Paris Boat Tour
The City of Light is a city that can easily be explored on foot, but if there’s one program you can’t miss, it’s a boat ride in Paris. If you thought: “Ah, but this is a very cliché program”. I ask you: what is not cliché in Paris? It is precisely because Paris is a cliché that it is the most visited city in the world.
The Paris boat tour will take you to some of the most enchanting views of the city. It’s a new view and, in addition to all the beauty it brings, it’s a great opportunity to give your feet a rest after walking so much. You sit back, relax and are gifted with a beautiful landscape.
If this is your first time in Paris, this tour can be a great way to see the main sites of the city at the same time. It is also a great way for elderly or disabled travelers who cannot walk for long periods of time to enjoy the city.
It is also an ideal program for couples looking for a cheap romantic activity, especially at night when the Seine is bathed in light. This is a great program to do in spring and summer, but if you come in autumn – winter, don’t worry. Even the rain will not interfere with your schedule. Every boat has a covered part. Visiting Paris is always a pleasure.
For the pleasure of all tastes and budgets, there is a wide variety of boat trips in Paris. You can be charmed by some of the most mythical places in the city, you can also enjoy a romantic dinner, see the illuminated city reflected on the Seine or just sit back and enjoy the scenery. Just choose the boat ride that suits you best.
Bateaux Mouches
Offering boat rides on the Seine with commentary in ten languages, Bateaux Mouches is the most famous boat ride in Paris. Thousands of tourists pile onto the large boats, with their distinctive orange seats, to pass some of Paris’ most famous sites and attractions on the river’s banks, including Notre Dame Cathedral, the Musée d’Orsay, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum.
The Bateaux-Mouches leave from the Pont d’Alma, near the Eiffel Tower. Reservations are not required, but during the peak months, I find it advisable, especially if you want a specific time.
Bateaux Parisiens
Bateaux Parisiens is another very popular and respected company that does boat tours in Paris. It attracts about 2.6 million tourists a year and offers a simple cruise, lunch or dinner.
This simple cruise passes by 14 monuments, 25 bridges and 4 museums, allowing you to enjoy some of the city’s most popular attractions before deciding to visit. Bateaux Parisiens has a fleet of 12 boats, with a capacity of 100 people for the classic and about 600 for the larger boats (trimarans).
You can board at two locations: at the foot of the Eiffel Tower or near Notre-Dame Cathedral.
The Vedettes du Pont Neuf
Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf is another company that makes boat trips in Paris very popular. It bears the same name as one of the most elegant and famous bridges in the city.
It offers a simple one-hour cruise with audio commentary available in 12 languages. In general, the tour will take you to about ten of Paris’ main monuments. It’s a shorter trip than other companies, but still worth it. It does not offer lunch or dinner cruises, like competitors Bateaux-Mouches or Bateaux Parisiens.
Batobus
Batobus is not necessarily a boat ride, but it serves as such. It has the same theme as the “hop on hop off” buses. You can get off/on at 9 points: Eiffel Tower, Musée d’Orsay, St-Germain-des-Près, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Jardin des Plantes, Hôtel de Ville, Louvre Museum, Champs-Elysées and Beaugrenelle.
