rtwin80days

OPTION 1

http://booking.parisinfo.com/z6200e2...x-mouches.aspx

"Discover or rediscover all the magic of the banks of the Seine, where the most prestigious monuments that mark our history have pride of place. The legendary Compagnie des Bateaux-Mouches© cruises through Paris every day to show you what's at the heart of the City of Light.

Duration: 1hr 10 min.

Tickets: 11.50 euros

Access :
Port de la Conférence – Pont de l’Alma, Rive Droite
75008 Paris"

Futher, what is the difference between the boat used here vs "glassed-in boats" used in http://booking.parisinfo.com/z6200e2...parisiens.aspx

OPTION 2:

http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/

"Welcome to the Bateaux Vedettes du Pont-Neuf website. Discover some of the most beautiful monuments of Paris, such as the Eiffel Tour, the Louvre or the Notre-Dame Cathedral on a Seine river cruise with commentary.

Duration: 1hr.

Ticket: 13 euros / internet price 9 euros.
Access:
Next to the famous Pont-Neuf bridge :
Bateaux Les Vedettes du Pont-Neuf
Square du Vert Galant
75001 Paris"

If any of you have personally experienced either or both cruise services, please comment.

mamcalice

We have used hoth and much prefer the Vedettesdu Pont-Neuf. The route is (of course) the same but the boats are smaller which makes it easier to see everything. You can go on line and print a coupon for a ticket discount.

Christina

I've done two, although the second wasn't Vedettes du Pont Neuf. There are other companies. I did Bateaux Mouches and I think it was Bateaux Parisiens. BOth were fine, the main distinction is that the ones other than Bateaux Mouches have much smaller boats, that's all. The main point to me is simply having a brief respite and enjoying the view, which doesn't really vary much. I did the smaller boat at night, and I think that might be a plus, as I think I had some better views of the lights than I would on the bigger boat, but I had a good seat.

As I recall, part of the Bateaux Mouches boats are enclosed, also, but you wouldn't want to be in there unless it were really bad weather, in which case, why go. No one wanted to be inside on the smaller boat I took, either, you don't get as good view if you are inside no matter what.

The entire boat is not "glassed in" on Bateaux Parisiens because I took them. They have seats out on the deck, also, which are preferable. I think if it were cold weather you might prefer the glassed-in area, though. As far as I can see, all the boats that do this have some area that is enclosed.

Christina

you know, I just looked at the photos on Bateaux Parisiens' website and they do show a large flat boat that is entirely glassed in, or almost. There are a few seats at one end of the boat that are not. That wasn't the kind of boat I took for the night cruise, the one I was on was much smaller, and I departed from near Notre Dame. I don't see that departure point on their website any more, but maybe I missed it. It was Bateaux Parisiens.

I think the smaller boats are preferable for evening, as I said. For day time, I didn't mind the larger Bateaux Mouches, but this cruise wasn't a big major thing to me, I wasn't that picky. It was just a pleasant way to pass an hour, I didn't expect or want that much.

adrienne

I prefer the Vedettes since you can either sit inside on the lower level or outside on the upper level. Don't make this a major decision since all the boats use the same route. Just take whichever boat is more convenient.

rtwin80days

Thanks all. I guess as adrienne says, I'd take the Vedettes as it has option to sit inside or outside depending on the weather. Plus, it offers online discount

hpeabody

Vedettes du Pont-Neuf is my choice. As noted above, the route/sites you see will be the same.

BTW, Anyone else getting their website blocked by McAfee like I do? I need to get my internet ticket, but I am afraid and have not gone in (ignored warning) as of yet.

denisea

If you can go at night to see everything lit up, do that! Vedettes de Pont Neuf, is the choice.

StCirq

I almost always take a boat cruise in Paris with Vedettes du Pont-Neuf, but it doesn't really matter - it's the same river, same route. I just like the smaller boats.

Fodorite018

We have done the Vedettes one a handful of times. I have always purchased the tickets online ahead of time and it is nice as it saves a few euro and you don't need to stand in the ticket line there, which can get long. Just go to the separate window and show them the printout ticket and go line up to board. I really like going in the evening, and if you can time it for when the ET twinkles, that is really nice.

rtwin80days

hpeabody, I can open the site. Try opening it in another browser. IE / Firefox / Chrome....etc.

denisea, that is what I am thinking of. I heard there is this hop-on hop-off kinda pass for the river cruise as well. If that is valid for 24 hrs / 1 day, isn't it better to buy that, so that one can use it for a simple day cruise AND night cruise. I this possible?

StCirq, you're right. Have you heard of this hop-on hop-off cruise pass? What are your views?

mms, thanks, I'd keep that in mind when I reach there. I also want to sync my timing to see the illumination of Eiffel Tower. But I would be going in August end. I do not know when would the sun set then. I checked couple of weather websites but am getting really late hrs (10 PM odd...) for that and I am puzzled.

StCirq

rtwin, river cruises and the hop-on/hop-off boat (Batobus) are two entirely different things. You can't hop on or off any of the river cruises. I've explained my feelings about the Batobus in previous posts. I don't use it. I walk or take the métro or bus.

Fodorite018

rtwin80days--10pm doesn't sound odd to me. We have done the 9:30pm boat which gets to the EF at 10 and it was dark and the ET was twinkling.

Fodorite018

Oops, meant to add that it was not super dark by any means, but just dark enough to make the twinkling stand out a bit vs pure daylight.

StCirq

Agree - 10 pm isn't odd at all. It's more like 9:30, but in mid- to late July we watch sunsets in the Dordogne around 10 pm. Look at the latitude of Paris.

rtwin80days

StCirq, I had noted your opinion on Batobus on other posts, but I am referring to using the same pass for just a cruise (without hop-off anywhere) in the day and then at night. Just thinking it is a cruise. Instead of taking 2 cruise tickets. As batobus is valid for a day. Am I right in thinking of using it this way?

mms, wow, in a way this is good I am going in August, I'd make more out of my days. And I have never seen sun set past 730 so this should be interesting

Gretchen

We like to go just at dusk which in summer is very late, but not when it is dark. If you go at dusk just about the time you get to the Eiffel Tower it is dark and it is lit up, but you have seen some of the other buildings just as they are turning on their lights on the way.

Christina

I personally don't think the Batobus is a good idea as an alternative. First, you may think these cruises are more fascinating than they are. I liked seeing the lights at night, but the day time cruise was just a way to check it out and pass an hour, I don't consider this that grand. You are on the river, and the river is below street level, of course -- you don't really see that much. Taking it twice in one day sounds like a waste of time to me. But if you love it so much, sure.

However, the Batobus day pass costs more than just a cruise, so you are talking about doing that twice in one day just to save a couple euro over two cruise tickets (which you may not want to do once you do it once). The Batobus circuit takes longer than just one of those cruise boats because they stop all the time to take passengers on and off (takes about 30 minutes more total per circuit). So you are spending a lot of time doing the Batobus circuit twice in one day to save a couple euro. I would value my time more than that. Maybe you don't care about that, but twice in one day sounds boring to me.

The boat isn't the same either, the Batobus is mainly enclosed. It isn't that great looking at things through plexiglass windows or whatever they are made of. I would never take one of those cruises if the weather was bad.

adrienne

Have you looked at the Batobus site? The services ends at 9:30 (April to September). I don't know if this means that 9:30 is the last ride or if the service shuts down at 9:30 but it sounds like the latter.

rtwin80days

Hmm Christina, thanks for sharing the info on batobus. If it is going to take that much longer, then I indeed do not want to waste my time taking batobus.