Taking a boat tour in Paris is a definite must. If the weather is nice and it’s summertime, take your boat tour at night. So romantic! The boat tour you choose may depend on which company is closest to you: The traditional Bateaux Mouches is located near the Eiffel Tower (Pont d’Alma 8eme). This is where you’ll also find the dinner cruises.
We’ve taken the dinner cruises as well as the basic tour on the Bateaux Mouches, but quite honestly, my favorite is the Vedettes de Pont Neuf which you access from the Ile de la Cite, Metro: Cite. These are smaller boats with a live guide, not piped in commentary. The boats are cute compared to the huge Bateaux Mouches. On the other hand, if your feet are killing you and you’re closer to the Bateaux Mouches, jump on - they leave every thirty minutes compared to the Vedettes du Pont Neuf which leave every hour.
Dinner Cruises
The food is okay, but nothing exceptional. Some people like to plan special events where you can lease a yacht excursion. Quite honestly, in my opinion, the food never seems to comparable to onshore restaurants. If you decide to do something like this, make it cocktails and appetizers. Dine in style - onshore. That being said, I’ve only tried two meal cruises - maybe the third one will change my mind!
Vedettes du Pont Neuf Tel 0 1 46 33 98 38. Depart hourly from Pont Neuf (Entrance is in the Vert Galant park at the tip of Cite island, just below the statue of Henry IV). This is also an excellent picnic locale BTW. Current cost for a one-hour ride: 11 Euros for adults. 6 Euros for kids, age 4-12. You can purchase your tickets on the internet at their site.
Bateaux Mouches - depart every 30 minutes Pont d’Alma’s right bank near the Eiffel Tower
Tel 01 42 25 96 10
Bateaux Parisiens offers a similar style cruise to the Bateau Mouches. It’s located at Port de la Bourdonnais, 7eme. Tel. 08 25 01 01 01.
Canauxrama takes you on a tour of Paris’s canals. This will take you through the city’s St. Martin Canal system to explore Paris’s northeastern sector ending at Porte de la Villette. The trip takes longer than the Seine River cruise (plan on 2 to 2 1/2 hours minimum, rather than the shorter Seine River trips, and you will need to make reservations. During the summer months, Batobus offered service between Paris Plage on the Seine and the Bassin de la Villette which might make an less expensive alternative.
Canauxrama is located at the Bassin de L’Arsenal in the 12th (near Bastille) Tel. 01 42 39 15 00.
Paris Canal, 13 Quai de la Loire is located in the 19eme. Tel. 01 42 40 96 97.
Batobus allows eight stops at various sites along the Seine such as the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, Champs Elysees, St. Germain-des-Pres, Musee d’Orsay, Jardin des Plantes.
Paris Plage shuttle service between Pont Marie and Paris Plage Piscine - 2 Euros.
You can purchase a Day Pass or a 2-Day Pass. (Current price is 12 Euros, one day and 14 Euros two days).
Boats operate from 10 am to 4:30 pm daily mid-November to mid-January.
Mid-march to mid-April 10 am to 7 pm.
May to September - 10 am to 10 pm
No Batobus service in January to mid-February.
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