France's Most Iconic Attraction Tops Europe's List For Tourist Scams

Boasting postcard-worthy destinations with centuries of history, Paris is in the top five most visited cities in the world, seeing over 15 million tourists in 2023. Given that the Eiffel Tower is perhaps the most recognizable structure in the City of Light, a sizable amount out of these visitors have likely stopped by to see it up close and personal. While it truly is beautiful, especially at night, more tourists means more opportunities for scammers to try to make a quick buck. In fact, when travel insurance company Quote Zone compiled reviews of Europe's top attractions, the attraction with the most mentions of scams was the Eiffel Tower (via Fodors). 

While walking around near the Eiffel Tower, someone may approach you with a petition on a clipboard and ask if you speak English. To avoid getting roped into giving the person anything, simply keep walking or say "no" in a firm tone. Another common scam involves fake tour guides or fake attraction tickets that promise to get you to the front of the line. Be sure to use official tourism websites when booking either type of activity.

TikToker Amanda Rollins (@americanfille) has lived in Paris for close to a decade and tells tourists to watch out for pedicab scammers in touristy areas. They'll offer to take you between attractions with prices written on a sign, only to adjust the sign's clip to reveal that the prices are per person. Rollins says in her TikTok that the script is "in the smallest writing known to man." Of course the drivers won't reveal this until you reach your destination.

If you're leery of the scammers who hang around the Eiffel Tower, you can still see it and feel its aura from a bit of distance. Thanks to the tower's size, even just taking a walk along the Seine River can give you perfect views in a less vulnerable way than gazing at it among the lines to the tower's elevators. The Eiffel Tower also finds itself in skyline views from the Galeries Lafayette rooftop and Centre Pompidou to name a few places where you can spot it. Aside from viewing the Eiffel Tower from afar, perhaps check out some underrated destinations in Paris instead of busy areas teeming with scammers. Paris is filled with lesser-visited points of interest like Musée Gustave Moreau and Monceau Park.