Eiffel Tower Keychains and Beer: Bargaining Tips

There are plenty of street vendors around the Eiffel Tower. They sell without a license, but in my view they're hardworking people rather than pickpockets, so there's no need to be afraid of them. The most common item is the Eiffel Tower keychain, and the sellers have an uncanny ability to guess where visitors are from. They'll walk up and say "five for one euro" in your language. When I visited in 2010 only one vendor spoke a foreign language like that and I bought from him; now speaking several languages seems to be a must for the job. Keychains are so cheap that people used to dislike getting them as gifts, but these days many ask me to bring one back whenever I'm going again. I buy them every time I go too.

Did you know you can get a few extra by haggling? For small Eiffel Tower keychains, asking for up to seven for one euro usually gets an instant yes. I've seen people push for eight or nine, but that would leave the seller with almost nothing, so as a matter of conscience I stop at seven. Since I had plenty of small ones, I also tried the big ones and the light-up kind. Big ones typically start at €10 to €20. I haggled to get three small ones thrown in at €5, and for a medium-sized one I paid €3 with a few small ones added. If you bargain politely, they'll give you a friendly discount. You can find better-quality keychains at other tourist sites, but the Eiffel Tower ones run about a euro each, and big ones cost much more. If you want to buy cheap, shop near the Palais de Chaillot.

Looking at the Eiffel Tower makes you want a cold beer. There's a Franprix supermarket about a ten-minute walk away, but some vendors sell drinks right on the spot, and you can haggle with them too. They usually ask €5 for a bottle, but I always paid €2. It's a bit embarrassing, but here's my tip: pretend you only have €2 in cash, or, if you're with someone, order two bottles and pretend you only have €4. They'll happily take just €2. If too many people learn this trick, the vendors may get fed up and stop giving discounts. Haggling too hard can also sour the mood, so the key is to stay polite and read the room.