Paris Tourist Sightseeing Boats

Bateaux-Mouches

(Previous page: Paris Tourist Sightseeing Boats introduction)

La Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches is the oldest boat-tour operator in Paris (1949), and is considered to have kicked off the whole business.

It operates a 14 strong fleet of modern, glass-enclosed boats (9 sightseeing and 5 restaurant boats) that are often used by both foreign and local tour operators. Each of the modern boats in its current fleet are named after vessels which provided Parisians with passenger boat services both before and after the second World War. Every year the fleet sails a distance equal to three circumnavigations of the globe.

The usual recorded commentary describes sights along the bank in French, English, German, Spanish and Italian, although you wouldn't guess it from its website, which is in French with no other version (although they do have route maps in 21 languages!).

Timetable:

The sightseeing cruises last for 1hr 10 mins and depart every 30 minutes in high season (April-October) from 10am - 11pm and every 45 mins during low season (November-March) from 11am - 9pm.

Prices:

Adult €11
Child 4-12 €5.50
Child under 4 free

Groups (+ 20 pers.) €7

All Tariffs are as at May 2011.

Their restaurant boats offer slow-paced, high-priced dinner cruises at night (€135, 8:30-10.45pm) and lunch cruises (€50, 1.00-2.45pm) on weekends and holidays.

Booking office and Boarding:

Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches
Port de la Conférence, Pont de l'Alma, 75008, Paris.
(Right Bank, one bridge down from the Grand Palais, in front of the Trocadero and across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.)
Tel: 01-42-25-96-10 or 01-40-76-99-99; Fax: 01-42-25-02-28.
E-mail: info@bateaux-mouches.fr

Métro: Alma-Marceau (line 9)
RER: Gare Pont de l'Alma (line C).
Bus: lines 42, 92, 63, 72, 80, 83, 28, 49.
Taxi Station: Corner of avenues Georges V and Montaigne.
Cars: Free parking. Entrance from Alma Bridge. Maximum time 2h45.

Website: www.bateaumouches.fr

Related articles: Dinner Cruises on the Seine | Paris Sightseeing Buses

Next page: Paris tourist sightseeing boats: Bateaux Parisiens