Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bateaux Parisiens
has smaller covered boats with handheld audioguides, fewer crowds,
and only one deck. It leaves from right in front of the Eiffel Tower (€12, kids 3-12 pay €5,
tel. 01 76 64 14 45,
www.bateauxparisiens.com
).
VedettesduPontNeuf
offersessentiallythesameone-hourtourastheothercompanies,
but starts and ends at Pont Neuf, closer to recommended hotels in the Marais and Luxem-
bourg Garden neighborhoods. The boats feature a live guide whose delivery (in English and
French) is as stiff as a recorded narration—and as hard to understand, given the quality of
their sound system (€13, ask about discount if you book direct with this topic, online book-
ingcosts just€9,kids4-12pay€7,tiprequested, nearly 2/hour,daily 10:30-22:30,tel. 0146
33 98 38,
www.vedettesdupontneuf.com
).
Hop-on, Hop-off Boat Tour
Batobus
allows you to get on and off as often as you like at any of eight popular stops along
theSeine.Theboats,whichmakeacontinuouscircuit,stopinthisorder:EiffelTower,Orsay
Museum, St. Germain-des-Prés, Notre-Dame, Jardin des Plantes, Hôtel de Ville, the Louvre,
andPontAlexandreIII,neartheChamps-Elysées(1day-€15,2days-€18,5days-€21,April-
Aug boats run every 20 minutes 10:00-21:30, Sept-March every 25 minutes 10:00-19:00, 45
minutes one-way, 1.5-hour round-trip, worthless narration,
www.batobus.com
)
. If you use
this for getting around—sort of a scenic, floating alternative to the Métro—it can be worth-
while, especially with a five-day pass. But if you just want a guided boat tour, the Seine
cruises are a better choice (described above).
Low-Key Cruise on a Tranquil Canal
Canauxrama
runsalazy2.5-hourcruiseonapeaceful canal outofsightoftheSeine.Tours
start from Place de la Bastille and end at Bassin de la Villette (near Mo: Stalingrad). Dur-
ing the first segment of your trip, you'll pass through a long tunnel (built by order of Na-
poleon in the early 19th century, when canal boats were vital for industrial transport). Once
outside, you glide—not much faster than you can walk—through sleepy Parisian neighbor-
hoods and slowly climb through four double locks as a guide narrates the trip in French
and English (adults-€16, kids 12 and under-€8.50, check online for discounts for advance
booking, departs at 9:45 and 14:30 across from Opéra Bastille, just below Boulevard de
la Bastille, opposite #50—where the canal meets Place de la Bastille, tel. 01 42 39 15 00,
www.canauxrama.com
).Thesametouralsogoesintheoppositedirection,fromBassindela
VillettetoPlacedelaBastille(departsat9:45and14:45).It'sOKtobringapicniconboard.
