[Hondaracer]

Yea good points..

We avoided the Eiffel Tower line by hiking to the second level, it's about half the price (which full price is only 10 euro each or something) but in exchange for the 700 stairs you climb you get a far shorter elevator line than the huge snake of a line at the bottom

On the fodors forum (which is one of the most ignorant, pompous forums I've ever been on) most people will say skip the top of the tower. The thing is, when you're standing at the bottom and you don't know when you'll be back in Paris, you might as well spend the two hours and go up.