Trocadéro stop.

Many people recommend the Bir-Hakeim stop because it’s closer, but the view is better from the Trocadéro stop. Take in the view!

3. Go twice so you can see it both in daylight and lit up at night.

You don't need to go up the the Tower twice, but you'll definitely want to see it at 10 p.m. when the lights sparkle. It's sooooo pretty. A good time to ascend the Tower is shortly before twilight, so you can experience it at sunset and also after dark.

4. Take the stairs.

When my friends and I went to Paris, we avoided a two-hour wait for the elevator by climbing the stairs—an activity that turned out to be pretty cool! You get to stop wherever you want and see all the views. Let's not forget to mention that you can see how intricate the framework of the tower is from the stairs.

Level 1 takes you 330 steps up. But if you’re collapsing after level 1, you can pay a supplement to take the elevator from the first floor to the second. There’s no line to take the stairs to Level 2 (670 steps), then the elevator from there takes you to the top!

5. Leave plenty of time for Level 2.

You may find that the panoramas here are your favorite, since you’re high enough for great aerial views but low enough that you can recognize the city's monuments and really appreciate certain architectural details.

6. Shoot video of the elevator ride.

As soon as you get into the glass elevator, whip out your iPhone or whatever you choose and get ready to press record, as you’ll capture not only the view but also the monument's elaborate interior iron latticework. Check out my IG video here.

7. Toast to the good life!

At the top of the Eiffel Tower, there's a bar where you can purchase wine or champagne to celebrate!

Tips for visiting the Eiffel Tower