Bateaux-Mouches vs. Bateaux Parisiens: Which Seine Cruise to Pick

Two big names dominate sightseeing cruises on the Seine: Bateaux-Mouches and Bateaux Parisiens. Both start with "bateau," the French word for boat. Bateaux-Mouches is the better-known of the two with tourists, but lately word has spread that Bateaux Parisiens is the better ride, and plenty of travelers can't decide. Having tried both, here is how they compare.

Bateaux-Mouches is the original Paris river cruise, running since 1867, so more than 150 years. It leaves from a pier near Alma-Marceau station (Line 9) and glides past Place de la Concorde, the Louvre, the Hôtel de Ville, Notre-Dame, the Pont Neuf and the Musée d'Orsay, ending with the Eiffel Tower before heading back to the pier. The round trip takes about 1 hour 10 minutes. In high season (April to September), boats run every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; in low season (October to March), every 40 minutes from 11 a.m. to 9:20 p.m. Tickets cost €14 for adults, €6 for children aged 4 to 11, and nothing for under-4s. A multilingual audio guide is a big plus, though it was made a long time ago and isn't very entertaining. On a winter trip nine years ago, I was too cold to go out on deck and nodded off listening to the commentary inside, so my memory of the boat wasn't great. Then last year I took it again on a lovely day just before sunset, and it changed my mind. The sun set just as the boat turned around at the Pont Neuf, and I got to finish by watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle. Definitely sit outside.

Bateaux Parisiens is the newer boat, with more comfortable facilities. Its biggest advantage is a pier right by the Eiffel Tower. With Bateaux-Mouches you have a fair walk from Alma-Marceau station, whereas almost everyone visits the Eiffel Tower anyway, and the pier is just below it. Another plus: since tour groups tend to pile onto Bateaux-Mouches, Bateaux Parisiens is said to be quieter. It also offers a multilingual audio guide (I didn't listen to it, so I can't speak to the content), with an indoor lower deck and an upper-deck terrace. I sat inside on the lower deck, which is comfortable, but the low ceiling kept getting in the way of photos. If it isn't cold, the upper deck is the better choice. Fares run €1 higher than Bateaux-Mouches: €15 for adults, €7 for ages 4 to 12, and free under 4. The cruise lasts one hour.

Whichever you choose, buying tickets on an online booking site instead of at the pier is often cheaper, so book online in advance. Sunset time changes every month, so look it up and board around dusk. Enjoy the sunset for the first 30 minutes, then watch the city lights on the 30-minute return after the boat turns around. You get two different moods in one trip.