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After personally testing the top five Seine river cruises in Paris, I concluded that Bateaux Parisiens offers the best sightseeing experience. Sure, this is on the pricier end of tours on offer, but it will definitely be a night you remember. The evening starts with a Seine river cruise past some of Paris’s biggest sights by night as they’re lit up in all their illuminated glory. The final destination is the world-renowned Moulin Rouge, where you’ll get to enjoy one of its legendary Féerie shows as well as a glass of bubbly.
Summary of Seine River Cruise Factors to Consider
These boats are probably the most popular on the Seine as they are the biggest and you don’t usually need a reservation to get on them. However, this makes them very popular with tourist groups so be prepared to share the boat with hundreds of other visitors. Step-free access is available and the bottom floor of the boats is wheelchair accessible. The boat configurations vary, but there are approximately 10 stairs to access the second floor and it is not accessible to wheelchairs. This is the oldest company operating cruise boats on the Seine River, starting service after World War II, and these boats have become somewhat of a symbol of Paris.
Discover the Seine in Wintertime - Paris - France.fr
Discover the Seine in Wintertime - Paris.
Posted: Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Seine River Cruises
Most companies operate sightseeing river cruises in Paris year-round. There’s no best private Seine River cruise; it depends on what you are looking for! A Seine River dinner cruise usually lasts from 1hr 15 min to 3 hours, and it comes with or without music.
Interview with the president of France Tourisme on the BFM set.
The views are rather limited even if you sit next to windows since you’re limited to seeing one bank of the Seine or the other. Their small-to-medium-sized, double-decker ships can accommodate around 220 passengers each. The lower deck provides comfortable outdoor and indoor seating, though with a lesser panorama. The lower deck is spacious enough to accommodate wheelchair users.
How to see the best of Paris in 2 Days!
Departing from the oldest bridge in Paris, the Pont Neuf, this one-hour cruise on the Seine is animated and specially designed for children. Paris Canal’s St. Martin Canal cruise offers a distinctive 2.5-hour experience, starting from Parc de la Villette and ending at Musée d’Orsay. Overall, I recommend skipping this cruise and instead using the metro for transportation and opting for a proper sightseeing cruise for a better experience. The cruises depart from the Eiffel Tower and include guided day cruises and evening aperitif cruises with music. Following a scheduled tour is fun and all, but nothing beats exploring for yourself.
Video: Paris St. Martin Canal Cruise Review
Vedettes Events offers a wide selection of original reception rooms to host your most memorable events in Paris. All our dishes are cooked by our own chefs using seasonal products in our boats’ modern kitchens. Tickets are also available for half cruises and cruises that do stopovers at the Eiffel Tower. However, it is advised that you call in advance before booking if you need the ramp to ensure access on your planned date of travel.
If you want commentary during the cruise, you can hire the optional audioguide. We recommend bringing along your own headphones or earphones so you can better listen to the commentary. The boat is one of the smaller boats on the Seine and also one of the least known, so it can be a good one if you are looking for a cruise with fewer people. The prices, if you don’t want the optional commentary, are some of the lowest. Be sure to bring your booking confirmation to the cruise departure point. There are no wheelchair accessible toilets on board or near where the boats are docked.
These are hop-on/hop-off boats that make a circuit with 9 separate stops, all near major tourist destinations (e.g., Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Louvre). The Batobus is not really intended for a sightseeing cruise but can still be a good economical choice if you also want to use the Batobus for transportation. We have taken many Seine river cruises over the years on multiple visits to Paris with a lot of different companies, and we always recommend one to friends and family when visiting Paris.
Most of these River Seine cruises with dinner offer different menus with vegetarian and vegan dishes, and this is something that you need to specify during the booking process. So in summary, first-timers may want to opt for a classic 1-1.5 hour river cruise, while return visitors could consider a longer or meal-inclusive option. Checking different company offerings for duration and scheduling will ensure the best Seine cruise fit. The river offers beautiful new perspectives of Paris’ architecture and scenery. The price of a Seine River cruise depends on multiple factors, such as the month you're traveling, the length of the cruise and the duration.
Be sure to read recent customer reviews to find the one that is the best cruise for you. We also have a complete guide to our favourite Seine River dinner cruises to help you choose one. Bateaux de Paris is the newest company to offer regular Seine River cruises. Although the company primarily does private events, one of its smaller boats is used for seasonal tourist sightseeing cruises.
This is a new and unique tour much coveted by tourists and locals (yep, we also like trying new experiences!). Because of the small capacity of the bus, the Paris Duck Tours sold out very fast, so it is usually necessary to book many weeks in advance. Many boat companies are working on the River Seine, and they all cover the same itinerary, more or less. The difference between them remains in the starting point, the options, and of course, the experience onboard. Many operators sail all year, but services are reduced November-March.
Vedettes de la Seine – Fracasse is a smaller boutique cruise company with just 2 to 3 boats. They offer specialized themed musical or Parisian gourmet dining cruises in an intimate setting with attentive service and unique French cuisine onboard. It offers great flexibility to create your own DIY sightseeing itinerary and transportation around Paris’ most famous attractions. From our exclusive embarkation points, the Ile de la Cité or the Port de l'Arsenal at the foot of the Place de la Bastille, sail off to discover a magical Paris.
Paris offers a smorgasbord of cruising experiences, from quick one-hour sightseeing jaunts to luxurious evening sails complete with Champagne and gourmet dinners. However, you can add a handheld audioguide with commentary for 3 euros. The 1-hour non-stop Discovery sightseeing cruise is currently (as of June 2023) 20 euros for adults, 9 euros for children age 4-11, and free for children under 4.
Your Seine river cruise will also pass through more than 20 bridges – some of them are the most famous bridges in France, like the Pont Neuf, the Pont Alexandre III, and the Pont des Arts. Not only does a Seine cruise offer a picturesque overview of Paris in a condensed timeframe, but you’ll also glide past many of the city’s major landmarks. You have the flexibility to choose between a 1.5-hour early evening sail or a more leisurely 2.5-hour cruise.
For some people who don’t want to use the bus system or metro, these can be an especially great and economical option. I would not recommend Batobus for those in a wheelchair unless you plan to stay on the boat for a round trip ride as only the Eiffel Tower stop is easy to access for wheelchair users. Since there is no guided commentary on board, you are probably better off choosing another boat company. There is no narration during these boat tours as they are designed as a boat taxi service rather than an actual cruise. Staff members are on board, however, and can answer questions in both English and French. The open-top is great in good weather and provides unobstructed better views than some of the other boats operated by other companies without the extra deck.
For a special event such as a marriage proposal, renewal of vows or special dates like New Year, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or 14th July, we offer special evenings. Combine your leisure cruise on the Seine with a double-decker bus tour! Take advantage of OpenTour's open-topped double-decker buses to visit the heart of Paris on your own terms, getting on and off at will. Overall, we were very satisfied with our choice as the only major problem was that it started to rain during our cruise. I would definitely recommend trying to do the cruise when you have good weather if you can.
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