Thursday, April 18, 2024

The Ultimate Guide to Seine River Cruises in Paris!

cruise on seine

An important thing to consider for a Paris night cruise is the sunset time, as the sunset in Paris in summer is quite late. If you want to take a Seine sunset cruise – night cruise, check out the Paris sunset times and book accordingly. With prices starting at 59€, this is definitely the least expensive dinner cruise in Paris. The meals are Parisian bistro-style, all cooked on-site, and with fresh and seasonal produce.

The best cruises in Paris

If you purchase a ticket or voucher online, be sure to print it out and take it with you to claim your ticket at the dock. Both the Happy Hour Evening Cruise on the Seine and the Apéritif Cruise on the Seine are mid-size boats that come with music and a bar onboard. The difference between these two Seine cruises is the duration of the cruise, with a longer itinerary for the Happy Hour Evening Cruise. This Happy Hour Evening Cruise also offers the option to buy some food.

Bateaux Parisiens

You can enhance your cruise with an optional charcuterie and cheese board (+13€). Prime departure times are 7 PM to 11 PM, with additional lunch and daytime offerings too. Seeing landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Louvre Museum, and Pont Alexandre III bridge lit up at night from the river is breathtaking.

Company Information

Access to the Canauxarama boat boarding points require going up or down several steps and sometimes cobbled walkways. There are also steps (up to 6 steps) on some of the boats that passengers would need to be able to climb. Step-free access via a ramp is available only at the Eiffel Tower stop, and the bottom floor of the boats is wheelchair accessible. However, many of the other stops require steps or have cobbled walkways. Wheelchair accessible toilets are available near their Eiffel Tower dock. For a 1-day pass current prices (as of November 2022) for adult passes (age 16+) are 20 euros and child (age 3 to 15) passes are 10 euros.

Seine River Dinner Cruises

Our chefs strive to update the restaurant menu with seasonal recipes and exclusively local products. Yes, it’s strongly recommend to book tickets in advance online for your preferred date/time. Yes, on most cruises you can BYO snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. Neoclassical buildings grace the banks from the Alexander III Bridge to Les Invalides. In under an hour, iconic Parisian history and architecture comes alive on the water. Come aboard the Capitaine Fracasse for an enchanting two-hour cruise through the heart of Paris, departing from the Pont Bir-Hakeim, close to the Eiffel Tower.

cruise on seine

I would definitely recommend trying to do the cruise when you have good weather if you can. 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. The Vedettes du Pont Neuf boats have a ramp for access and can accommodate step-free access and passengers with wheelchairs and mobility scooters. The access ramp is located a little further beyond the stairs and staff can help assist in finding the best place to board and exit.

3 full hours with departure around 7 PM enables seeing monuments both in dusk and fully lit up after dark. The high season for the companies is generally April to September with these being the most popular times to take a river cruise in Paris. Most companies have more frequent departures and more boats operating during the summer months. The rest of the cruise companies (most of which also offer regular sightseeing cruises) specialize in renting for private hires for larger groups, weddings, and corporate events.

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Commentated tour, lunch in a unique restaurant or romantic dinner, there’s a cruise for everyone... Multi-course dinner cruises tend to be 2-3 hours to blend gourmet cuisine with the Seine’s vistas. These might only travel half the route before turning around to serve dinner during the second half when westbound.

cruise on seine

They also offer a great central location if you are going to be near Notre Dame. Narration is provided by live guides who give commentary in both French and English. You can also download the company’s free app that provides commentary in French, English, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese. There is also an evening aperitif cruise, including a choice of a glass of wine (€24.5) or glass of champagne (€29). Vedettes de Paris operates smaller sized boats along the Seine River.

Reach out directly regarding weather concerns over your booking date. River yacht charters can potentially customize cruise durations, but usually run in the 1-3 hour range. A Seine River Cruise in Paris is one of the best ways to explore and see the city’s highlights in a relaxing and fun way. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions for travelers in Paris with more than 4 million people taking cruises each year.

In addition to the world-famous highlights, you will discover many other famous and lesser-known sights on your cruise on the Seine. Experience the medieval charm of the Norman capital of Rouen. Take a trip back in time in Les Andelys and sink into the typical flair of Normandy in Vernon. Paris Canal specializes exclusively in 2-hour Paris canal boat tours versus Seine tours. Their small electric boats go through charming lesser-known waterways and locks providing a unique perspective of Paris gardens, bridges, and houseboats compared to major monuments. If you want to make the cruise more interesting, you can choose the Dinner Cruise which is more expensive cruise and include dinner, drinks, or even sometimes a live music show.

There is also a 1-hour family cruise offered that is geared to children and families, with a live guide in both French and English. The company also offers a special family-friendly cruise that is geared specifically to children and families. While these boats are meant to function as water buses they can still be a good choice for some views of Paris from the river. For some people who don’t want to use the bus system or metro, these can be an especially great and economical option. 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.

For over 40 years, we organize sightseeing cruises, dinner cruises, lunch cruises on the Seine, the Marne, and, of course, the Canal Saint-Martin and the Ourcq Canal. These provide a quick tour along the illuminated river, often with multilingual commentary about the iconic landmarks visible. Travel is roundtrip from the departure dock to east past Notre Dame and back. Seine River night cruise ticket prices in Paris can vary greatly depending on the length, inclusions and level of luxury of the specific cruise. Most basic 1-hour sightseeing cruises run €15-25 per person. These typically don’t include any extras beyond a seat to view Paris lit up at night.

High season is generally from April to September and low season is from October to March. There are a lot of similarities in many of the Seine river boat cruises that offer larger scale cruises along the Seine. » Seine cruises might be canceled if the water level is too high or too low to operate. In this case, you will be given a couple of options, including a full refund.

Although the company primarily does private events, one of its smaller boats is used for seasonal tourist sightseeing cruises. The boat is one of the smallest boats offering regular cruises and easy to spot with its bright orange color. Some boat companies offer two Seine River dinner cruises a day, the first starting around 6 pm and the second starting at 8.30 pm or later. These allow more relaxed dining and take in wider views between the Paris landmarks, heading both downstream and back upstream. Compagnie des Bateaux Mouches® is the leading provider of cruises on the river Seine. Take some time to explore Paris a little differently and uncover the historic heart of the city of lights whilst slipping down its most beautiful avenue.

The river viewpoint also allows you to gain some good insight into the city’s history, evolution, and architecture. In fact, the banks of the Seine in Paris were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. The best Seine River cruise for families is, in our opinion, the Family Cruise on the Seine. This Seine River tour comes with a funny guide (English & French) specialized in capturing the imagination of the little ones.

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