I am reposting this with a new subject.
I am trying to decide between two . This one
http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/
or the Paris Canal:
www.pariscanal.com
If anyone here has done both could you please tell me your preference.

The Seine cruise is an hour and passes many wonderful sites/sights. The canal cruise is quite a bit longer I think, and Ihave heard, is not very interesting, unless you've been to Paris many many times.

I have done both. I don't think it's a question of which I prefer, they are just different and part of the overall experience of visiting the city.

Vedettes is a great way to see the sights, especially if this is a first or second trip to Paris, and/or to relax for an hour after alot of walking.

The Canal trip (2 hours, I recall??) was a new, different experience after 3 trips to the city. Kinda fun, an opportunity to see an area of the city I had not been to, and the locks were interesting for me. I like boats, if that helps explain my decision to do this.

If this is a first trip to the city and you're spending less than a week

......(continued) then do Vedettes and pass on the Canal trip.

My wife and I are thinking of doing the Paris Canal trip because it includes not only the Canal St. Martin, but also cruises part of the Seine and goes through a tunnel under the Place de la Bastille! Sounds pretty cool! We're planning one morning to hit the Pere Lachaise cemetery and the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, so I think we'll probably take it in the afternoon from the Parc de la Villette end down the canal to the D'Orsay.

DaveBrad,

Thanks for the reminder about the tunnel! Yes, that was very cool (literally and figuratively)! I hope you enjoy it!

My trip did not include the Seine portion, started at Bastille area and headed north to Villette - perhaps it has changed/expanded since my experience.

www.canauxrama.fr is the main company for cruises on the Canal Saint Martin and the Bassin de la Villette. They even have cruises on the Canal de l'Ourcq all the way to Meaux for a restaurant meal, with a return by bus.

There are two firms offering the canal trip. Canauxrama normally sail between La Villette and Port d'Arsenal. Paris Canal sail between La Villette and quai d'Orsay on the Seine. It was Paris Canal who had a guide who played a clarinet while the boat sailed through the tunnel - I don't know if he is still there.

Well, I still can't decide so I think I will start with an evening tour of the Seine and then maybe by the end of my trip take the Pariscanal ride.
Thanks for all the replies.

On my first trip to Paris I took the night boat tour on the Seine. The audio was awful - switched from French, to English, to what? Could not understand anything. A kindly traveler let me know what I was looking at. I would take a night tour again maybe after I knew what stuff looked like in the daytime.

I loved the Paris Canal boat tour. It was 3 hrs and I took it from Parc de la Villette to the d'Orsay. Not only do you see portions of Paris along the canal and the Seine that you probably won't normally see but the guide was very entertaining. I took the afternoon trip (this was in May a few yrs ago) and the weather was great.

We like to time our Seine river cruise in the late afternoon (depending on time of year) so we start out in daylight but just at dusk. The lights of the City begin to come on, and especially the Eiffel Tower. It is very nice. If you are in the summer, it may be very late!!
DO bring a bottle of wine and some glasses from the Monoprix. More fun. You can buy wine on the Quay but it is tres expensive!!