tomboy used "bateaux parisiens", which docks very close to the Eiffel Tower, near Pont d'Alma.
"vedettes du pont neuf" docks near Notre Dame, at Pont Neuf.

I went on the Vedettes du Pont Neuf. I enjoyed it (other than the loud German students!) I paid €8? for the cruise without dinner. I wouldn't bother having dinner on the cruise and just eat something on mainland. I would recommend it!

One difference among the cruise lines is that the Vedettes du Pont Neuf used live guides when I went on them (admittedly several years ago) and I believe some of the other companies use recorded commentary.

An adult ticket is 11 euros bought online, a few more if bought onsite.

http://www.batobus.com/en.html

Batobus is a good alternative - one ticket you can ride all day between nine stops in the heart of Paris at places like the Eiffel Tower, Orsay and Louvre museums, Notre-Dame, etc.

And you at certain times of year at least can do it in the day for basic transit and at night too!

The Batobus is primarily a means of transportation. It does not provide commentary.

It's basically a water taxi. And though it might not be an issue in October, the lines to board can be long and slow. There's no commentary, and it would be hard to time it, for example, to see the lights lit up on the Tour Eiffel. And it's expensive.

It's nothing at all like a cruise.

And it's expensive./

If I read the site I linked it's 11 euros for all day as much as you want and 13 euros for two days- so actually as cheap or cheaper for two days than the 'cruises"- not saying it gives you the trappings of a cruise but goes up and down the same river with the same sights night and in October yes I would think few queues.

The site you linked says 17 euros a day, 19 for 2 days. You are looking at child passes and passes that have to be picked up at the Batobus office in Paris - PITA.

The OP was looking for a cruise, not river transportation.

>>Batobus is a good alternative - <<

Not at all IMO.

It is a water bus - and as buses go it is <i>great</i>. As a cruise it . . . isn't.

The Batobus is not a good alternative for anyone with mobility issues, since most of the stops are accessible by stairs.

It is slow, there is often a long wait to board, and there are only 9 stops. What you will see from the river level won't be much.

If you purchase and print a pass on the internet, bring it along and receive your actual ticket on the first batobus you board.
ww.batobus.com/en/batobus-pass.html

Can metro tickets still be used for Batobus? And I agree it is not anything like a cruise -just curious about the metro ticket thing for my and others info.

It is not the same system. You must purchase a Batobus Pass.

>>Batobus is a good alternative -<<

>> I agree it is not anything like a cruise -<<

Blowing in the wind are we??

thanks for the information about Vedettes -- my DH and I are also going to Paris in mid-October and this sounds like a wonderful idea at sunset, maybe with some hot chocolate if it's chilly. We love playing around with our DSLR cameras and this sounds like we'd have a good time getting creative.

question about the narrative: Is it only in French, or in other languages also?

thanks!

It's in English.

I went on a dinner cruise. We were a large group and it had been chosen because a band was playing Jazz.

My friends said they spent a nice evening.
(I didn't. I don't like jazz and I was in a middle of a bunrnout, I hardly touched my plate). I've always said I'd do it again.

We just did the vedettes pont neuf. The narrator was French and said everything in French and then English. The commentary was very perfunctory. "On your left is the musee d'orsay. Built for world fair in xx year and now it is a museum. On right is this building which is used for this." No color commentary. We also did boat cruises in London and Bruges and both of those narrators were quite colorful and funny. The Bruges guy spoke everything in 3 languages too. So I think it is luck of the draw who you get as a narrator as to how good it will be.

But it was very enjoyable to sit on the top deck and see the sights from the river.

>>Batobus is a good alternative -<<

>> I agree it is not anything like a cruise -<<

Blowing in the wind are we??>

No those two statements are not contradictory despite your high dudgeon at every turn to read things into my statements that are not there - a substitution as I was talking to folks who want to just go along the river by boat and do not care for the often trivial commentary en route- 'on your left is the Eiffel Tower' - people like me.

And for folks who don't care for guided tours and want to do their own tour - Michelin Green perhaps in tow - up and down as much as they want - day or night, also using it for transportation rather than the often hectic metro.

Most folks like you want the trappings of a cruise and that is just dandy but this info was for others who may have thought gee the only way I can experience the Seine by boat is to take a cruise (which again is very fine for those that want it).

Cheers Jan!

I took the Batobus several times yesterday. I was able to show my US college ID so paid €13 for a 2 day pass. It's a great way to sit down and rest and enjoy lovely views. The stops are convenient but fairly ratty. A romantic experience it is not but it's a fun, inexpensive way to enjoy the Seine.