Hello. We would love to go for a river cruise in PARIS for our honeymmon trip. Truly need advice/ tips on which cruise companies [ luxury to normal cruise ] to take as this is our first time there. THANX IN ADVANCE.

Try Bateaux Mouches (Tel. in France is 01-40-76-99-99). They launch an hour and one-half cruise from Place de l'Alma and offer reasonable daytime rates and evening cruises as well. Take both!!! if you can. You get a great glimpse of the major sights by day and a GLORIOUS VIEW of the lit up city at night without having to go in the poorhouse. There was another company that offered dinner time cruises (but I'm sorry the name escapes me right now). They were COSTLY--about 750 to 1000 ff per person. Congratson your marriage and have a GREAT TIME.

Just be sure to sit inside the boat, as louts spat on us when we sat at the front of the boat! Not a pleasant memory!

From your question, I'm not sure you <BR>realize what these boat trips are like. <BR>They aren't really "cruises", and <BR>not "luxury". The Seine is a very small <BR>river, and they are just short trips up and <BR>down the river on a small open-top boat <BR>to see the buildings on the side. <BR>They last about an hour and a half--you <BR>can get dinner or lunch with some of <BR>them at a certain time of day, but that is very <BR>expensive (about 500FF, I think). There <BR>are several companies doing this in <BR>Paris, I don't know if they are that different, <BR>but your concierge should be able to help <BR>you with that choice. Without a meal, <BR>they are very reasonable in cost. You <BR>don't need reservations or anything for <BR>the ones without a meal, just show up <BR>at the side of the river where they dock.

my best memory of a bateaux mouche ride is the last one of the night in the winter snuggled with my husband and bottle of cognac we had brought along <BR> <BR>by the way, the eyewitness guide lists all the different lines and where and when they depart-the Vedettes are actually the smaller ones and leave from Pont d'Iena (right at the Eiffel tower). <BR> <BR>I agree that I don't think the dinner cruises are really worth it-(rent Charade instead and watch Audrey Hepburn aand Cary Grant do that instead-it is a great film to rent before you leave!) <BR> <BR>I also have had American friends who have had people spit or throw things on them-it isn't quite as popular to do that off-season, but keep your eyes open-otherwise it is a great way to see the city especially at night when they shine all those lights on the buildings along the Seine and everybody thinks, "how can those people stand that every night?" <BR> <BR>I also founda great Paris site paris.org and I think it has all the info in it! <BR> <BR>enjoy <BR> <BR>Jeanne

A honeymoon is special and so is the dinner cruise on the Bateaux Mouches. It is expensive, but will be memorable. My wife and I did this on our first trip to Paris 15 years ago, and even tho we have extensively travelled since then, it remains one of the true highlights of all of our trips. You will not be disappointed.