Could someone tell me about the boat ride on the canal? Highlights/cost?

Hi jace,

See this thread,

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34449755

Thanks, Ira. I had seen that but still was unsure what you'd see other that a "different" part of the city.

Hi jace,

Forgive me if I sound too basic, but I don't know what you know.

Is there a reason why you want to take this canal tour?

Is this your first, third, nth visit?

It's my second visit-was there for a week last year and saw most of the main sights/museums. Just looking for some less touristy things to do.

Hi Jace,

Have you been to the Jcquemart-Andre Museum, the Parc Monceau, Giverny, Rodin Museum, Cluny, taken a loop on the Seine by Batobus, Arenes de Lutece, Pere Lachaise Cemetery, gone to watch or participated in the Friday night rollerblading, walked through the Ile St Louis or walked around the Marais?

Sorry, it's late or I would give you the web sites. All are accessible at www.ggogle.com.

Have a nice visit.

OOPS, that's JAcquemart-andre

Have walked around the Marais and Ile St. Louis and will go back, also enjoyed the Cluny. Giverny is tops on my list for this visit. Don't know about the Jacquemart-andre museum or the rollerblading. Will check those out. Thanks.

www.pari-roller.com (for very experienced rollerbladers; 1,000's in the crowd, fast-paced; 3-hr roll from 10pm; departs from square b/t Tour Montparnasse and the Gare).

We did not take the canal boat - instead we just walked along the canal, stopped to watch the locks work; I think we veered off around Place Republique to go do something else. It was enjoyable enough, akin to visiting a nice park for instance.

Better than the canal ride, just walk to the locks close to Place de la République to watch the boats go through. You can also see them go through the locks next to the Parc de la Villette which contains the Music museum and the Science museum.

It's a pleasant enough walk alongside the canal down to, or up from, the Bassin de l'Arsénal by the Bastille, as is a stroll along the Promenade Plantée from the Bastille.

Adding to PatrickLondon's suggestion, walking at treetop level on the Promenade is a delight as is the walk at street level to check out the shops.

Thanks - I do think the suggestions to walk rather than ride along the canal are good.

I just finished Cara Black's Murder in Belleville, which takes place in that locale. Just a so-so mystery but certainly "atmospheric" and evocative of that part of Paris.

We just returned from a fabulous week in Paris and I can tell you that we enjoyed the Canal trip greatly! We followed the advice of friends who lived in Paris - the way to do this is to take the Paris Canal barge, not Canauxrama, because the guide is so much fun & his commentary most interesting. The best way to do this is to embark at Parc de la Villete (an easy Metro ride will get you there & then just ask at the clearly marked Information Center for the departure location). One travels at a leisurely pace (we brought a picnic lunch with us) through the canals & locks in the 19th & 10th arrondisements, eventually gliding underneath the Place de la Bastille through a surreal tunnel lit by skylights, & merging into the Seine, ending near the Gare d'Orsay. Our boat departed at 2:30 pm & arrived at about 5 pm. Seeing Paris from this vantage point was fascinating, as were the locks - there were 4 of us & we all enjoyed it.